Hear Me Out

Can somatics cure addiction? I know that is a provocative question but hear me out:

Experts agree that:

1. a key cause of addiction is trauma

2. trauma is stored in our bodies

3. somatics release trauma stored in our bodies.

Therefore, if we can release a key cause of addiction from our bodies, then we could be closer to freedom from addiction - or a summarizing statement could be, "somatics cure addiction".

Is that an over-simplification? Of course it is. But is it completely preposterous? No. The logic was reasonable enough for me that I began to do some serious studying and experimentation and integrated somatics into my recovery. It has been a game-changer. I am so convinced of the benefits that I created Soma18 so that I could help others.

It is inspiring and energizing to find that there are new tools to bring into our recovery journeys that bring strength and relief.

Here are some reasons to consider the value of integrating somatics into addiction recovery:

• The experts agree on the underlying ideas around trauma, the mind/body connection, and somatics - and have written extensively about it, however, they are weak on providing practical solutions.

• Many people have tried to recover but still suffer in addiction. For many it is a life and death situation.

• Obviously, conventional modalities are not working for many people.

• Creativity, imagination and new treatment models are needed and should be encouraged.

• There is no downside to trying somatics. The benefits are greater than any (perceived) risks.

Here are some relevant quotes from the experts:

“Now what we have with trauma is we have his tremendous excitation, and then, boom, we're overwhelmed. This energy becomes locked - it becomes stuck in our bodies.”

– Peter Levine,

“Traumatic symptoms are not caused by the “triggering” event itself. They stem from the frozen residue of energy that has not been resolved and discharged; this residue remains trapped in the nervous system where it can wreak havoc on our bodies and spirits.”

– Peter Levine, Waking the Tiger

“The body keeps the score: If the memory of trauma is encoded in the viscera, in heartbreaking and gut-wrenching emotions, in autoimmune dis-orders and skeletal/muscular problems, and if mind/brain/visceral communication is the royal road to emotion regulation, this demands a radical shift in our assumptions.”

– Bessel van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score

“No matter how sophisticated our minds may be, the fact remains that their basic contents - what we think, believe consciously or unconsciously, feel or are prevented from feeling - powerfully affect our bodies, for better or worse.”

– Gabor Maté, When the Body Says No

“The truth is that trauma is not just “in your head” … Harvard Medical School