Trauma experience(s) can create a state of severe-chronic stress disrupting cognitive, emotional, social and physical development. Studies show that it is a catalyst for the majority of society’s mental/physical illnesses (including addiction, anxiety, depression, co-occurring issues) which can culminate into early death. The mind/body link of trauma will be explored as well as treatment approaches. -Understand how trauma can create a “3rd degree emotional burn” which can lead to destructive thoughts, choices and relationships. -Discover how this “emotional burn” can lead to addictions and other “using to soothe” behaviours. -Can traumatic experiences actually shorten your life? You’ll be surprised what some studies have shown.

1. Origins of Addiction, Frozen In Time: Is Past
Trauma Causing You or Your Clients to
Experience a Slow & Early Death?
Feb 7, 2013
Presented by
Paul Radkowski, MTS(PC), OACCPP, IAAOC, IAMFC
Psychotherapist, CEO/Clinical Director: Life Recovery Program
http://www.lifrecoveryprogram.com
Copyright 2013

2. Paul Radkowski, MTS, Psychotherapist, CEO/Clinical Director, Life Recovery Program
In addition to his extensive work in Addiction, he has consulted with numerous agencies, hospitals
and treatment settings working with groups, families and individuals as a Family and Marriage
Therapist, Crisis Counselor and Trauma Specialist. Paul is the recipient of "Outstanding Addictions
Professional Award" which was awarded by the International Association of Addiction & Offender
Counselors (a division of the American Counseling Association) and the very first recipient of the
Ontario Association of Consultants, Counsellors, Psychometrists & Psychotherapists'
"Recognition Award for Outstanding Service and Contribution in the Field of Mental Health―
Please join our community and share your voice…
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http://www.lifrecoveryprogram.com
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3. Overview
 Introduction
 What is Trauma? Working Definition & Model
 Impacts of Trauma- Adverse Childhood Experiences
(ACE) Study
 Core Beliefs, Stress & the Physiology of Trauma
 Neuroscience, Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) & the
Mind/Body Link
 Overcoming Trauma & Addiction – Techniques &
Resources (Moderating Effects)
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4. CCSA- Trauma Informed Practice
Given that the experience of trauma is commonly associated with
substance abuse, to meaningfully facilitate change and healing,
substance use treatment providers must help people make the
connections between their experience of trauma and their
problematic substance use or mental health concerns.
How we make our services emotionally and physically
safe, as well as how we create opportunities for learning,
the building of coping skills and the experience of choice
and control, can make a significant difference in client
engagement, retention and outcomes.
http://www.cnsaap.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/PT-Trauma-informed-Care-2012-01-en.pdf
https://www.liferecoveryprogram.com/
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5. CCSA- Trauma Informed Practice
A multi-side study funded by the Substance Abuse Mental
Health Services Administration in the United States found that
integrated, trauma-informed models of substance use and
mental health treatment for women were more effective than
treatment that was not trauma-informed—and did not cost more.
 Trauma-informed services take into account an understanding of trauma in all
aspects of service delivery and place priority on trauma survivors’ safety, choice
and control. They create a treatment culture of nonviolence, learning and
collaboration .
 Working in a trauma-informed way does not necessarily require disclosure of
trauma. Rather, services are provided in ways that recognize needs for physical
and emotional safety, as well as choice and control in decisions affecting one’s
treatment.
https://www.liferecoveryprogram.com/
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6. A More Inclusive Definition of Trauma:
Experience vs. Event
 It is any occurrence in the past which, when you
think of it now or is triggered by a present or
recent event, brings up difficult emotions and/or
physical symptoms which can result in destructive
beliefs, compulsions, desires, addictions or
dissociation. (Shapiro, 2005)
 Trauma occurs when an external threat
overwhelms a person’s internal and external
positive coping resources. (Bloom & Fallot, 2009)
https://www.liferecoveryprogram.com/
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7. Trauma: A State of Severe & Chronic Stress
A Trauma is much like a ―third degree
emotional burn‖ that lingers long after
you have gotten ―out of the fire‖ which
will often lead to highly distressing
thoughts and feelings (in which people
often resort to addictions as an attempt to soothe).
Research indicates that 55-99% of folks who
struggle with addiction correlates to underlying
Axis I issues, most commonly Trauma (Fullilove et al., 1993; Grice et
al., 1995; Miller et al., 1993; NaJavits et al., 1995; Rounsaville et al., 1982; Yandow, 1989; Ouimette, Kimerling,
Shaw & Moos, 2000)
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8. Simple PTSD
A single traumatic incident,
shorter in duration, later in
development (life), less
stigma attached to it (i.e. car
accident), less often
interpersonal (i.e. done by other
people)
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9. Complex PTSD
Multiple Traumatic events,
longer in duration, earlier in
development/childhood
(first 5 - 12 yrs), greater
social stigma (i.e. sexual abuse,
domestic violence), childhood abuse
is often followed by adult abuse
experiences (re-victimization).
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10. Impacts: ACE Study
http://www.acestudy.org/files/ARV1N1.pdf
Centre for Disease Control teamed up with Kaiser
Permanente to develop the largest study of its kind
ever conducted (more than 17,000 study
participants) to determine the range of how adverse
childhood experiences and health
related outcomes and addictions
intersected.
The effect studied was unprecedented.
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11. Got Your ACE Score?
 http://acestoohigh.com/got-your-ace-
score/
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12. Among the Initial ACE Study Findings:
ACEs Are Common…
Two-thirds of participants reported at
least one ACE (i.e. Abuse, Neglect,
Family Dysfunction- Mentally Ill, Incarcerated Parent etc.)
ACEs Tend to Occur in Groups…
Of persons who reported at least one ACE,
87% reported at least one other ACE 70%
reported 2 or more others, and more than
half had 3 or more others!
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13. How does this relate to
addiction?
Of those with higher ACE scores, when compared
to persons with an ACE score of 0, here are the
results :
Those with an ACE score of 4 or more were
 Twice as likely to be smokers
 12 times more likely to have attempted suicide
 7 times more likely to be alcoholic and
 10 times more likely to have injected street drugs.
https://www.liferecoveryprogram.com/
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14. Only 1/3 of those studied had not had
adverse experiences and for those that
did, their past was still affecting them
(their health) 50 years later. The adage
of “Time will heal all wounds” just
doesn’t add up.
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15. Early Trauma & Early Death
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16. Question…?
What is one of the biggest challenges
of the 12-Step model?
Charlotte Kasl’s 16 step (empowerment) alternative -
http://charlottekasl.com/16-step-program/
https://www.liferecoveryprogram.com/
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17. Trauma context question
One time interview…
“I see that you have experienced ..... Tell me how that has
affected you later in your life?”
(which reduced medical visits substantially in depressed
patients).
Normalizing Model- i.e. “What has Happened to you?” vs.
“What’s wrong with you?”
http://www.acestudy.org/files/OriginsofAddiction.pdf
https://www.liferecoveryprogram.com/
copyright 2013

