Can Childhood Trauma Lead to Addiction?

If you are in addiction recovery, you have probably spent your share of time trying to figure out how you became an addict in the first place. While there are many reasons people turn to alcohol and drugs, if you experienced childhood trauma it may have contributed to your addiction.

According to Dr. Vincent Felitti, founder of the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) project, with the exception of chronic reoccurring humiliation, all forms of childhood trauma present the same risks of later abuse. Those exposed to chronic reoccurring humiliation were 15 percent more likely to become addicted to food, alcohol or drugs than those exposed to other forms of childhood trauma.

The increased risk ranges from 5 to 46 times more likely to become addicted to substances in later life, depending on the number of traumatic events you experienced and your demographics.

Types of Childhood Trauma

There are several categories of childhood trauma. As a rule, the risks of addiction increases as children are exposed to a wider range of childhood trauma experiences. Nearly any imaginable trauma can be classified in one of the following groups.

Sexual Abuse/Incest: Children who are sexually abused by a trusted adult in their life are often reluctant to disclose the fact to others. Instead, they experience a sense of betrayal, embarrassment or humiliation. Because they are afraid to disclose the abuse or talk to a medical professional about it, they often turn to self-medication with drugs or alcohol to solve the problem.

Psychological or Physical Abuse: Children who experience abuse at the hands of their parents often feel powerless to change the situation. Fear and rage fester throughout their childhood and into the teen and adult years. They often turn to drugs and alcohol as a way to mask their rage and to quell the pain and embarrassment.  The program Adult Children of Alcoholics A.C.A. The term “adult child” is used to describe the adult child who grew up in a alcoholic or dysfunctional homes who exhibit identifiable traits that revel past abuse or neglect.

Death or Loss: Losing a parent to death, divorce or even to incarceration also causes childhood trauma. Dealing with the grief and anger that often accompanies losing a parent or loved one can lead children to drugs or alcohol and increase their risk of addiction.

Natural Disaster: Witnessing or having close family members or friends involved in a natural disaster, like a flood, hurricane or terrorist act can instill fear and reoccurring memories of the traumatic event. The child may feel guilty or may feel responsible in some way, He or she often suffers from nightmares or becomes afraid the event will occur again. As the child gets older, he or she may turn to drugs and alcohol to drown out the memories or banish the nightmares.

Crimes and/or Accidents: Experiencing a crime or being in an accident can cause childhood trauma. It can set the stage for fear of strangers, riding in a vehicle or going to places where the crime occurred. As children age they may turn to substance abuse to suppress their fears.

Understanding how the trauma of your childhood may affect your addiction and recovery is an important part of your recovery. While you can’t blame all your problems on past events, knowing that they contributed to your tendency to reach for drugs or alcohol will make it easier to forgive yourself and learn to love yourself again.

Try carrying an acceptance affirmation stone to remind yourself that you can’t change the past. Visit our store and browse the uplifting posters or grab a journal to keep track of your recovery.

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