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Abstract

not what is beneath the surface. We make our own interpretations based on the observed behaviors of others but we rarely have the whole picture. In fact, we usually only have a tiny sliver of the whole picture.This gets me back to Yang and his giant hat. His Iceberg is self-involved. He is shirking responsibility and misplacing blame. Downplaying consequences. Highly defensive. Sound familiar? For those struggling with addiction, such behaviors can be common and, yes, just the tip of the iceberg.<h1 id="5042">Addiction is Not a Problem. Addiction is a Solution that Becomes a Problem.</h1>I immediately saw Yang’s Iceberg as an unintentional embodiment of addictive behavior. Let’s suspend reality for a minute and pretend the Iceberg is actually human. He has gone through a very serious traumatic event. Despite his claims of victimhood, he is a least partially responsible for nearly 1500 deaths. Of course, he has had to develop layers and layers of coping strategies to keep living his life.Yang’s Iceberg has coped with this trauma by attempting to avoid it all together. He becomes wildly defensive when pressed to talk about it. He is self-absorbed as a way to push people (or other icebergs?) away. He distracts himself with his music and points fingers at others to absolve his own feelings of guilt. Underneath the surface, however, he is likely in a lot of pain.There is a saying floating around that goes something like, “Addiction is not the problem. Addiction is the solution that becomes a problem”. What we observe on the surface of addiction may be defensiveness, lying, stealing, dramatic changes in mood or in relationships, isolation from family and friends, unsafe behaviors, irresponsibility, and unreliability. These are hard to watch unfold and even harder if you’re the one on the receiving end. But such behaviors are only the tip of the iceberg of much deeper issues that lay hidden away.<h1 id="0c0b">Taking a Trauma-Informed Approach to Addiction</h1>Many years ago, the plight of addiction was thought to be a problem of morality. If the “addict” could only improve on their character flaws and gather up enough willpower, they could be free from their affliction. It was thought people could be shamed out of addiction and get sober or remain abstinent if only they could see the terrible consequences of their actions. For most people, this approach did not work and still does not work.In contrast, a trauma-informed approach to addiction purports that people with addictions turn to substances or other behaviors to cope with intens

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e emotional states related to traumatic stress. They may be using to numb emotional experiences that are overwhelming and retraumatizing. The crux of this approach requires the addicted person to address their underlying trauma as a road to achieve sustained recovery. Without getting to the root of the pain, the addiction has little chance of diminishing.<h1 id="c44a">Pillars of Trauma-Informed Care</h1>There are various interpretations and definitions of what it means to be trauma-informed. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a trauma-informed approach must incorporate the following:<ul><li>Realizing the prevalence of trauma</li><li>Recognizing how trauma affects all individuals in a program, system, or organization</li><li>Responding by putting this knowledge into place</li></ul>For counselors and therapists, a trauma-informed approach means examining all aspects of practice to minimize chances of retraumatization. This includes everything from the selection of treatment interventions to the physical setting where service delivery takes place. For friends and family members of those struggling with addiction, this can mean approaching their loved ones with compassion and empathy. Seek out professional help when needed. Ask if prospective treatment centers are trauma-informed. Go one step further and ask for examples of how the center actually incorporates this approach.The Final Word on IcebergsFinally, we have to remember addiction does not happen in a vacuum. It happens within systems. Family system, social systems, cultural and political systems. Addiction happens when people feel disconnected from others. In his popular TED Talk titled “Everything You Know About Addiction is Wrong”, Johann Hari states the opposite of addiction is not sobriety but connection. Contrary to the Nancy Reagan “Just Say No” campaign of the 1980s focused on the evils of drugs themselves, Hari’s position is that addiction is inherently a social problem, not a substance problem. Disconnection is the traumatic root of the addiction.The thing about icebergs, even metaphorical icebergs, is that they float alone. They flow along with ocean currents but they only exist because they cracked off of the larger community of glaciers. See where I’m going here? While we take into account what’s under the iceberg’s surface, let’s also remember to use compassion, care, and empathy to heal the massive cracks that caused the ‘berg to drift away from its home in the first place.</article></body>

On Trauma & Addiction: Lessons from a Defensive Iceberg and His Oversized Hat

Frustration, sadness, fear, and hopelessness are emotions frequently experienced by those who love someone struggling with addiction. Even seasoned mental health professionals who treat addiction can become frustrated by chronic relapse. It can be challenging to remain in a place of empathy when a friend, family member, or client appears to behave irrationally and is headed for self-destruction.

Why do so many people continue such harmful behaviors in the face of severe negative consequences?

The Iceberg: A Humorous Interlude on a Tired ‘Ol Metaphor

In a now-classic Saturday Night Live sketch, cast member Bowen Yang played the self-involved, EDM-loving Iceberg that Sank the Titanic. Following Weekend Update host Colin Jost’s gentle questioning about the night of the ship’s sinking, Yang’s exasperated Iceberg cries out, “First of all, you came to where I live, and you hit me!” Yang and his co-star, an oversized foam-and-spray-paint iceberg hat, are solely focused on promoting his new album, a “hyper-pop, EDM, new disco fantasia called ‘Music’.” He shirks any responsibility for the Titanic’s sinking, claims to be the real victim of the incident, and places blame on “water” as the true culprit.

