From Childhood Trauma to Compassionate Care
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How My Research on Personality Disorders and Behavioral Addictions Shapes My Work Today
By Claudia Barton, BCBA, LBA, CTP
When I began my master’s program in psychology with an emphasis on behavior analysis, I knew I wanted my research to be about more than theories on paper. I wanted to study something that mattered to me — something that would help me understand the people I loved, and in turn, the people I would one day serve.
That’s why I chose to focus my final paper on how personality disorders mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and behavioral addictions.
It was academic, yes — but it was also deeply personal.
Why I Chose This Path
Growing up, my father struggled with alcoholism. I didn’t have the language for it at the time, but I knew his drinking wasn’t just about alcohol — it was about pain. I wanted to understand why some people, faced with hardship, turned to substances or compulsive behaviors to cope.
That curiosity became my compass. I wanted to know:
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How does childhood trauma shape the brain and personality?
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Why do some people develop maladaptive coping behaviors like addiction?
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How do personality disorders influence that pathway?
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And most importantly: Can we change it?
How Trauma Shapes the Brain
Trauma — especially in childhood — doesn’t just leave emotional scars. It rewires the brain.
When a child grows up in a chronically unsafe or emotionally unstable environment, the brain adapts for survival.
Some changes I studied include:
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Overactive threat detection – the amygdala stays on high alert, even in safe situations.
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Underdeveloped regulation – the prefrontal cortex (responsible for decision-making and impulse control) doesn’t get the chance to fully develop.
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Stress hormone imbalance – cortisol levels can stay high, wearing down the body over time.
The result? A nervous system that struggles to rest, trust, and regulate — even decades later.
Personality Disorders as a Mediator
Through my research, I learned that personality disorders can sometimes act as the “bridge” between early trauma and later addictions.
If trauma shapes the way we see ourselves and the world, personality disorders can be the long-term pattern that forms as a result. They can influence:
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How we manage emotions
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How we relate to others
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How we perceive threats and safety
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What coping strategies we choose
And often, when emotional regulation feels impossible, people turn to something outside themselves for relief — which is where behavioral addictions enter.
Why I Focused on Alcoholism
While I studied various behavioral addictions — gambling, compulsive shopping, internet dependency — my specialty became alcoholism, because that’s the one I had lived closest to.
Alcohol, like other substances, can provide temporary relief by numbing emotional pain and quieting the nervous system. But it’s short-lived. Over time, it can damage relationships, health, and self-worth — creating more pain and a cycle that’s incredibly hard to break.
Through my research, I began to see my father not as “just” an alcoholic, but as a man whose childhood likely gave him few tools for emotional regulation and safety.
That shift was life-changing for me. It transformed judgment into compassion.
How This Research Changed Me
Studying trauma’s impact on the brain, and how it connects to personality patterns and addiction, gave me a new lens:
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I understood my parents more deeply — their behaviors, their struggles, their humanity.
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I understood myself — how my own childhood shaped my responses, fears, and strengths.
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And I developed a deep compassion for everyone carrying invisible histories.
It also showed me that behavior analysis could go far beyond autism support. We serve everyone. Trauma, addiction, relationship challenges, anxiety — these are all behavioral patterns shaped by experience and environment.
Why I Became a Certified Trauma Professional
The more I learned, the more I realized:
Behavior analysis and trauma work are not separate worlds — they are meant to be integrated.
Behavior analysis helps us see patterns and change them.
Trauma work helps us understand why those patterns exist in the first place.
Becoming a Certified Trauma Professional was my way of weaving those disciplines together so I could offer care that is both scientifically grounded and deeply compassionate.
Now, whether I’m working one-on-one with clients, creating wellness plans, or guiding someone through a nervous system ritual, my approach is informed by both worlds.
What This Means for My Work Today
When I help someone build healthier habits, I’m not just thinking about the behavior in front of me — I’m thinking about the nervous system beneath it, and the history that shaped it.
When someone struggles to “stay consistent” with self-care, I don’t jump to compliance strategies — I look for the trauma patterns, the triggers, the unmet needs.
And when I design behavioral wellness tools or routines, I build them to reinforce safety, self-trust, and autonomy — because those are the foundations of real, lasting change.
Final Thoughts
We don’t choose our childhoods. We don’t choose the way our brains adapt to survive them. But as adults, we can choose to understand ourselves — and others — through a lens of compassion.
My research taught me that maladaptive coping behaviors, whether it’s alcohol or another addiction, are often survival strategies, not moral failings.
And with the right support, new skills, and a safe environment, change is possible.
That belief shapes everything I do now as a BCBA, Certified Trauma Professional, and Behavioral Wellness Coach.
Because when we understand the why, we can change the how — and create lives that feel safe enough to truly live.
🧡 A Personal Note About My Dad
My dad was an amazing father. Even though his alcoholism was present, one day he stopped cold turkey and never looked back. He was a wonderful man in my life — my foundation — and I always had a home to come to, no matter what happened.
In his own words:
"No matter what happens in life, you have my home to come back to."
That unconditional safety shaped my own belief that healing begins with a safe place to land.
