What Is Trauma-Informed Addiction Treatment?
For many people who struggle with addiction, substance use serves as a coping mechanism to minimize the emotional pain of past trauma. Whether it be a physical issue, such as a car accident or military injury, or psychological trauma, such as verbal abuse or the death of a loved one, recovery from addiction is difficult if this contributing factor is not also addressed. Trauma-informed addiction treatment aims to do just that by integrating these past issues into broader addiction treatment methods.
What Is Trauma?
Trauma is an unconscious emotional response to a deeply distressing or disturbing experience. It is problematic because it causes shock and denial, which minimizes a person’s ability to process their feelings in a productive and healthy way. This can cause a wide range of negative emotions, including fear, anxiety, anger, guilt, sadness, shame, and hopelessness. Trauma can also lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and trigger physical symptoms, including headaches, digestive issues, dizziness, racing heartbeat, and flashbacks.
The Link Between Trauma & Addiction
People often turn to alcohol and drugs to combat the uncomfortable emotional and physical symptoms of trauma, which is why addiction and trauma are so closely linked. The technique may even seem effective at first, since these substances lower inhibitions and produce initial feelings of calm and relaxation. But once the short-term benefits wear off — and the unresolved trauma and negative feelings associated with it are still there — the discomfort returns and the addiction cycle starts all over again. Unless the underlying trauma is addressed, it can be extremely difficult for a person to resist the urge to self-medicate.
Common Trauma-Informed Treatment Methods
There are a number of different therapies that can be incorporated into addiction treatment to help address trauma. Some of the most common include:
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
This type of therapy involves reprocessing disturbing memories while engaging in a guided combination of eye movements, audio stimulation, and hand tapping or bell ringing. It’s often used to treat PTSD and other co-occurring anxiety disorders such as panic attacks and phobias.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
A type of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), DBT teaches individuals specific skills to help them cope with uncomfortable feelings and change unhealthy behavior. It was originally developed to treat borderline personality disorder but has become a common treatment trauma-informed addiction treatment method among rehabs and clinicians.
Seeking Safety
Seeking Safety is an evidence-based, skills-focused therapy for people with a history of substance abuse and trauma. It can be conducted in either group or individual treatment settings. Seeking Safety is designed to help participants develop healthy coping skills for handling uncomfortable emotions.
If you think you or a loved one might benefit from trauma-informed addiction treatment, get in touch with us today.
