...the chemistry-based explanation leaves out the most important factor: emotional pain.
Emotional dysregulation underlies the vast majority of substance use issues.
Watching a loved one struggle with any kind of substance dependence fills many of us with worry, confusion, and questions. What can we do?
Understanding trauma's role in addiction will help more of us lead the change in attitude we need. If the struggle with drug addiction is so often painful and deadly, why does it happen? How can we understand addiction to offer a more healing response?
Drug Chemistry Is the Wrong Explanation
Addiction prevention campaigns used to focus on tolerance to explain the risk of dependence.
We know that addictive substances stimulate the brain's "reward" system. A person can trigger a surge in feel-good hormones like dopamine by using. But over time, the body adapts, and more of a substance is needed to get the same effect.
But the chemistry-based explanation leaves out the most important factor: emotional pain. Emotional dysregulation underlies the vast majority of substance use issues.
As a trauma-informed therapist, I ask: Why would a person need to do something so dangerous to feel better or actually less badly in daily life? How does this make sense? By working carefully with a person struggling to cope by using, we find trauma at the root of addiction.
Understanding Addictive Behavior As a Survival Strategy
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