Traumatized

The next day I presented a relapse prevention training. A thirty-something woman in the audience said all addiction started with trauma. She asked if I could be clearer on the connection between relapse prevention and trauma.

I said I believed some, but not all, addiction stemmed from trauma.  I would be covering it later in the presentation.  She accused me of being closed-minded. She quoted her professor whom she considered the absolute last word in addiction treatment.

I wondered how I should respond. We both may be partially right? The science of addiction treatment is evolving? I’ve been doing this for thirty-three years? I’ve been sober longer than you’ve been alive? Quit banging your new degree on your high chair and sit down? Be gone foul woman and never darken my door again?

I said we’d have to agree to disagree. She crossed her arms and glared at me for rest of the training. I’d been down this road before. That kind of anger was personal. Most likely she’d had some kind of trauma that led to her addiction.  I told myself not to take her anger personally.

Today I’ll remember someone's reaction to me isn’t always about me.

Dogged Determination ©2018 & 2019 by Ken Montrose

Dogged Determination is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.

Other works by Ken Montrose are available at: www.greenbriartraining.com https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/