Racial Addiction
“I don’t want my people to be tricked by mercenaries.” – Zimbabwe by Bob Marley
Introduction
When the reality of psychology’s lack of clear definitions becomes conscious, many people will be surprised– but that awareness may stop them from projecting their fear of the unknown onto one another. Just as racial disparities are deeply entwined with economic forces, understanding a person’s identity and cultural background is key to understanding their story and psychology. This context has long been absent from mainstream psychological history. For example, the original American Psychological Association’s (APA) code of ethics did not include multiculturalism. During the civil rights era, citizens had to craft a movement in order for the law to finally see logic and reasoning– and ultimately, change. Today, we see a similar historical moment unfolding before us with the emergence of the recovery profession.
The field psychology eventually add cultural awareness to its code of ethics to remind professionals to acknowledge difference– implying an implicit bias in both systematic knowledge and practice (HERE). Likewise, some states and government agencies now require ethics courses for continuing education credits to ensure that professionals do not forget these principles. We propose that those in administration, politics, and law also be required to complete continuing education in moral-ethics (O’Brien, 2024d), because their implicit bias (HERE) toward racial and addicted populations amounts to a war on their own citizenry (HERE).
When everyone begins to recognize that there are more similarities than differences among people– and that psychology, as a profession, projects its own feelings and experiences onto new situations– we must look to dissociation for answers. Dissociation helps us understand the implicit biases behind the field’s racial and cultural divisions: where dissociation comes from, who promotes racial dissociation, how to stop it, and why it matters.
Orientation
Dissociation matters because it defines addiction (O’Brien, 2023a). In the context of racial dissociation, we begin to understand why people may underperform when they’re not in environments that reflect their identity. Incorporating racial and cultural considerations into clinical work is not psychological profiling, it is honoring historical context. Our undergraduate career studies focused on history and psychology, and when we encountered McGoldrick’s work on ethnicity and culture, it was profoundly helpful to say the least (HERE).
Reorientation
We’ve spent the first half of our lives acquiring the world’s knowledge; we intend to spend the second half applying it (e.g., Applied Recovery). This work represents the start of a new era in recovery care, research, and philosophy. To understand why racial harmony is essential to our understanding of addiction and dissociation, we can turn to podcaster Dan Carlin for historical insight.
Data
Alongside practices like 90-in-90, we encourage people to begin their work by recognizing that addiction is not what mainstream science says it is. Lived experience shows us that data is often shaped by the dominant culture of the time. That is why we advocate for individuals to cultivate their own experiences with the level of consciousness we are honoring here. When conversations around culture and heritage arise, we’ve shared chapters from McGoldrick (HERE) with clients. Time and time again over the years, people have identified this material as helpful. We recommend others do the same– and we invite people to engage with us online.
We also found an episode of Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History to be particularly valuable in offering a broader perspective on addiction, dissociation, and trauma. His “Human Resources” production explores the historical context of addiction in a way few others do. We recommend listening to the full episode in one sitting– and, if possible, imbibe while doing so.
Discussion
When examining racial disparities in access to the justice system, we see that dominant cultures have historically– and continue to– exploit and enslave others to serve their own interests. This reflects deeply abusive sibling-like relational dynamics, which remain largely underrepresented in the literature. Ironically, despite psychology’s focus on human behavior and ethics, there is very little in the research on justice within the field itself. Moreover, although justice is a foundational pillar in the legal profession’s own preamble (HERE), a closer look at where most crimes occur reveals a different narrative. It becomes clear that their show of force is directed more at the lives of ordinary citizens than at addressing the systemic stressors that predict and shape outcomes within the justice system.
Conclusions
Applied Recovery requires an honest look at one’s past. If people are to make the changes they need, they must first know who they are. Just as research on sibling abuse remains limited, the concept of transferring addictions is also conspicuously absent from the literature. This absence raises some important questions: Why isn’t this research being conducted, and what does that omission reveal? To the point, where do most crimes occur? And are they truly crimes or do we simply have too many laws? As citizens, we fund the institutions and professions tasked with conducting research; yet those same entities have deemed addiction research unworthy of an operational definition. It is clear who benefits from that omission. But the deeper question is: How is this collective denial psychologically sustained? The answer is dissociation– living in a state of disconnect, an expression of denial, that allows the system to perpetuate harm while avoiding accountability.
Implications
While racial disharmony is fueled by economics and addiction, we must highlight that its consequences are already unfolding in our modern world. Where the past meets the present, the future is shaped by the decisions of today. This means that the reader already knows who they are and why. If healing and recovery work were applied in both moral and professional domains, we would see and know the outcomes of recovery reflected all around us. Is that what the reader sees?
Future Directions
Start applying what you have learned through recovery. Racial harmony can only happen if people do their recovery work, yet many remain addicted to avoiding that work and profiting from not doing so. This leaves the next generation trapped in a healing quandary.
“Could you be loved?” becomes the question for the abusers. And if there is a place for the hopeless sinners– those who have harmed all of humanity just to protect their own– then that place is hell on earth. And they don’t want your kind telling them what to do, especially when it sounds like just another your sales pitch.
References
O’Brien, A. (2023a). Addiction as Trauma-Related Dissociation: A Phenomenological Investigation of the Addictive State. International University of Graduate Studies. (Dissertation). Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/courses/addiction-as-dissociation-model-course/
O’Brien, A. (2023b). Memory Reconsolidation in Psychedelics Therapy. In Path of the Wounded Healer: A Dissociative-Focused Phase Model for Normative and Pathological States of Consciousness: Training Manual and Guide. Albany, NY: Wounded Healers Institute. Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/courses/addiction-as-dissociation-model-course/
O’Brien, A. (2023c). Path of the Wounded Healer: A Dissociative-Focused Phase Model for Normative and Pathological States of Consciousness: Training Manual and Guide. Albany, NY: Wounded Healers Institute. Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/
O’Brien, A. (2024a). Healer and Healing: The re-education of the healer and healing professions as an advocation. Re-educational and Training Manual and Guide. Albany, NY: Wounded Healers Institute. Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/
O’Brien, A. (2024b). Diagnostic Privilege: Meta-Critical Analysis. In Healer and Healing: The re-education of the healer and the healing profession as an advocation. Re-educational and Training Manual and Guide. Appendix 2. Albany, NY: Wounded Healers Institute. Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/courses/addiction-as-dissociation-model-course/
O’Brien, A. (2024c). Meta-Critical Analysis: The “Science” of Pseudoscience. In Healer and Healing: The re-education of the healer and the healing profession as an advocation. Re-educational and Training Manual and Guide. Appendix 3. Albany, NY: Wounded Healers Institute. Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/courses/addiction-as-dissociation-model-course/
O’Brien, A. (2024d). Moral-Ethics. In Healer and Healing: The re-education of the healer and healing professions as an advocation. Re-educational and Training Manual and Guide. Chapter 14. Albany, NY: Wounded Healers Institute. Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/
O’Brien, A. (2024e). Path of the Wounded Healers for Thrivers: Perfectionism, Altruism, and Ambition Addictions; Re-education and training manual for Abusers, Activists, Batterers, Bullies, Enablers, Killers, Narcissists, Offenders, Parents, Perpetrators, and Warriors. Re-Education and Training Manual and Guide. Albany, NY: Wounded Healers Institute. Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/
O’Brien, A. (2025a). American Made Addiction Recovery: a healer’s journey through professional recovery. Albany, NY: Wounded Healers Institute. Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/
O’Brien, A. (2025b). Path of the Wounded Healer’s: EMDR, Brainspotting, and Psychedelic Care Open Source Training Manual. Albany, NY: Wounded Healers Institute.