The Iceberg is combative when questioned and completely self-centered. When pushed further, he makes statements downplaying the tragic consequences of the ship’s sinking by dramatically underreporting the number of people who perished that night. He is ready to just move on already.

Thanks to Yang’s hilarious and over-the-top performance, the sketch was wildly popular. It has over four million views on YouTube alone and trended on Twitter for three whole days. Of course the sketch itself was not that deep…no pun intended. It’s comedic and meant to make us laugh, putting a completely wacky perspective on a tragic event in global history.

However, it did get me thinking about the iceberg metaphor. For those immune to inspirational memes and motivational posters, the iceberg metaphor is used to demonstrate that we usually only see the “tip of the iceberg” and not what is beneath the surface. We make our own interpretations based on the observed behaviors of others but we rarely have the whole picture. In fact, we usually only have a tiny sliver of the whole picture.

This gets me back to Yang and his giant hat. His Iceberg is self-involved. He is shirking responsibility and misplacing blame. Downplaying consequences. Highly defensive. Sound familiar? For those struggling with addiction, such behaviors can be common and, yes, just the tip of the iceberg.

Addiction is Not a Problem. Addiction is a Solution that Becomes a Problem.

I immediately saw Yang’s Iceberg as an unintentional embodiment of addictive behavior. Let’s suspend reality for a minute and pretend the Iceberg is actually human. He has gone through a very serious traumatic event. Despite his claims of victimhood, he is a least partially responsible for nearly 1500 deaths. Of course, he has had to develop layers and layers of coping strategies to keep living his life.

Yang’s Iceberg has coped with this trauma by attempting to avoid it all together. He becomes wildly defensive when pressed to talk about it. He is self-absorbed as a way to push people (or other icebergs?) away. He distracts himself with his music and points fingers at others to absolve his own feelings of guilt. Underneath the surface, however, he is likely in a lot of pain.

There is a saying floating around that goes something like, “Addiction is not the problem. Addiction is the solution that becomes a problem”. What we observe on the surface of addiction may be defensiveness, lying, stealing, dramatic changes in mood or in relationships, isolation from family and friends, unsafe behaviors, irresponsibility, and unreliability. These are hard to watch unfold and even harder if you’re the one on the receiving end. But such behaviors are only the tip of the iceberg of much deeper issues that lay hidden away.

Taking a Trauma-Informed Approach to Addiction

Many years ago, the plight of addiction was thought to be a problem of morality. If the “addict” could only improve on their character flaws and gather up enough willpower, they could be free from their affliction. It was thought people could be shamed out of addiction and get sober or remain abstinent if only they could see the terrible consequences of their actions. For most people, this approach did not work and still does not work.

In contrast, a trauma-informed approach to addiction purports that people with addictions turn to substances or other behaviors to cope with intense emotional states related to traumatic stress. They may be using to numb emotional experiences that are overwhelming and retraumatizing. The crux of this approach requires the addicted person to address their underlying trauma as a road to achieve sustained recovery. Without getting to the root of the pain, the addiction has little chance of diminishing.

Pillars of Trauma-Informed Care

There are various interpretations and definitions of what it means to be trauma-informed. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a trauma-informed approach must incorporate the following:

Realizing the prevalence of trauma
Recognizing how trauma affects all individuals in a program, system, or organization
Responding by putting this knowledge into place

For counselors and therapists, a trauma-informed approach means examining all aspects of practice to minimize chances of retraumatization. This includes everything from the selection of treatment interventions to the physical setting where service delivery takes place. For friends and family members of those struggling with addiction, this can mean approaching their loved ones with compassion and empathy. Seek out professional help when needed. Ask if prospective treatment centers are trauma-informed. Go one step further and ask for examples of how the center actually incorporates this approach.

The Final Word on Icebergs

Finally, we have to remember addiction does not happen in a vacuum. It happens within systems. Family system, social systems, cultural and political systems. Addiction happens when people feel disconnected from others. In his popular TED Talk titled “Everything You Know About Addiction is Wrong”, Johann Hari states the opposite of addiction is not sobriety but connection. Contrary to the Nancy Reagan “Just Say No” campaign of the 1980s focused on the evils of drugs themselves, Hari’s position is that addiction is inherently a social problem, not a substance problem. Disconnection is the traumatic root of the addiction.

The thing about icebergs, even metaphorical icebergs, is that they float alone. They flow along with ocean currents but they only exist because they cracked off of the larger community of glaciers. See where I’m going here? While we take into account what’s under the iceberg’s surface, let’s also remember to use compassion, care, and empathy to heal the massive cracks that caused the ‘berg to drift away from its home in the first place.