Addiction as a Response to Complex Trauma: The Role of Psychotherapy in Long-Term Recovery
Authors
Yourell, Max
Issue Date
2025.16.12
Degree
MA in Pscyhotherapy
Publisher
Dublin Business School
Rights holder
Rights
Open Access
Abstract
This thesis explores addiction in individuals with co-occurring complex trauma, framing it as a complex, relational, and developmentally rooted response to psychological distress. Moving beyond dominant biomedical and behaviourist models, it argues for an integrative biopsychosocial perspective in which addiction is understood not merely as compulsive behaviour, but as a survival strategy shaped by early adversity, disrupted attachment, and impaired emotional regulation. Drawing on developmental psychology, attachment theory, and neurobiology, the work highlights how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Complex PTSD (CPTSD), and Disturbances in Self-Organisation (DSOs) often underpin addictive patterns in this population. These insights suggest that, for individuals with significant trauma histories, addiction is deeply embedded in disrupted relational contexts and cannot be fully addressed without attending to the underlying psychological and interpersonal wounds. The thesis makes the case for long-term, trauma-informed psychotherapy as central, rather than supplementary, to recovery. It critiques short-term, acute care responses that dominate many addiction treatment systems and advocates for recovery models that prioritise consistency, relational safety, and developmental repair. The evolving framework of Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care (ROSCs) is examined as a promising foundation for integrating psychotherapy into long-term addiction support. Across three chapters, the thesis explores: (1) the developmental and relational links between trauma and addiction; (2) the role of psychotherapy within contemporary treatment systems; and (3) how diverse therapeutic modalities, such as psychodynamic, humanistic, somatic, and mentalisation-based approaches, can be integrated across the stages of recovery. 3 This thesis argues that sustained psychotherapeutic engagement offers the best opportunity to rebuild emotional and psychological resilience and personal agency in individuals affected by complex trauma and addiction. Addiction is not solely a clinical or public health issue; it is a profoundly human struggle rooted in the need for connection and meaning. Effective treatment must honour the relational nature and duration of recovery.