Casey Arrillaga and Kira Arrillaga
addictionandthefamily@gmail.com (Casey Arrillaga and Kira Arrillaga)
Episode 75: Trauma and Addiction
Episode 75: Trauma and Addiction
Episode 75: Trauma and Addiction
Friday 27th March 2026
Casey Arriaga breaks down trauma, addiction and family patterns, offering practical ways to heal old wounds and move towards being happy, joyous and free.
35 minutes
Informative
Hopeful
Inspiring
Honest
Supportive
About this podcast
Author:
Casey Arrillaga and Kira Arrillaga
Overview:
Categories:
Family Recovery from Addiction
Recovery Reimagined
Understanding Addiction & Recovery
Navigating Intimate Relationships
Creative Recovery Journeys
Links:
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Episodes:
75 (View all)
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Get the buttons here!Trauma, Family Pain and Addiction: Why Healing Your Story Matters
Episode Overview
- Trauma is closely tied to feelings of safety, and can come from both major events and many smaller invalidating experiences.
- Negative self-talk fuels a stress response in the body, which can make addictive behaviours feel like powerful relief.
- Addiction itself creates new trauma, including deep shame and the belief that a person is not safe from their own actions.
- Trauma reactions and emotional shutdown can be passed down through generations, shaping family patterns around addiction.
- Healing starts with recognising harmful beliefs, allowing emotions, using positive self-talk, and seeking support through recovery groups or therapy.
"Sober and miserable is like never the mission at this end. I want people to learn how to be happy and joyous and free."
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This episode of **Addiction and the Family** takes on a big piece of that question by looking at trauma and how it ties into addiction for both individuals and their loved ones. Host Casey Arriaga, a licensed clinical social worker and addiction counsellor, breaks things down in plain language that feels more like a chat than a lecture.
He starts by unpacking what trauma actually is, from obvious "big T" events like abuse or accidents to the quieter "little t" hurts such as constant invalidation or being told, directly or indirectly, that feelings don't matter.
As he puts it, trauma is often about safety: "If I feel like my safety is being threatened… then we have a beginning definition for what counts as trauma." You’ll hear how these experiences can lead to negative self-talk, chronic stress, and a deep sense of being "not good enough"—and how that uncomfortable inner world makes addictive behaviour feel like precious relief.
Casey links this with genetics, family patterns and intergenerational trauma, showing how beliefs and emotional shutdown can echo down through generations, even when nobody means any harm. The tone stays practical and hopeful. Casey talks through concrete ways people can begin healing: naming harmful beliefs, feeling long-buried emotions, using positive self-talk as genuine healthcare, and working with tools like 12-step programmes, SMART Recovery ideas, therapy, EMDR or meditation.
He reminds family members that they can’t force a loved one into change, but they *can* work on their own healing, which in turn benefits everyone around them. With lines like "Sober and miserable is like never the mission at this end" and a strong focus on becoming "happy and joyous and free", this episode speaks directly to anyone tired of white-knuckling sobriety or living in a family shadowed by addiction and old wounds.
What old beliefs about yourself are you ready to question today?