What Is Trauma Therapy?
Trauma is frequently misunderstood, as there are many types of trauma and it varies in the way it impacts individuals. Trauma can be both psychological and physical, and it can stem from one traumatic event or from a string of events taking place over years.
For example, trauma can stem from living through a violent crime or from being affected by a natural disaster. Though it lasted just a matter of hours or minutes, this event can be a defining moment for a person and their development. Alternatively, repetitive actions like experiencing domestic abuse or serving in the military can cause trauma and PTSD. Trauma can then lead to substance use disorders such as:
- Early alcohol usage: Trauma can lead to underage drinking, especially if the psychological harm is not addressed during youth.
- Higher risk of alcohol misuse in adulthood: Parental alcohol addiction, family dysfunction and child abuse correlate with a higher risk of alcohol misuse in adulthood.
- Early initiation of illicit drug use: Trauma can also increase the risk of early drug use and drug dependency.
While no rehab treatment can be completely effective for every patient, trauma therapy is often the ideal way to address addiction and trauma simultaneously, as it can mitigate the risk of relapse. If you struggle with trauma and substance misuse, you have co-occurring disorders, and trauma therapy will aim to resolve both. For an addiction recovery program to be effective and ensure maximum benefit, it needs to be founded on a comprehensive view of a person.
What Are the Benefits of Trauma Therapy for Addiction Treatment?
Healing from past trauma can provide emotional and even physical improvement to your quality of life. The following are some of the benefits of the trauma therapy for substance use program at Gateway Foundation of Bloomington, Illinois:
- You can shift your focus from your past to your present.
- You can overcome your addiction.
- You can face past trauma without getting stuck in the past.
- You can reclaim personal power.
- You can reduce or eradicate the symptoms of trauma.
- You can gain coping skills to help you prevent relapse.
- You can become more aware and knowledgeable about hereditary trauma.
- You can improve your daily functioning, including the regulation of your nervous system.
