Customer Reviews

Trauma and Addiction: Ending the Cycle of Pain Through Emotional Literacy

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Tian Dayton has written a very powerful and insightful book on Trauma and Addiction,as they seem to go hand in hand. After reading this book I see the truth about my life and that I did not grow up in a Leave It To Beaver family. Many patterns and behaviors in my family were right on the pages of the book, so reading this has uncovered memories that have been deeply buried for a long time. This book illustrates the healing power of psychodrama and therapy, offering the reader hope and ways for breaking the cycle of pain. It takes a lot of work and courage to go back and acknowledge some of the pains of our past but its worth the freedom from the nightmares that continually haunt us causing repeated pain in our present relationships with others and ourselves. I highly recommend this book if your doing inner work and are ready to look, see and grow forward.

Tian Dayton's book is a long overdue treatise on the results of trauma on the human psyche written for the average reader with good science behind it. Her book is different from other self help books in that it appeals both to the emotions (needed for change) and the intellect. Often on the journey to personal growth we forget one or the other. Dayton has not forgotten their importance. Judith S. Lavendar, MA

The amazing thing about this book was that it was so in-depth and complete, that it might be considered a clinical analysis, but she manages to make it very readable and engaging anyway. I have read many other books on recovery (Bradshaw, Beattie, Melody, Gorski) but this one really has a way of getting down to brass tacks like none of the others. Reframing is one of the words you will see used quite frequently here, and it is the concept of going back to previous experiences and reliving them to change the way your brain records the associated emotions. While she never mentions it, this is one of the foundations of NLP work, which I strongly believe in.

My one complaint is the cover! It is pretty ugly. Why? An ugly cover creates a negative impression and will lower the odds of somone wanting to come back and continue reading the book. I hope they do a second edition and change that.

I enjoyed Dayton's Heartwounds: The Impact of Unresolved Grief on Relationships so much that I immediately when to this book to read in more depth about the connection between trauma and addiction. Whatever one's addiction (alcohol, drugs, sex, shopping, gambling, frenetic activity, eating, workaholism, etc.), it is linked to trauma in one's life (whether childhood or adult). These addictions present themselves as solutions but they are actually symptoms of a deeper problem. Trauma-without effective coping strategies-creates emotional illiteracy. Rather than medicating the pain of the trauma through addictive substances or behavoirs, emotional literacy enables people to move through their trauma. Dayton suggests that we not only psychologically hold on to these traumas but also somatically so that when we experience renewed trauma our bodies as well as pysches react to the new trauma with all the power of the unresolved trauma in our past. This creates a need to medicate with whatever addiction has been our coping strategy. Part of the resolution to this need is to re-experience the trauma somatically as well as psychologically through psychodrama. This was an enlightening book to me.

Not only is this book give good information on the subject of addiction but abuse and child development as well. It re-defines addiction as a means to cope with trauma and traumatic childhood. This is a must read for anybody in the mental-health care related field or anyone with addiction.

I read this book thinking it was just going to be another book regarding addictions and rehab centers, etc. But after the first chapter "the connection between Trauma and addiction" I understood why it is so difficult for others to let go of their main addiction which sometimes is drugs sometimes food, sometimes shopping.
When I continued reading the book it makes it clear on how the family support and codependency can either help you or push you deeper into the claws of the addiction.
Also it explains clearly the issue of "body memories" that most of the addictive personalities have.
If you have a family member who has problem with an addiction or consider yourself an addict, before reading any other book or taking any step toward rehabilitation, please read this one, it will change your way of seeing the problem and help you see the solution.

This book is a must for anyone wanting to understand addiction. There is a big link to trauma. A very good description on how trauma affects the brain and how putting it into words heals the brain. I loved the referrals to how 12 step programs play a very important role in healing trauma and addiction. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has the problem either in themselves or in a loved one.

I bought this book for a friend, and decided to read it first before giving it away. I'm so thankful I did, as it was the stepping stone I needed for my own self search. This book really helped me understand how to get the most out of therapy, and how beneficial it is to truly understand how trauma affects people minutes, weeks, years and decades later. Through Tina's clear explanations and examples, I feel like I know exactly how I became the person I am today, and what steps I need to take to re-wire my brain into a healthier way of thinking and feeling. I also have a much clearer understanding of how the brain stores information and how the body remembers everything as well. It is a truly fascinating read!

The only thing that could critic, is her frequent use towards the end of the book of psychodrama examples. I felt it was really hard to relate to that type of therapy, and examples. However, this was probably due to my own insecurities around the idea of the role play therapy.

This book was an insightful look at the crossover between trauma and addiction. Though I would not employ the psychodrama model, I did find it helpful in understanding the underpinnings of trauma and addiction. I think that the most helpful advise is to slow down to the clients pace and not push to re-traumatize in the name of psychotherapy. Developing "emotional literacy" takes time and patience. Tian Dayton gives a sensitive look at that process. I think most treaters would find useful information in this book.

Excellent book on source and cause of addiction. Easy to understand and very helpful in knowing the whys of addiction. Points the way to recovery.