Past traumatic events can lead to substance use as a way to ease the emotional or physical pain. While in treatment, a person needs to work through past trauma to identify what contributed to his or her addiction and reveal any mental health conditions that may have developed. Healing from past trauma helps a person set the foundation for a balanced, confident, and rejuvenated lifestyle.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, “Trauma means experiencing, witnessing, or being threatened with an event or events that involve actual serious injury, a threat to the physical integrity of one’s self or others, or possible death. The responses to these events include intense fear, helplessness, or horror.”
People who experienced past trauma turn to drugs or alcohol as a coping mechanism. The US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of health states, “Exposure to traumatic experiences, especially those occurring in childhood, has been linked to substance use disorders (SUDs), including abuse and dependence.”
Childhood trauma can put a person at risk of developing a substance addiction or harmful addictive behavior. Childhood trauma can lead to deeper, more intense psychological trauma. When a child goes through traumatic events without resolve, he or she experiences fear, helplessness, anxiety, and despair that carries over to adulthood.
Childhood trauma can be caused by:
- Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse
- Neglect
- Violent environment
- Loss of a parent
- Serious illness
Working through past trauma helps you understand why you developed an addiction and reveals any mental health conditions that contributed to the addiction. When you identify the cause, you can learn more about yourself and get the right treatment for past trauma and addiction or addictive behavior.
Past trauma leads to depression, anxiety, and fear. Many people turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with distressing feelings from traumatic experiences. Using substances is harmful to your physical and mental health, resulting in addiction and puts you at high risk of overdose or early death.
Trauma and addiction are treatable. The approach for treatment encompasses other factors that contribute to the addiction or addictive behavior. This includes working on past trauma and substance use disorders as a dual diagnosis. Do not live in fear from past trauma. Get help today.
Cypress Lake Recovery offers treatment for addiction in a peaceful, remote, oxygen-rich environment. The program encompasses holistic addiction therapy for the mind, body, and soul. The focus is on physical, mental, and emotional well-being by generating the balance of life-enriching treatment, wellness, and healthy, sober, sustainable relationships. Call us to get started: 409-331-2204
