Aug 13, 2023
The Dysregulated Addict: Finding Spiritual Regulation Series Pt.
5
The 12-Step Buddhist Podcast Episode 100
Part 5: Mindfulness for Addicts with ACEs
The Impact of ACEs on the Brain and the Path to Addiction**
**Introduction:**
Remember our journey through the nervous system, the dance of the
sympathetic and parasympathetic, the weight of allostatic load, the
boundaries of the window of tolerance? Now, let's delve into ACEs,
the unseen wounds that shape us, the scars that linger in our
brains, our hearts, our very souls.
**Understanding ACEs:**
- **Definition and Types:** Physical abuse, emotional scars, a home
where chaos reigns. These are ACEs, wounds that shape us, echoes of
the storms we explored in the nervous system. They are the unseen
baggage we carry, the ghosts that haunt our minds.
- **Prevalence:** You're not alone. Millions bear these scars,
these memories that refuse to fade. They linger, affecting our
health, our relationships, our very essence, adding to the
allostatic load we discussed earlier.
**The Neurobiology of ACEs:**
- **Brain Structure and Function:** Imagine your brain, a delicate
machine, wired for love, trust, joy. Now imagine it altered,
scarred by trauma. The prefrontal cortex, the seat of reason,
impaired. The hippocampus, the keeper of memories, wounded. It's
not just science; it's a tragedy played out in the very fabric of
our being.
- **Stress Response System:** A child in constant fear, a body
always ready to fight or flee. The stress hormones flood, the
balance is lost, and the dance becomes a battle. It's the window of
tolerance, shattered and fragmented. It's not just biology; it's a
daily struggle for peace, for normality.
This is the path of bodhisattvas, yogis and Buddhists in
recovery.
"You can judge me, but please take what's in my hand."
Want to opine? Leave a message on The 12-Step Buddhist Podcast
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Compassionate Recovery: Mindful Healing for
Trauma and Addictions
Available in Kindle, Trade Paperback, Hardcover
The 12-Step Buddhist Podcast Theme by Clay Giberson