Thought of the day: What role does trauma play in addiction?

Based on personal observation, it seems as though addiction and trauma of some sort go hand in hand. Whether the trauma is before the use and abuse begins, or if it is a consequence of active using, there will be traumas great or small that each addict must deal with. As for it's impact on recovery, I would say it is a fundamental issue in recovery. The correlation between PTSD and substance abuse/addiction has been shown time and again. Who can we best address trauma in treatment?

Today's quick thought: Giving unconditional positive regard to our clients

When we can see our clients as intrinsically healthy, but afraid to come out of comfort zones and frightened of leaving their faulty core beliefs behind, we can give them the unconditional positive regard that I believe is at the root of all successful treatment. I strongly believe that the greatest key to being able to help others in healthy ways is to consistently be doing our own inner work. We need to do this work in able to offer unconditional care, concern, compassion and be able to instill hope.

Shall we talk about Chronic Relapsers?

I always wonder what they are getting from using that they are not getting from recovery and what would make recovery worth maintaining. I think we sometimes overlook the needs that drugs fulfill. We offer to take away their major form of coping and offer them a vague promise of a better life. Taking away a major coping tool only causes a vacuum. Seems to me that trauma resolution and a truly thorough understanding of powerlessness and unmanageability, along with a spiritual connection and constant work on oneself, can help to fill this vacuum.

If the addict truly wants recovery, they must put that desire to get and stay clean first. An intervention is what gets an addict clean. Keeping the addict clean has to come from the addict's own strength and desire. Change happens with a willingness to have a better life. An intervention can faciliate the removal of enables, detoxification, motivational tools and talk therapy. The key to recovery is surrender. When an addict witnesses other clean addicts whom are/were just as bad as they were/are the vision of hope gives the addict seeking recovery a signal that they too are no different and have the ability to find sustainable recovery.

People start to get sober and change their lives when they get some strength and have support to do so. And some addicts don't quit at bottom, they quit when they have something they don't want to lose.