18. See also...
 ―Psychogenic Dwarfism‖
 ―Fetal Origins of Adult Disease‖ (psychosocial
womb trauma)
 ―Thrifty phenotype‖
 ―Dutch Winter Hunger Syndrome‖
https://www.liferecoveryprogram.com/
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19. Frozen in Time - Where are you?
Frozen States
 Trances & Dissociation
Trauma
 An Explanation for Depression, Anxiety,
Anger, Addiction etc...
https://www.liferecoveryprogram.com/
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20. Frozen in Time - Dissociation
Event Present Far Future
_________________________
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21. Mind/Body Link
“Your Beliefs Become Your Biology”
STRESS
 75-90% of physician visits are due to stress-related
ailments
 Idiopathic Disorders i.e. “Functional Bowel Disorder”
Stress & Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI)
An interdisciplinary approach to the study of the
interaction between psychological/emotional
processes and the nervous, endocrine and immune
systems of the human body
https://www.liferecoveryprogram.com/
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22. Power of Mind/Body Connection
 Placebo Effect (see also ―Nocebo Response‖)-
 Efficacy of Prozac could not be distinguished from placebo in 6 out of
10 clinical trials (Moore, 1999) ---University of Connecticut- Meta-
Analysis of FDA database of 47 of the most commonly prescribed anti-
depressants. Verdict is______
 Harvard Study- Physical Exertion + Beliefs (Bower, B. (2007, January
27). Mind over muscle: placebo boosts health benefit of exercise.
Science News Online, 171 (4)
 UCLA Study- ―Act as if…‖ ―Immunological and physiological changes
associated with induced positive and negative mood‖, Psychosomatic
Medicine 56 (1994): 499
 Mental Rehearsal Journal of Neurophysiology, 67(5): 114-1123
https://www.liferecoveryprogram.com/
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23. Epigenetics
 DNA is not Destiny – Upgrading or
Downgrading your Genes
 Consciousness – DNA – RNA – Protein
http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/43734.html
https://www.liferecoveryprogram.com/
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24. Meta Core Belief
“I can’t handle it”
Equals- Chronic State of Overwhelm
https://www.liferecoveryprogram.com/
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25. How Rich or Poor Do You Feel?
 ―Feeling poor‖ (and its corresponding core
beliefs creates its own stress-response) is a
predictor of health
 Does subjective social status predict health
and change in health status better than
objective status?
Psychosom Med, 2005 Nov-Dec;67(6):855-61. Singh-Manoux, A; Marmot MG;
Adler NE.
https://www.liferecoveryprogram.com/
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26. Trauma Core Beliefs
Trauma will often bring about feelings of shame, self-blame
and often what’s known as ―survivor guilt‖ to a person (i.e.
feeling guilty for being the only survivor of a plane crash).
These toxic feelings of shame often accompany someone
with addictions (and/or other mental health issues).
Guilt/blame/shame provokes its own major stress response,
with a core belief of "I don't deserve to heal or to get over
this. I deserve to feel bad.‖ Guilt, blame/shame keeps people
feeling stuck, disempowered, immobilized /victimized which
can further fuel addiction.
https://www.liferecoveryprogram.com/
copyright 2013

