Trauma can be considered a gateway to substance abuse in the following ways: 1) People who experience childhood trauma, such as abuse, often seek outlets to deal with the resulting psychological issues later in life, sometimes turning to alcohol or drugs. 2) Trauma changes the brain, especially the prefrontal cortex responsible for reasoning and judgment, which can increase risk-taking behaviors like substance abuse. 3) Targeting substances alone will not curb abuse, as trauma must be addressed as a root cause that can precede substance problems. Recognizing trauma's role is key to effective drug reform.

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Why do people consider trauma as a
gateway drug?
posted Feb 29, 2020, 7:24 AM by Peter Max
Ever since the 1930s, marijuana has
been demonized as a gateway drug to
harder substances. While today’s data
shows that cannabis is less likely to
do so, there is still clamor as to what
a gateway drug is and how it can
affect a person’s adult growth. One
idea that has been recently circulating
is the idea that trauma can be considered a gateway drug. While
trauma isn’t an actual substance one can take, its effect is similar to
how gateway drugs are described. Peter Max.
People often experience trauma during childhood. While physical
trauma like injuries can easily be brushed off, psychological trauma
like sexual assault, abandonment, or physical abuse stays with
people longer. Some people seek professional help to deal with
psychological trauma, while others tend to seek other outlets. And it
is in these outlets that abused people are often led to alcoholism and
substance abuse. Peter Max.
Rather than a gateway, trauma is
often a precursor to substance
abuse. A person with a perfect
childhood won’t need illegal
substances other than recreational
purposes. However, most people
who abuse illegal drugs would often
have several instances of trauma in
their past which have shaped how
they think and who they are as a person. Peter Max.
Trauma has been proven to change a person. Trauma sustained over
a long period alters the brain’s prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain
responsible for reasoning and moral judgment. If a child is
repeatedly abandoned by adults around him or her during their
developmental stages, they would have to deal with abandonment
issues all their lives. This is why targeting illegal substances will not
curb the behavioral issues of substance abusers. Unless systemic
abuse is recognized as a precursor to substance abuse, our approach
toward drug reform will not amount to much. Peter Max.
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