A New Approach to Addiction and Trauma with Dr. Fredric Schiffer

In this episode of Thrive While Loving an Addict, host KL Wells welcomes Dr. Fredric Schiffer, a Harvard-affiliated expert on trauma and addiction. Dr. Schiffer shares his fascinating work on dual brain psychology and its applications in treating various mental health issues, including trauma, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and addiction. He discusses his journey into this field, insights from his research on split-brain patients and lateral visual fields, and how understanding the two sides of the brain can impact both individuals struggling with addiction and their loved ones. The conversation also touches on ongoing studies, including promising research on fentanyl addiction using near-infrared light therapy.

Key Discussion Points:

• Dr. Schiffer's personal and professional origin story leading to his work in psychiatry, trauma, and addiction.
• The observation of seemingly two different personalities or states in patients.
• Insights from split-brain studies and how different brain hemispheres process information and emotions.
• The concept of dual brain psychology in ordinary people and how lateral visual fields can stimulate different hemispheres.
• How trauma, particularly childhood trauma, contributes to addiction and feelings of inadequacy.
• The traumatic experience of loving someone struggling with addiction.
• Applying dual brain psychotherapy to treat the "troubled side" and strengthen the "healthy side."
• The idea of speaking to and supporting the healthy mind in both the individual with addiction and the loved one.
• Demonstration of the lateral vision technique to observe different emotional responses.
• Discussion of ongoing research, including a study on fentanyl addiction using near-infrared light therapy.
• The potential of stimulating the healthy mind through techniques like lateral vision and light therapy.
• Trauma as anything that cuts at one's worthiness or ability to stand in their power.
• The importance of recognizing and nurturing the healthy side for overall well-being and navigating challenging situations.

Some Questions I Ask:

• So if you would start with, you know your kind of origin story. As to how did you get into this work?
• So question one is obviously in in the space of you know. My belief is that there's nobody walking around that hasn't experienced some sort of trauma... how this might have an impact in how we move from our own trauma and suffering to thriving in the midst of loving someone who's still in addiction, mode.
• And so what you've discovered and learned relative to dual brain psychology and the work that you're doing? How can that inform and influence people like myself, who are loving someone, whether it's a sibling or a brother, or, you know, a sister or a spouse, or, in my case, most dramatically for me, was my son.
• And so can you stack the healthy side of your brain, so that I mean because I think for me personally, I live most of the time in the resilient side of who I am...?
• Does that make sense?
• Well, and I I so here's the caveat is I've done a tremendous amount of work through the years. So does that have any impact in, you know what we just did.
• Wow, okay, so when does this study wrap up.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• How early trauma can contribute to addiction and a cycle of re-traumatization.
• The concept that addiction can be an attempt to both repeat and relieve trauma.
• That the brain may house two distinct "minds" or states, one more troubled and one healthier.
• How stimulating different visual fields can access these different brain states and associated feelings.
• That even in active addiction, a healthy side may exist and can be accessed and strengthened.
• The power of a loved one's...