Dallas BraggFormer crystal methamphetamine user, I help men who have sex with men break free from the addictive patterns associated with Chemsex. Currently expanding my expertise by seeking to become a Certified

Emotional Neglect for Addicts #addictionhelp

17 Sept 2024 · 1 min

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In this coaching talk, Dallas Bragg challenges the notion that addiction only stems from overt childhood trauma, emphasizing that emotional neglect—such as abandonment or rejection wounds—constitutes a form of trauma that can fuel addictive behaviors. He explains how these wounds create core beliefs (e.g., "I am rejected" or "I am not enough") that manifest in relationships and perpetuate the addiction cycle, often leading to relapse as a self‑fulfilling confirmation of those beliefs. Bragg also clarifies his role as a coach rather than a therapist, stating he is not equipped to unpack deep trauma but can use the understanding of these wounds to help clients move forward and break the relapse pattern.

Chapters

Often I have people come to me saying that their addiction didn't come from childhood trauma because they had a very light, easy childhood. When we dig in a little deeper, we see that trauma comes in many shapes, forms, and sizes. Experiencing emotional neglect is trauma. It can produce an abandonment wound many times, or a rejection wound, or cause ADHD-type behaviors. I am not a therapist, I am a coach. So I'm not equipped to take you back and dig through and sort and unpack all of that. That's what a therapist is for. However, given that knowledge, I can help you move forward. Because here's the thing. If you carry a rejection wound, that's a belief that I am rejected. That's going to show up in your relationships and it's going to show up in your addiction cycle. If you believe I am rejected, that means I am not enough to be accepted, which means you're going to continue to relapse to confirm that you can't do sobriety.