There are a myriad of different mental health problems that can result from a person experiencing trauma. When a person experiences trauma they may cope or react in ways that affect them later on in life. Trauma can affect a person’s functioning in every possible way from physical and mental health, behavior, and social skills.
People who have experienced trauma may cope with their situation by engaging in substance abuse as a way to escape their feelings. Alcohol or drugs can provide them with temporary relief from the emotions caused by their trauma but in the end it creates a complicated issues that requires professional treatment. That is why it is important for treatment centers to offer trauma informed care that will recognize and understand a patient’s trauma and how it led to their current issues.
When someone has experienced trauma at some point in their lives, it may continue to affect even many years later. Those who are confronted with trauma when they are children may have more challenges as they grow up and adjust to life as an adult. They may develop certain behaviors or problems that they don’t understand but are ultimately related to their early experience of trauma.
Experiencing Trauma and Substance Abuse
There is a very close connection between trauma and substance abuse in many cases. In fact, aside from genetic factors trauma is one of the most common risks for developing a problem with drugs or alcohol. Painful and difficult experiences often lead people to find substances that will help them to forget or numb their emotions.
Trauma is essentially a situation or event that is shocking and is something that a person does not know how to cope with. It can leave individuals in an extreme state of fear that makes it harder for them to function as well as their peers. They may be left with a lot of negative emotions as a result of their trauma such as helplessness, confusion, terror and powerlessness.
People can experience trauma in many different forms depending on how a particular situation affects them. Trauma can come in the form of abuse, neglect, violence, bullying, sudden loss of a loved one, accidents, sexual assault, war and many other situations. Whenever a person feels that they don’t know how to cope with what has happened then they could have been faced with a disaster.
Substance abuse is very common among trauma victims and people who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. According to statistics a person will begin using alcohol or drugs after experiencing trauma up to 76 percent of the time. It is important that people attending rehab have some type of trauma informed care to resolve the issues at the core of their addiction.
Treating Trauma and Addiction Problems
Because trauma and substance abuse are often related issues, it is much more effective to treat both of these problems simultaneously. In treatment, patients need therapists and health care providers who are aware of their traumatic past and can understand how it fits into the symptoms of their addiction. Trauma informed care has become a much more integral part of treatment because it offers patients a more holistic approach to their recovery.
Although trauma work is effective it can sometimes be difficult for the patient to face the many emotions that they may have been trying to escaping for years. Talking about experiencing trauma and reliving them is never easy. However, it is important to look back at the trauma and understand how it played a part into many of the problems that you deal with now.
People can recover from trauma and its effect on their lives even years after the event occurred. Traumatic reactions can be stored in the body and mind but with the right kind of therapy it is possible to finally process the trauma in a way that allows the patient to move on. Many types of trauma therapy can be effective including EMDR or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, psychodynamic therapy, brain spotting and mindfulness.
Treatment can incorporate each of these therapies in order to allow the patient to release the traumatic feelings that have been suppressed. Once it has been processed in treatment it can become much easier for patients to leave behind substance abuse and other issues that have been holding them back. Focusing on the traumatic experiences at the core of someone can be a powerful solution to their current problems.
If you have had issues of trauma in the past then they may be a key element in your issues with substance abuse or other behavioral problems. Getting help and treatment for your trauma can be a life-changing and positive experience that make it easier to cope with the stress of daily life. Contact a treatment center that offers trauma informed care for recovery for the help you need.
