The book Trauma and Addiction: Ending the Cycle of Pain through Emotional Literacy was published by Dayton Tian in 2000. The book’s author has been investigating the application of psychodrama, also referred to as sociometry group psychotherapy, in treating trauma and addiction for many years. Since the human organism stores trauma reactions, a therapeutic approach that involves the body through role play may be more successful in helping patients access their trauma-related experiences (Tian, 2000). Role play is essential in analyzing and evaluating emotions connected with the traumatic experience, which has a long-term therapeutic effect. It is possible to make parallels between the role-playing technique in the counseling practice with the game in children’s development (Tian, 2000). It allows people to imitate the situation and elaborate new approaches to it, which shows practical results in working with trauma and addiction. Even though this approach to counseling is not innovative, the way the author applies it to the cases of traumatized and addicted patients makes it relevant.
The book explains how trauma and addictive behavior are related and the mechanisms that make people lose control over their feelings on painful themes. Self-medication for mental and emotional pain frequently causes additional distress, directly resulting in increased amounts of self-prescribed drugs without the opportunity to stop (Tian, 2000). This situation often harms the physical and mental health of the individual who acquires a new addiction due to an unstable psychological background.
The discussed text gives readers practical methods for dealing with their traumas to overcome their addictions and propensity for self-medicating, as described by psychiatrists. Tian (2000) emphasizes the distinction between substance abuse, including food, drugs, and alcohol, and activities, including gambling, sex, work, and possessions, such as collecting material things or money. Even though the ways people try to cope with their traumatic experiences are different, all these addictions have a common mechanism. They help individuals who cannot cope with emotional distress find an alternative that will fill all lacunae in their experience (Tian, 2000). Addiction is the substitution for some feelings or events in a person’s life that cannot be realized due to the individual’s psychological trauma.
The division into the chapters allows the author to discuss various aspects of trauma in detail. For instance, Tian (2000) details the connection between addiction and trauma that triggers this destructive behavior, and the therapist must pay attention to the causes of the problem instead of focusing on its consequences. He writes about how addiction is related to the experience in intimate relationships and family and claims that childhood experience is vital in character formation (Tian, 2000). For example, the author writes about the trauma from the betrayal that typically triggers such negative emotions (Tian, 2000). There are various ways in which people can experience the betrayal of trust, but the tendency to suffer from addictions when this trauma is not analyzed adequately is similar in all situations. Tian (2000) writes that betrayal is connected with the conduct of the intimate partner and can also be childhood abuse. In all cases, it is problematic for the individual to reconcile with the anxiety they feel and to cope with the problems with trust.
The book features relevant information on addiction and counseling in such cases. The combination of the theoretical information on this issue and the stories the author takes from his psychiatric experience allows the readers to see the application of theoretical knowledge to clinical practice. In addition, the book has tests and diagrams that the readers can use to understand their state better. They are also helpful for counselors who work with traumatized and addicted individuals because they provide straightforward methods of interacting with patients. Therefore, the precise language and the relevant material in the book make it enjoyable and easy to read for the general audience and for the counselors, which is the evident advantage of this text.
The author introduces the notion of the wheel of trauma and addiction in his text and expands on this idea. This concept supposes that all traumatic events in the person’s life are mutually connected, which makes it impossible to stop this cycle without external help (Tian, 2000). Life problems become more complicated with time, and the individual cannot stop this wheel. This situation typically continues until people understand how their traumatic memories or reactions they elaborated due to the traumatic experience affect their lives (Tian, 2000). In all cases, the traumatized and addicted individual must cope with their own reflection and memories to overcome the problem. However, the role of the counselor in this situation is significant because it allows the patient to find the appropriate ways of interacting with the traumatic experience. The discussed book describes the mechanisms that might be effective in the experimental treatment of addictions among people with trauma, making it a valuable information source.
Trauma and Addiction: Ending the Cycle of pain through Emotional Literacy‎ was published by Dayton Tian and will be relevant in chemical dependency counseling because it interacts with this topic in detail. Chemical dependency is one of the most widespread types of addiction and is among the most popular ways of self-destruction after traumatic events. Therefore, the counselor will have to work with people with such problems regularly, which justifies the need to obtain relevant knowledge on this topic. The discussed source by Tian can become the book that provides the counselor with the background information necessary for the subsequent development of the theme. It allows the assumption that the book by Dayton Tian can be recommended to all counselors who work with clients suffering from chemical dependency. In addition, counselors can give this book to their patients suffering from trauma and addiction for individual work because the material in this book will be helpful for them in their emotional management and evaluation. It allows us to state that Trauma and addiction: Ending the cycle of pain through emotional literacy is a useful source both for patients and for counselors.
Reference
Dayton, T. (2000). Trauma and addiction: Ending the cycle of pain through emotional literacy.‎ Health Communications Inc.