Hi Stephen, Angwyn and all,
I couldn't agree more, Angwyn : addictions are all stress and trauma related.
As we escalate up through the 'stress scale' towards the overwhelm of trauma,
we all have many coping behaviours that are specifically designed to keep us
from being aware of how overwhelmed we are. This means that we can continue to
live and reproduce, even if we are left seriously damaged from the stress or
trauma. And as trauma will repeat until it is resolved, then it is often
passed down through families via DNA and/or via parenting techniques.
Coping behaviours include :
. Dissociation
. Compliance
. Numbness (physical and emotional)
. Inertia / Inertness
. Fantasy Thinking
. Over-rationalising
. Addictive Behaviours
. Addictive Substances
. Spirituality
If we view each coping behaviour on a continuum, then on one end the behaviours
can be 'healthy' : I can have a glass of wine with dinner (potentially
addictive substance), or I can shut off from the disagreement I had with my
spouse this morning and yet remain present for my clients during the day
(dissociation), or I can use my amazing imagination to either write a novel or
create a new house design or change my future career (fantasy thinking). In
this case, to be healthy, the behaviours are done with at least some level of
Awareness. At the opposite end these behaviours are incredibly unhealthy and
unproductive, and totally beyond my capacity of Awareness, but they keep me
alive. Most of us are somewhere near the upper end of the continuum with the
coping behaviours that we utilise to minimise awareness of our own overwhelm,
and we do them/use them without Awareness.
These observations come from the purely physiological reactions we have to
stress and trauma.
So until we work with the stress and trauma, no matter which coping behaviour
we work with, it will be substituted by some other behaviour as the organism
needs to be kept safe from the overwhelm.
When we talk of a disturbed relationship with father, then it could be our
physical father or the Sacred Masculine. I would be investigating both as well
as working directly with reducing the physiological stress/trauma within the
person.
Speaking directly to the Sydney incident, I have been reflecting on this line
myself : multi-generational trauma on the physical, intellectual, emotional and
spiritual levels with absence of the Sacred Masculine and the decimation of the
Feminine meant this individual was going to cling to his totally extreme end of
the "spiritual" continuum.
I am currently writing more about these coping behaviours and their weak
mirroring of where we genuinely want to be/how we want to feel. If you want
more information on the physiological aspects of stress and trauma you could
look at the work of Peter Levine (stress and trauma cycle) and Stephen Porges
(polyvagal theory), and David Berceli's work with neurogenic tremouring
includes more information.
I hope this helps for now though.
Much love
Suzy
x
Suzanne Butz
Psychotherapy | Counselling | Hypnotherapy | Stress and Trauma
Family and Organisational Systemic Constellations
Help is it
Connecting Minds, Connecting Hearts
Help is it
30 Browley Street
Moss Vale NSW 2577
02 4869 4659
0412 555 141
www.suzannebutz.com
I acknowledge the traditional owners of this land on which we meet and work. I
acknowledge all the ancestors connected with this land. I respect and
acknowledge the spiritual connection of the custodians of this land and their
cultural heritage beliefs are still important to the living people today.
On 17/12/2014, at 4:05 AM, "Stephen Campbell coachuno@xxxxxxxxx
[ConstellationTalk]" <ConstellationTalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Reading today's news of the hostage taking at a cafe in central Sydney and the
massacre of students and teachers in Pakistan I began to wonder if the
systematic "profile" of a fanatic or extremist Is in any way related to what we
see when we work with addictive behaviors. The emotional absence of the father.
In my work with addictive behaviors I have experienced numerous cases of giving
up a substance addiction for a zealous religious behavior. In my view it is
merely switching "substances"
I would love to read of your thoughts.
Abrazos
Stephen
--
Stephen Campbell
USA: T. 904.430.0248 / C. 213.255.1322
Perú: T. (511) 586.8067 / C. (511) 995.512.315 / RPM # 601922
E-mail: coachuno@xxxxxxxxx
Contact me: elcoachuno
