Comments on: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: The trauma underlying addiction

By: Sarah Jenkins

Sarah Jenkins — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 20:41:52 +0000

I haven’t been back to the site for a while, and was so excited to see your comments. Great questions and feedback; I truly appreciate it. Your comments made me want to add some things as well! Though trauma or the “wolf” can help drive the underly the addiction, both must be examined quite closely. I believe, as Art indicated, that therapy for trauma, such as EMDR, must be must be well timed when working with addiction. One cannot do any kind of trauma work, EMDR or otherwise, unless one is stable enough to do it. I also think that whether it is 12 step, or not, the education about addiction, and skills/support must be in place first. Trauma work, itself, can be so triggering, that clients should be well prepared and supported, before even doing it, especially if they have used substances as their coping skills. Great question Lyle, yes, EMDR is researched based, and every expanding in areas that it is used. There is even a “protocol” for substance abuse treatment. You can look at http://www.emdr.org for more information. Art, you asked about trying 12 step then EMDR for the trauma work. Yes, I use this a lot in my practice. I also coordinate with an intensive outpatient substance abuse program. Their clients will do the substance abuse treatment, a three month 3x a week outpatient program. When it is complete, they will then do their trauma work with me. Again, as Amy says, there is not “one size fits all,” but for some clients, it helps them “get to” the underlying traumas that drove their substance use.

By: Amy

Amy — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:33:37 +0000

Because the wolf of the addiction doesn’t want to be seen, it is indeed very crafty. I, too, have a hard time imagining a person under the influence of drugs, etc. as being able to participate in this type of therapy. However, I do really like the fact that this therapy is getting some recognition. As we all are very well aware, 12 step programs are not always successful. Having another weapon in our arsenal while fighting addiction is both promising and exciting. I hope that as we move forward, even more non traditional therapies will emerge and be tried. Managing an addiction certainly is not “one size fits all.” So, the more we have to work with, the higher our chances for a successful outcome.

By: Art

Art — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:30:34 +0000

Comparing an addiction to a wolf in sheep’s clothing is indeed a brilliant connection. A wolf can devour a sheep, so disguising itself as something it wants to devour is particularly poignant in this analogy. The wolf of our addictions is a powerful force to be reckoned with. When something is hidden from immediate view, it’s hard to see it. But, when you add being under the influence of an addictive substance to the mix, it can downright impossible. I wonder if participating in a 12-step program first, followed with this type of therapy would be successful. Has this been tried?

By: Lisa

Lisa — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:27:45 +0000

Generally speaking, how long does a client undergo this sort of therapy before seeing results? Are the results more promising than they are in traditional 12 step programs? I really like the idea of discovering what the unconscious mind is trying to hide. I believe that addictions serve the purpose of distracting people from dealing with issues that are underlying and usually painful. So, I really like the wolf in sheep’s clothing imagery.

By: Lyle

Lyle — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:25:01 +0000

It seems like a long leap from understanding that the two hemispheres of our brain control logic and emotion to using a nervous system based therapy to cure an addiction (or at least manage it). Are there any peer reviewed journals that support this therapy? I saw that the therapy is evidenced based, but I’d like to read more about the evidence.