27. Addictions & Mental Health Cont.
Attempting to treat addiction without treating the
underlying, co-occuring mental health/trauma
issue… is somewhat akin to putting a band-aid
on a burn without properly removing the person
from the fire that provided the burn in the first
place.
https://www.liferecoveryprogram.com/
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28. Resources:
Scale of Balance - Cortisol or DHEA?
 Rogers- ―Recovery is in Relationship‖- Surrogate
Family
 CBT- ―Applied Neuroscience‖ Hebb’s Law- Change
Neurocircuitry & Change Neurochemistry-
Challenge/Balance Core Beliefs
 TFAB- MBCT - Where do you feel it in your body?
 Virtual Environment Therapy- De-sensitization
https://www.liferecoveryprogram.com/
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29. Resources:
Scale of Balance - Cortisol or DHEA?
 Neurofeedback- Self-Regulation
 Control, Support, Outlets, Predictability i.e. Routine
 Exercise, Nutrition, Nutrigenomics
 Massage - Meta-Analysis "A 2004 meta-analysis of
thirty-seven studies of massage therapy showed their
effectiveness for the relief of anxiety and depression,
with "benefits similar in magnitude to those of
psychotherapy" alone.
http://www3.uwstout.edu/faculty/moyerc/upload/MT-meta-analysis-PB2004.pdf
https://www.liferecoveryprogram.com/
copyright 2013

30. Resources:
Scale of Balance - Cortisol or DHEA?
 Laughter & Gene Expression (Epigenetics)
 Journalling- Metacognition (wound healing study)
 Schwartz- Internal Family Systems Model- Integrating
the Parts-Subpersonalities
 http://acestoohigh.com/
 Energy Psych EFT
 ―Holographic Memory Resolution‖
http://www.healingdimensions.com/
https://www.liferecoveryprogram.com/
copyright 2013

31. Resources:
Scale of Balance - Cortisol or DHEA?
 Qi Gong, Tai Chi (Mayo Clinic)- ‖Better to Meditate
than to Medicate‖
 Mindfulness, Prayer
 No ―Pills Without Skills‖
 NLR, NVH, Quick Coherence- No Self Acceptance…
Means No Safety
 Effectiveness of online recovery/support resources
http://www.drugfree.org/join-
together/addiction/internet-changing-addiction-
treatment-expert-says
https://www.liferecoveryprogram.com/
copyright 2013

32. Please join our community and
share your voice…
https://www.facebook.com/LifeRecoveryProgram#
https://twitter.com/paulradkowski
https://liferecoveryprogram.com/
The Life Recovery Program is an evidence based, peer reviewed and
internationally awarded online wellness platform. Using technological
innovations, the Life Recovery Program provides systemic, holistic support
to those challenged by addictions, trauma, depression, anxiety, stress,
and/or other impulse control behaviours. It includes supportive and
informative downloads, e-mails, grounding techniques, ebooks and an
interactive clinician-moderated peer-support forum to help you or the one
you care about achieve optimal health.
https://www.liferecoveryprogram.com/
copyright 2013