Repressed Childhood Trauma And Addiction

How Repressed Childhood Trauma Can Lead To Addiction

Repressed childhood trauma results from enduring traumatic experiences that occur within the first 18 years of life, referred to as adverse childhood experiences (ACE).

A 2023 study from the journal Addictive Behavior Reports found that those who’ve experienced ACEs have a higher likelihood of developing a substance use disorder (SUD) in adulthood. Additionally, females who had experienced ACEs were more likely to develop an alcohol use disorder, while males who had experienced ACEs were more likely to misuse illicit substances.

Trauma manifests in many different ways and can affect each individual differently. Examples of childhood trauma include:

• Neglect
• Sexual abuse
• Physical or emotional abuse
• Grief
• Having a chronic disease or life-threatening accident
• Witnessing domestic violence
• Witnessing a parent abuse drugs or alcohol

Children do not have the same coping skills and emotional and mental tools to deal with trauma compared to adults, and as a result, it makes it much harder for children to process trauma.

However, how much this affects their adulthood depends on many factors, such as the type and extent of trauma, the duration of the trauma, the developmental period when the trauma occurred, and the gender and genetic makeup of the victim.

Another contributing factor is if a compassionate adult caretaker was present or absent. A child depends on their parents or caretakers for protection and comfort. Their happiness and well-being are dependent on these people, and when that need is unmet in childhood, it has life-altering effects. This unprocessed trauma often reappears in adulthood, and adults may misuse drugs and alcohol to cope with these traumatic memories and emotions.

The Link Between Trauma And Addiction

Trauma is stored in our body and brain, and as a result, it rewires how we think and act. It changes our nervous system and how we react to stressful situations, process our emotions, and relate to others.

Traumatic childhood experiences result in persistent stress that lasts into adulthood. Individuals will “always be on alert” as the stress system in our brain (hypothalamus-pituitary axis, HPA) is chronically activated, which leads to elevated stress hormones and accompanying hyperarousal. To quiet the mind and relax, many people turn to drugs and alcohol. People with past trauma may be more vulnerable to addiction, as substances are often used as an unhealthy means to regulate mood, quiet intrusive thoughts, and suppress the arousal caused by elevated stress hormones.

Trauma can also cause a state of dissociation and numbness, leaving the person to feel chronically numb, disengaged, and emotionless. People may turn to drugs to feel “something.” As a result, they may misuse drugs to feel effects that produce energy, alertness, and euphoria.

What Causes Repressed Memories?

Trauma is the sole reason for repressed memory, which occurs when the trauma is too severe to be kept in conscious memory and is removed by repression, dissociation, or both. Some time later, it may be recalled, often under innocent or accidental circumstances, and reappears in conscious memory.

Repression is a defense mechanism that allows us to “shut down” these memories and store them away because we cannot digest the trauma. This defense mechanism allows us to continue to function and survive. Repressed memories are not a result of a conscious decision you have made; rather, they are involuntary responses to a traumatic event.

“Shutting down” these memories allows us to survive our short- and long-term circumstances. This defense mechanism changes our emotional and mental well-being and may lead us to develop an addiction, but it allows us to keep up with our daily lives and, in many instances, break away from the person who caused this trauma.

Signs Of Repressed Childhood Trauma In Adults

Signs of repressed childhood trauma vary by person but commonly include:

• Anxiety or fear
• Child-like reactions
• All-or-nothing thinking
• Intense mood swings
• Low self-esteem
• Inability to handle daily stress
• Inability to process or cope with change
• Problems remembering past events, especially from childhood
• Relationship problems such as codependency, abandonment issues, control issues, and abusive relationships

Repressed childhood trauma may present with additional psychological signs, including:

• Strong reactions that may occur unexpectedly: You may have a strong “gut” feeling when first meeting someone or going to a certain place.
• False memories: You may vividly remember memories that never actually occurred, but you vividly remember them as if they did, almost like believing in a dream. The person is not lying or making up stories because they truly believe these things happened.
• Problems focusing: Since it takes a lot of mental capacity to repress your trauma, your brain may have a hard time focusing on other matters. You may come off as easily distracted or aloof.
• Revictimization: You may unintentionally view yourself as a victim by not giving yourself enough credit, engaging in self-harm behaviors, becoming involved in abusive relationships, and allowing others to treat you poorly.
• Dissociative episodes: You may experience feelings of numbness, like being in a “dream state” or zoning out.

