Alcoholism and trauma: a theoretical overview and comparison

This article outlines a theoretical overview of evolving conceptions of trauma and their application to alcoholism. Traditional definitions of trauma are reviewed and Judith Herman's theory of psychological trauma and the process of recovery are summarized. This framework is used to describe the experience of being alcoholic, the child of an alcoholic (COA), the adult child of an alcoholic parent (ACA), and of being both alcoholic and an ACA. The developmental process of recovery within the 12-Step framework is compared to Herman's stages of trauma resolution. It is argued that trauma theory must be expanded to adequately described and explain the experiences of alcoholism and that issues of power and control must be reinterpreted to fit within the 12-Step model. This article posits that trauma theory offers an important link between the professional worlds of chemical dependency treatment and mental health.