The Connection Between Childhood Trauma and Addiction in Adults

Victory Recovery Partners, a network of addiction / recovery centers on Long Island, New York, helps patients overcome their addictions and lead healthy and positive lives. One of the services we offer is counseling, which is provided by our experienced and caring team of behavioral health counselors. When getting to the root causes of addiction, we must look into the past and see what life events or experiences contributed to one’s addiction as an adult. There is certainly a connection between childhood trauma and its contribution to alcohol and drug addiction in adults. Let’s explore the connection, as this will provide you with a better understanding of how to overcome your addiction. 

Childhood trauma can occur in a number of ways. For example, a child may be physically or emotionally abused. Child abuse can be present in many forms, such as physical, psychological or sexual abuse. As a result of this, the child may feel as though they have no power, as well as hurt or scared. These feelings can lead to a decrease in the child’s trust in their parents. Continued abuse and mistreatment can cause a trauma disorder, contributing to the usage of drugs and alcohol in adulthood. If a parent openly uses drugs in the home, is mentally ill, or is in prison, the child may feel confused and scared. There are other forms of childhood trauma that go beyond just the child-parent relationship. This includes being bullied at school, experiencing horrific natural disasters such as hurricanes, and witnessing other violent acts such as those in the community.  

While Victory does not treat children – we are an outpatient addiction recovery center for adults, it is important to explain the effects of childhood trauma, because it can lead to addiction in adulthood. When a child has experienced a significant amount of trauma, changes in the brain actually occur. Several areas of the brain are essentially rewired, and the parts of the brain that are impacted include the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and anterior cingulate cortex. These changes in brain chemistry can highly increase one’s chances of developing addiction as an adult. The presence of mental health disorders increases, as well as feelings of anxiety and fear. Additionally, childhood trauma can cause feelings of irritability and issues with insomnia in adulthood. Some survivors of childhood trauma report that they will even avoid many places or situations that remind them of the trauma they previously experienced.  

There are some very important statistics and data that show the relationship between childhood trauma and addiction in adulthood. Over 70 percent of those receiving drug and alcohol addiction treatment have experienced some form of childhood trauma. Another shocking statistic is that in the United States alone, over 679,000 children face neglect and abuse annually. Additionally, if the child’s parents abused drugs or alcohol, their children are four times more likely to be neglected and three times more likely to be abused. 

At Victory, we succeed in treating drug and alcohol addictions by getting to the root causes of addiction. In many of our patients, we notice that they have experienced childhood trauma in various forms. Our behavioral health counselors are able to work with our patients to help them overcome the issues they have faced during childhood. While we cannot change the past, we can help our patients to move ahead, enabling them to find the strength and determination needed to overcome their addictions. For more information on Victory, please visit our website www.victoryrp.com