Right now an exciting new perspective on addiction is emerging. Johann Harri, author of Chasing The Scream, recently captured widespread public interest with his Ted talk Everything You Know About Addiction Is Wrong, where he concluded with this powerful statement:

The opposite of addiction is not sobriety. The opposite of addiction is connection. – Johann Harri

These sentiments are augmented by a growing number of experts, including addiction specialist Dr Gabor Maté, who cites ’emotional loss and trauma’ as the core of addiction. Compare this ’emotional loss’ to Johan Harri’s idea about lack of connection and it is clear they’re talking about a similar emotional condition.

Click here to read on: here I would like to add to this that for highly sensitive persons and empaths what is considered a non-traumatic experience in childhood can be perceived as a traumatic experience and carried forward as an emotional wound that can lead to poor coping skills. Eating disorders, alcohol and drug addition being common routes of pain escape. So its not about what you or I consider to be a trauma but how the infant/ child/ teen/ adult perceives the experience.

Love,
Andrea