Question

answer these writing prompts: What is trauma? How does trauma effect the brain? What is addiction? Does going through a traumatic event mean that someone will form addictions? Are there any treatment models that help treat both?

Answer 1

• Trauma is an event which happens in a person's life that is extremely disturbing and distressful.Especially childhood trauma,like,witnessing abuse in family,of being a victim of abuse,death of a loved one,any natural disaster,injury etc. all these can be traumatic for the person which could be dramatically effect a person mentally.
• Trauma does affect the brain.It can cause a person to develop fear or anxiety.A person can become shocked,confused,can experience guilt or shame or even socially withdraw from others.
• Extremely disturbing traumatic events mostly which happen in childhood can affect the area of the brain called amygdala which is associated with regulation of emotions in us.This part regulates negative emotions,which is any one going through a trauma can experience fear and anxiety if confronted with that anxiety provoking situation.
• Amygdala,hippocampus and prefrontal cortex all deal with stress,which all are affected because of trauma.Children can develop learning difficulties,behavioural problems,depression,memory problems etc.if the trauma they have experienced is not resolved in adulthood.
• Addiction is a chronic disease which happens when the person is unable to stop consuming a substance which is causing adverse effect on his or her healthy.It is the physical and psychological inability of a person to stop their compulsive behaviour of repeatedly consuming a substance.
• If someone is going through a trauma they are likely to develop addiction to overcome any pain or anxiety caused by those events.Not all of them develop addiction though.People can indulge in drugs,alcohol or even dangerous activities which can kill a person.
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can be used to treat both these problems.CBT is all about modifying the negative behaviours or thoughts with positive ones.Its a talk therapy stressing upon resolving the conflict between what a person wants and what they actually do.A person going through addiction might be knowing this is wrong,but he is still indulging in it to overcome his pain.