Since a child’s circumstances and experiences shape their physical and psychological development, researchers have spent decades looking into the role that our early years might play in the likelihood of developing addictions in later life.
According to the sex addiction researcher, Patrick Carnes, Ph.D., an incredible 97% of people with sex addiction suffered emotional abuse in childhood or adolescence and a further 72% suffered physical abuse.
Below we discuss whether or not childhood trauma can reliably be cited as one of the many sex addiction causes and answer the important question, where does sex addiction stem from?
Trauma affects brain development
There is a very common link between trauma and sex addiction. This doesn’t mean that someone is guaranteed to have addiction issues if they had a difficult childhood, and it doesn’t mean that you’re immune from addiction issues if you had a great childhood either.
Nobody can deny the importance of biology and genetics in the brain’s development, but the cycles of behavior exhibited by those with a sex addiction are very much connected to traumatic childhood experiences.
The growth of our brain and its eventual physical structure is significantly affected by our experiences which means that negative encounters can impede or otherwise alter the brain’s development.
Multiple studies have found that being mistreated during childhood can cause frequent and extremely high levels of stress which can impede normal brain development. Continuous stress from experiencing frequent maltreatment was found to initiate physiological stress responses which over time, caused the structural disruptions which make us vulnerable to addiction.
This is why we see so many patients dealing with sex addiction from trauma.
Emotional trauma has long-term effects
In an Adverse Childhood Experiences study, it was found that it’s not just abuse or obvious trauma which can lead to the need for sexual addiction help later in life.
Other stress-inducing experiences including neglect, the loss of a parent, witnessing domestic or other physical violence and having a family member who suffers from a mental illness can also lead to addiction issues.
This kind of trauma can even include parental enmeshment, which is when parents derive all their happiness and self-worth from their children and their achievements.
While neglect and enmeshment are in many ways, very different parenting styles, they can both lead to unhealthy attachment styles which could contribute to sex addiction.
The traumatic experiences a child has to deal with can result in a deep-rooted sense of unworthiness, an attempt to block or numb their feelings, finding pleasure in extreme risk-taking, compulsive deprivation and re-creation of the trauma experience.
Many of these responses can manifest in the form of the compulsive sexual behaviors which are often seen with sex addiction.
In an article published in Psychology Today, Donna Jackson Nakazawa reported the consequences of Adverse Childhood Experiences. In the piece, she explained:
“Recent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies suggest that the higher an individual’s ACE Score, the less gray matter he or she has in other key areas of the brain, including the prefrontal cortex, an area related to decision-making and self-regulatory skills, and the amygdala, or fear-processing center. Kids whose brains have been changed by their Adverse Childhood Experiences are more likely to become adults who find themselves over-reacting to even minor stressors.”
She went on to conclude that:
“Kids who come into adolescence with a history of adversity and lack the presence of a consistent, loving adult to help them through it may become more likely to develop mood disorders or have poor executive functioning and decision-making skills.”
If you think you have sex addiction caused by trauma, there are a number of different treatment methods available. From rehab and group therapy to The New Beginnings Program, Toronto Trauma and Addiction Counselling can help you find the most appropriate treatment for you and your needs.
A means of escapism
One of the more logical explanations for the link between sex addiction and trauma is that sufferers seek escapism.
If you experienced abuse or abandonment as a child, this will cause unwanted feelings and emotions which can be very difficult to come to terms with. Victims often find it very difficult to speak out about what happened to them so internalise everything they’re feeling.
In time, this builds up to a point where they can’t cope and need a means of escaping. Drugs, alcohol, sex and gambling are all very common outlets because sufferers get a temporary high which makes them feel good.
Unfortunately, this high doesn’t last very long and soon enough comes feelings of anger, shame and sadness. This gets sufferers stuck in a vicious cycle of acting out to eliminate negative feelings but then feeling even worse about themselves. It’s often at this point that addictive behaviors become unmanageable.
Children are more affected by their experiences
Why does addiction come from childhood trauma?
As we mentioned above, trauma doesn’t always lead to addiction, but it is incredibly common.
Often, experiences which are extremely traumatic for a child are less problematic for an adult. There are many reasons for this including:
- Children are limited in their ability to make contextual interpretations which means that they can’t process their experiences as effectively as an adult can
- Lacking a frame of reference, it’s difficult to make sense of traumatic experiences – making the effects of trauma more likely to linger
- Children usually rely on their loved ones for support during times of difficulty. However, when a child’s loved ones are the source of their abuse, neglect or other trauma, family support is not an option. As a result, victims of childhood abuse often end up turning to drugs, alcohol or sex as a coping mechanism
Sex addiction may develop as a result of substance abuse
Trauma certainly isn’t the only cause of sex addiction. Sometimes it develops during or after substance abuse.
Abuse of stimulants and the intense sexual desire that can accompany these drugs, can jumpstart a pattern of compulsive sexual behavior. Alternatively, sexual addiction can become a substitute addiction for those who are trying to get clean.
Seeking help for childhood trauma and addiction
A history of early trauma is part of the reason why recovery from sexual addiction can be long and difficult. If you have experienced trauma at some point in your life, it’s very important that you receive treatment for this as well as your addiction.
Without understanding what has caused the addiction, recovery will be incredibly difficult, if not impossible. If you would like more information about addiction and childhood trauma, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
If you need help for sex addiction and would like to like to speak to a sex addiction therapist in Toronto, please feel free to contact us and we will be more than happy to help.
