SIMILARITIES BETWEEN ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS OR CHILD ABUSE
WITH RECIPIENTS OF SOCIAL TRAUMA

Darling Graciela Villena-Mata

It is therefore important to understand the relationship between addiction and the trauma that induce it, both at the individual and at the societal levels. Is it healthy for us to continue using trauma mechanisms and coping skills (TMCS�) as primary attention-getters? If we live in addictive-oriented society, do we not perpetuate the dysfunction? Is not our overall well-being affected by playing by those addictive rules set forth by society? Are not our identities affected and formed around these rules?

Society that is addicted-oriented, much like individuals that are addicts run on such things as: adrenalin, "fight, flight, and freeze" reactions; categorization/stereotyping of self, other people and behaviors; "time as the enemy and Master"; fear of the unknown for which they believe they have no coping skills; fear that they will not have "safety islands" to which they can regroup as they continue into uncharted "lands"; dismissal of anything that is not perceived as life-threatening; and dismissal of anything outside the focus of their addiction. Dr. Reverend Clarence Williams sees "racism" as a societal addiction. He believes that no one can recuperate from racism; only go through recovery. Others have like "isms" to disease-based illnesses, which infects not only the intended recipients but everyone in society in different forms.

Schaef and others like Dana Cloud contend that it can be the perceived abuser group's advantage to have "walking wounded". What if it benefits them to have people be so preoccupied with existence and survival? If people are so tired and in need of distraction from a cycle of work, sleep, work, then their having a variety of addictions would benefit those who do not want a populace who can question the status quo and become activists for living, rather than for revenge, martyrdom, or simply existing. People who are preoccupied with their daily existence have more of a tendency to fault those around them who are different rather than question "authority" figures and systems. Much like individuals in a dysfunctional family whose authority figures can play one sibling against another. A populace that is in a survival mode and encouraged to react, rather than reflect can be easily manipulated and given disinformation and misinformation by wounded leaders and addicted-oriented systems.

During the course of my professional work and research, I noticed the similarities of symptoms and "rules" that adult children of childhood abuse manifested with the symptoms experienced by recipients of societal trauma, which were induced by "isms" (i.e., racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, and so forth including religion-based discrimination). By becoming more conscious of the limitations that addictions imposed on our quality of life and how "isms" can be used to perpetuate a "fight, flight, freeze" mode of living, we come closer to regaining our dreams, hopes, and paths‹not based on trauma and existing, but based on living.

Often unresolved macro and/or micro trauma and its chronic grief invite addictions. Addictions act as buffers against feeling pain, loss, and helplessness. Addictions are distractions and forms of escapes. The more common addicts are drug and alcohol abusers, work-aholics, and those with "activity-holics". Other kinds of addictions are chronic worrying, and I would say, any chronic thought process and/or behaviors that keep us in a 'loop' where there is no growth, no insights, no real advancement for ourselves and our communities.

This is a short article to a large issue for those who are on the receiving end of societal trauma. May this article encourage you to explore the parallels between micro and macro trauma's effects on recipients and their groups.