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| Overcoming Roadblocks to Recovery: The Emerging Brain Science of Addiction, Trauma and Shame |
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Our science is beginning to catch up with our intuition. In the past few years, due to advances in brain science technology, we are beginning to gain fundamental understanding into the actual working of the human brain. This is leading us to new insights into the sometimes baffling nature of addiction, post-traumatic stress and relapse.
As we have new capabilities to investigate and observe human brains while actually in the afore mentioned processes, we are beginning to understand differences between normal human brain functions and those of both addiction and trauma-bound individuals. We can now actually see the differences in functions and brain organization that occur as a result of addictive behaviors, as well as being able to see how trauma invades brain development and creates new pathways and obstacles that allow survivors to cope. In short, the brains solutions and adaptations to problems become problems in themselves for the person to overcome on their pathway to recovery.
Let me start with the story of Clyde.
Clyde was a United States Marine veteran, who had almost been killed by friendly fire on three separate occasions during his stay in Vietnam. Once buried alive and left for dead by his buddies, another time the sole survivor of an artillery round falling short that killed his whole platoon and another horrific event where not only was the enemy trying to kill him, but his friends almost did too!
A vet that had been dispatched to the back ward before I met him, he was maintained on seven different medications, married to a lovely co-dependent woman and having trouble sleeping. As he sat trembling, rocking and shaking in my office, I asked him how he relaxed. He answered by saying that if the voices and noises in the night got too intense, he would do the following: reach under his bed, take out his M-16, put a round in the chamber, place the muzzle in his mouth with his finger on the trigger, and then release the safety. Only then could he relax! All this while his wife slept soundly next to him, and his children slept nearby in another room. His reasoning was simple - he now had control over events, he was master of his own destiny and he could stop the intolerable fear and pain.
These images troubled me for years. He was calming and soothing himself by relying on his ability to kill himself! This made no sense to me at the time, but I had much more to learn about addiction and trauma in the years to come. Today, I see this as the hallmark of addictive behavior that has gone completely awry. Our many and various forms of compulsive, self-abusive and self-destructive behavior are often attempts to regain lost control over our emotions and our nervous system while providing a sense of mastery and relief.
MORE ....
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Go to Overcoming Roadblocks to Recovery: The Emerging Brain Science of Addiction, Trauma and Shame
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About The Author:
Thomas Hedlund is a marriage family therapist, workshop leader and addictions educator from Santa Rosa, CA. He has been in private practice for over 25 years and specializes in recovery related issues including addiction, compulsive behavior and the healing of trauma, shame and abuse.
Thomas Hedlund, LMFT,
406 Chinn Street,
Santa Rosa, CA 95404, USA
Phone (707) 573-0610,
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