'We can all fail, but if we discuss fragility, we give power to the strength that comes out of that'

Iola Ynyr's book Camu, winner of the overall Welsh Language Prize in Wales Book of the Year, signposts the way to the understanding of, and recovery from, addiction, writes Jenny White

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CREATIVITY gave Iola Ynyr the keys to escape the cage of alcoholism, and in her memoir Camu, which has just won the overall Welsh Language Prize for Wales Book of the Year, she passes the keys to others.

Written as a series of personal essays, Camu traces Iola’s journey to reclaim her life and memories as she recovers from alcoholism. The book highlights alcoholism as a symptom rather than a cause: a way of coping with trauma that is sometimes too deep, hidden or overwhelming to face head-on or without appropriate support - which is not always available.

It emphasises the point that to make a recovery, it’s essential to look not just at the issue of addiction, but at what lies beneath addiction as a coping mechanism.

"Gabor Maté has expressed it well, saying it isn’t a question of ‘why the addiction,’ but ‘why the pain?’ It all draws from trauma," says Iola.

Answering this question can be challenging when trauma is repressed beneath conscious memory, making it difficult to access. The causes can be complex too, encompassing cultural causes as well as experiences such as physical, emotional, or sexual abuse.

"In my case, I had no idea what my trauma was," says Iola. "I think it’s generational to some degree. When you live in a minority culture, there are hidden aspects that are so ingrained within you, and you know that you have to represent your culture in a certain way, even when your experience doesn’t always follow that.