While not everyone with repressed childhood trauma will present with these symptoms, if many of them apply to you, it may be time to seek professional treatment.

How To Cope With Childhood Trauma And Addiction

Individuals who struggle with addiction as a result of childhood trauma will need to treat the addiction as well as the psychological effects caused by the trauma. If the trauma is not treated, then it can be nearly impossible to treat the addiction since the underlying source is still unresolved. Psychotherapy techniques are often utilized to treat this dual diagnosis.

The first step in healing yourself from the aftermath of childhood trauma is recognizing that you experienced childhood trauma, holding space for this, and treating yourself with respect and love as you begin the healing journey.

The healing journey can be difficult as one must be able to acknowledge the trauma, discuss the experience with a therapist, and take note of how this experience made them feel. This can bring up complicated feelings, thoughts, and emotions during therapy. Being honest with your therapist about how you are feeling is essential. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the mainstay treatment for trauma, and it is broken down into three types: trauma-focused CBT, cognitive processing therapy, and prolonged exposure therapy.

Trauma-focused CBT

Trauma-focused CBT specifically focuses on children, adolescents, adults, and their caregivers who experienced childhood trauma. This therapy approach is centered on learning about the effects of trauma so the individual can better understand and cope with the diagnosis and effects. This approach focuses on three treatment phases: stabilization, trauma narration, and processing, as well as integration and consolidation.

In the stabilization phase, the therapist works with the trauma victim and/or their caregiver to provide education on trauma, its effects, and the emotions associated with it to validate the victim. During this stage, they also teach relaxation techniques to help them cope with the trauma, as well as regulation and expression techniques to help them comfortably manage, express, and identify their thoughts and feelings to foster greater emotional regulation.

In the trauma narration and processing phase, the therapist helps the victim identify inaccurate or maladaptive thoughts and behaviors and their connection to thoughts and feelings so that they can replace them with more helpful responses.

In the integration and consolidation phase, the victim gradually addresses specific details about their trauma, often through a creative medium, which allows the victim to process the experience and their emotions, and the therapist works with the individual to develop skills and strategies to improve the victim’s safety and trust.

Cognitive Processing Therapy

Cognitive processing therapy helps confront the thoughts and memories associated with a traumatic event. It also assists with learning to correct the maladaptive, unrealistic, or problematic thoughts that may drive these thoughts and feelings. Similar to CBT, the therapist provides psychoeducation on trauma and its effects. Still, the main focus is for the client to identify their trigger points and work with the therapist to turn maladaptive and unhealthy thoughts into changing beliefs that provide a new and healthy outlook on self-esteem, intimacy, safety, power, and trust.

Exposure Therapy

Exposure therapy helps the victims face their fears by talking about their trauma with their therapist and “re-exposing” them to the intimate details of the trauma. Most people want to avoid anything that reminds them of the trauma they experienced, but blocking out these memories reinforces the underlying fear associated with this trauma.

By facing what has been avoided, a person can decrease symptoms of their trauma by actively learning that the trauma-related memories and cues are not dangerous and do not need to be avoided. Clients are asked to identify situations that cause them to feel anxious and then engage in anxiety-triggering environments.

At first, anxiety will increase and then will remain steady and then drop if they are in the exposure scenarios long enough. For exposure therapy to be a good fit, the person must be in a state of calm and control and usually benefit first from talk therapy, such as cognitive processing therapy or trauma-focused cognitive therapy. Victims affected by trauma have an overactive nervous system, have difficulty concentrating, and are often distracted by the intensity of the trauma. Starting with exposure therapy may leave them constantly in an overactivated state.

Get Help Today

Adults with childhood trauma, either repressed or not, should strongly consider seeking professional treatment. Treatment programs can benefit someone dealing with repressed childhood trauma, as they provide the time and resources to focus on treating any co-occurring conditions and the substance use disorder itself.

If you’re ready to start your recovery journey, contact a treatment provider today.