134: Inspire Health Podcast with Dr Jason Loken and guest Dr. Claire Pain134: Inspire Health Podcast with Dr Jason Loken and guest Dr. Claire Pain
UK Health Radio Podcast
Dr Jason Loken speaks with psychiatrist Dr Claire Pain about what makes trauma different from other forms of suffering, with a focus on sexual abuse and childhood adversity. They discuss the ACE study, resilience in refugees, and how language, memory and the body intersect in healing from early trauma and related issues like addiction.
49:48•5 Jul 2026
Trauma, Childhood Wounds and Sobriety: Dr Claire Pain on Healing Deep Scars
Episode Overview
- Trauma is distinct from general suffering; Dr Pain defines it as experiences rooted in terror, fear and helplessness that change both physiology and behaviour.
- Stable, caring childhoods significantly influence how adults cope with later crises, with many refugees showing resilience despite extreme hardship.
- The ACE study demonstrates a graded link between childhood abuse and higher rates of depression, addiction, serious illness and reduced life expectancy.
- Body-based reactions and triggers often appear before conscious awareness; therapy can help turn implicit bodily memories into explicit, shareable stories.
- Effective recovery work involves mentalising – helping survivors name their feelings, understand what happened to them, and stop blaming their younger selves.
“For me, trauma, unresolved trauma, begins with terror. And terror you can't get away from.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This conversation on the Inspire Health Podcast takes a powerful detour into trauma, showing how early wounds can ripple into every part of adult life, including addiction. Host Dr Jason Loken sits down with psychiatrist and author Dr Claire Pain, an associate professor at the University of Toronto and director of the Psychological Trauma Programme at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto.
Drawing on more than 30 years of clinical work, including with refugees and survivors of sexual abuse, she breaks down what trauma actually is and why it’s not just "feeling really upset". As she puts it, "for me, trauma, unresolved trauma, begins with terror. And terror you can't get away from." You’ll hear stark contrasts between refugees who’ve faced war yet remain mentally stable, and "homegrown" patients whose chaotic childhoods make later crises far harder to bear.
Dr Pain links this to the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study, describing how a simple seven-point childhood questionnaire showed a graded link between early abuse and much higher rates of depression, addiction, serious illness and early death. One striking finding she shares: boys with an ACE score of six or more have a dramatically higher likelihood of later injection drug use. The episode also gets very practical.
Dr Pain explains how the body "knows" long before the conscious mind catches up, using powerful case stories to show implicit memories becoming explicit once the right words are found. She stresses the importance of language, safe relationships and "mentalising" – helping people name what they feel and why – as key steps in recovery from sexual abuse and trauma.
If you’re interested in how childhood pain, addiction, PTSD and healing intersect, this conversation offers depth, clarity, and plenty to reflect on. What might your own ACE story be telling you?
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