Social neuroscience and addiction

The long lasting effect of childhood trauma has now been substantiated. The amygdale responsible for fight, flight or freeze response is fully formed at birth suggesting that even children are capable of experiencing high level stress (Dayton, 2005). However, Adam (2004) states that the hippocampus which interprets sensory input and the prefrontal cortex are not fully functional until approximately ages 5 and 11 respectively. Therefore, early assault on the child’s psyche is bound to be interpreted in a very personal way owing to the child’s tendency of egocentricity. Moreover, because the neo cortex is not fully functional before around age 11, the child may suffer a full-blown assault on the psych due to the lack of modulating effect found in the higher brain (Dayton, 2005).

Research shows that on average addicts are raised in a chaotic environment lacking the care and nurturance from primary care giver or the environment compared with the average population. If the primary stressor is found within the family, the child’s sense of self and it’s interpersonal world may be compromised and the child’s ability to interpret threat level and the capacity to regulate and sooth itself may also be diminished (Dayton, 2005).