Trauma and Addiction Treatment
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It’s natural to try and categorize cause and effect when faced with difficult circumstances. When things go wrong, we want to know why, and understand who or what to blame. But in many cases, it’s difficult or downright impossible to blame a single cause. It’s important to keep that in mind when discussing the link between trauma and substance use.
We at Coastwise approach trauma-related mental health issues with co-occurring substance use disorders through a combination of individualized outpatient treatment plans, and a long-term after care program that helps clients foster and nurture their personal support systems, reach out to mental health resources in the community, and regain their mental resilience.
Exploring the Relationship Between Trauma and Addiction
Traumatic experiences are single events or a series of events that leave a lasting effect on a person’s mental health. Modern research reveals that traumatic experiences can even change the way the brain works, affecting a person’s ability to perceive and appropriately respond to signs of danger or stress.
In effect, trauma can cause a person to experience greater levels of anxiety, even in calm or safe situations. Unresolved or untreated trauma can make life more difficult. Lack of resilience against mental stressors can be a powerful risk factor for substance use disorders, or addiction.
Substance use disorders can correlate with traumatic experiences for multiple reasons. Symptoms of a trauma-related mental health issue can increase the risk of drug use and addiction. Drug use can put people in compromising situations, where they are more vulnerable to traumatic events. Furthermore, there are coexisting factors that affect both drug use and mental resilience to trauma.
Trauma itself is not a mental health condition, but it is an element of different diagnoses. PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) is the most common, and the most encompassing. Most other trauma conditions defined by the DSM-5 relate to young children, or symptoms that are not included under a case of PTSD, such as:
Acute stress disorder:
: whereas a post-traumatic stress disorder requires symptoms that last for weeks after trauma, acute stress disorder is characterized by mental health symptoms occurring in the days after a traumatic event, lasting no more than a month. Some people who experience acute stress disorder may still develop PTSD later on, especially without treatment.
Adjustment disorder:
characterized by long-term emotional or behavioral changes after a big and sudden life change, such as a death in the family, divorce, or even job loss. An adjustment disorder might look like an intense bout of anxiety or depression, triggered by change.
Complex PTSD:
: while not recognized as a diagnosis under the DSM-5, complex PTSD is recognized internationally as distinct from PTSD, and is characterized by long-term suppressed or unresolved trauma resulting in problems with self-identity, emotional regulation, and interpersonal relationships.
Disinhibited social engagement disorder:
a childhood disorder that develops after a traumatic event where children stop reacting appropriately to strangers. Most children develop a rational wariness of unknown people early on in their mental development – however, neglect or abuse can cause children to lose their social inhibition or natural social boundaries, making them prone to wandering off with strangers, and leaving home frequently.
Reactive attachment disorder:
a condition usually diagnosed in children under 5 years old, it’s characterized by strange and antisocial behavior after experiencing abuse. Symptoms include childhood depression and violent outbursts against figures of authority.
Unspecified trauma- and stressor-related disorders:
a catch-all term for trauma cases that include symptoms that would require a mental health diagnosis but haven’t yet or can’t be categorized into an existing definition.
Addressing and treating trauma with addiction requires a multipronged, integrative approach, as opposed to separate treatment methods, or successive treatments that address one, then the other. We at Coastwise combine different treatment modalities in our outpatient programs to help clients who struggle with trauma-related disorders and addiction.
Treatment Approaches for Trauma and Addiction
Integrative and holistic treatment: what does that mean? It means that an effective treatment plan must combine elements from different modalities and focus on treating the individual, rather than their symptoms or disorders.
At Coastwise, trauma therapy centers around integrative treatments that help people regulate their responses to triggering stimuli and improve their emotional control. An integrative approach to trauma can be crucial here. Integrative treatments for trauma related mental health conditions may involve combining a stringent outpatient protocol for drug rehab with regular trauma-sensitive therapy sessions, utilizing talk therapy methods that specialize in addressing trauma.
Holistic treatment means tackling different elements of a person’s life during treatment. Therapy is important, but a holistic approach would also try to improve a client’s coping mechanisms, address lifestyle habits that might be counterproductive to long-term recovery and promote social skill-building to salvage old relationships with friends and family. Our treatment approaches for trauma and addiction at Coastwise include:
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
- Trauma Informed Therapy
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
- Family Systems Therapy
- Mindfulness Training
- Gentle Yoga
- Meditation Training
- And more.
Aftercare and Extended Support with Coastwise
Treatment for addiction starts with detoxification and rehab – but it doesn’t end there. Our intensive outpatient programs serve as a springboard towards long-term recovery.
We encourage building a solid repertoire for relapse prevention, stress management, and long-term sobriety through our after care and extended support here at Coastwise. We help connect clients with counselors or therapists for ongoing treatment, and refer them to local community resources for continued support after treatment completion.
Get Started With Us at Coastwise
Wounds heal with time, but some wounds heal incorrectly. Left unaddressed, trauma-related symptoms can worsen over time, while simultaneously robbing you of the quality of life you deserve. Furthermore, cases of addiction complicated by trauma symptoms often require specialized treatment.
We at Coastwise are equipped to help our clients through integrative treatment strategies, and a team that specializes in co-occurring disorders. Get in touch with us today to learn more about our treatment modalities, and how we can help you or your loved one.