For individuals who experienced overwhelming stress, neglect, or trauma in childhood, the nervous system often remains stuck in survival mode. Even as adults, parts of them may still be responding as if the original threat is present. This is not a weakness or a failure—it is a natural and well-documented trauma response.

This helps explain why addiction can feel so confusing and frustrating. A person may genuinely want to stop using substances and make healthy choices, yet find themselves repeating patterns that feel completely out of alignment with their adult goals and values. Trauma-informed science shows that these behaviors are often driven by implicit emotional memories and conditioned nervous system responses formed early in life.

When coping strategies such as substances are introduced during times of distress, the brain learns to associate them with relief and safety. Over time, these patterns can become deeply ingrained. Neuroscience research on habit formation and neuroplasticity demonstrates that the brain adapts to repeated behaviors, especially those that regulate emotional pain. This is not a moral failing—it is how the brain learns to survive.

Modern trauma research, including studies on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), attachment theory, and developmental neuroscience, shows strong correlations between early trauma, emotional disconnection, and later substance use. These studies also demonstrate something hopeful: the brain remains capable of change throughout life. With the right support, safety, and understanding, healing is possible.

We recognize that our early experiences play a significant role in shaping who we become. At the same time, recovery empowers individuals to gently take responsibility—not for what happened to them, but for how they care for themselves moving forward.

At Deslongchamps Recovery, we help clients understand why they do what they do. When people can make sense of their patterns through a trauma-informed lens, shame and self-blame often begin to soften. Clarity replaces confusion, and compassion replaces self-hatred.

Research also shows that trauma does not always come from obvious or extreme events. Trauma is not defined solely by what happened, but by how an individual experienced and internalized it. Children are especially sensitive to their environments. Factors such as emotional availability, consistency, belonging, and safety all play crucial roles in healthy development. This helps explain why siblings raised in the same household can be affected so differently.

Some individuals struggle to identify childhood trauma because their upbringing may have appeared stable or loving on the surface. Emerging research in prenatal and early developmental psychology suggests that stress during pregnancy, early attachment disruptions, or subtle emotional neglect can still affect nervous system development. These experiences are often stored in the body rather than in conscious memory.

We have worked with countless individuals who grew up feeling unseen, pressured to meet expectations that weren’t their own, or unintentionally overlooked due to family dynamics. Over time, these experiences can lead to emotional disconnection, unresolved grief, or a deep sense of not belonging—all recognized risk factors for addiction.

Trauma-informed care recognizes that children naturally personalize their experiences. They often assume responsibility for their parents’ emotions, conflicts, or absence. Without the cognitive tools to understand adult circumstances, children make meaning in ways that help them survive, even if those beliefs later become limiting or painful.

The developing brain is highly adaptive. Studies in neurobiology show that early experiences shape belief systems, emotional regulation, and stress responses. As Dr. Bruce Lipton and many developmental researchers have noted, early programming plays a powerful role—but it does not define a person’s future.

Importantly, not every traumatized child develops an addiction. Research suggests that protective factors—such as supportive relationships, meaningful activities, creative outlets, or therapeutic intervention—can help individuals process trauma in healthier ways. Addiction often develops when trauma remains unresolved and no safe outlet for healing is available.

This is why inner child work is part of our program. We gently explore the younger parts of the self that may still be carrying fear, sadness, or unmet needs. This process is done with care, consent, and safety. Nothing is forced, and clients are supported every step of the way.

Through evidence-based approaches that align with neuroplasticity research, we help clients revisit defining moments—not to relive pain, but to reprocess experiences with the resources, understanding, and compassion they did not have at the time. When the nervous system experiences safety and resolution, new neural pathways can form.

The brain does not distinguish between vividly imagined and lived experiences when emotional and sensory systems are engaged. This principle, widely supported in trauma therapy research, allows healing experiences to be integrated in ways that genuinely change how the present moment feels.

At Deslongchamps Recovery, we believe healing the inner child is not about dwelling in the past—it is about freeing the present. When those younger parts feel seen, valued, and safe, individuals are able to step fully into their adult lives with clarity, resilience, and self-compassion.

You have carried enough. Healing is possible. And you do not have to do it alone.