Originally, trauma-informed care was a treatment framework for just treating trauma. It focuses on understanding, diagnosing and responding to different kinds of trauma. Through this kind of program, survivors gain a new sense of empowerment.
How Trauma-Informed Care Works
Today, trauma-informed care is a part of many kinds of treatment programs. Advanced, holistic rehabs include this type of treatment option along with frameworks like dual diagnosis care. By getting the right kind of treatment, individuals can achieve the best chances of becoming sober.
One of the reasons why a trauma therapy program works for addictions is because of the nature of trauma. Sometimes, people use drugs or alcohol to self-medicate for the depression, grief and negative emotions that stem from the trauma. This is one of the reasons why people are more likely to develop an addiction after a history of trauma or childhood abuse.
If someone is self-medicating after a traumatic experience, they need a new way to cope with their negative emotions. Otherwise, they may feel an urge to use drugs again to deal with the negative feelings that return. A high-quality rehab will offer addiction therapy services that help clients recover from traumatic experiences and mental health disorders.
Getting Help for Trauma During Treatment
With addiction treatment, trauma-informed care plays a supporting role during the recovery process. This kind of program is critical because alcoholism and drug addiction can have traumatic effects on the individual. With a trauma-informed approach, individuals get the right help in overcoming the behavioral, mental, social and physical barriers that prevent them from staying sober.
This kind of program focuses on the consequences of trauma and how understanding trauma helps individuals heal from an addiction. While the therapist may focus on traumatic experiences that fuel addiction, they also help with trauma that stems from substance abuse behaviors as well. With trauma-informed care, treatment centers work to recognize the symptoms of trauma within everyone who is a part of the program.
Traumatic events can come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some people go through a natural disaster, physical abuse or a car accident. Other instances of trauma include things like suffering bodily harm or being the victim of sexual abuse. In some cases, witnessing someone else’s trauma can also be a traumatic experience.
The human mind has problems processing this kind of event. Even if someone tries to forget about it, the trauma can leave a lasting effect. Ultimately, the individual may try to self-medicate for the emotional pain through drugs, food, alcohol, working excessively or other behaviors. Any incidence of trauma can lead to an addiction, which is one of the reasons why trauma-informed care is so important during treatment.
Picking the Right Addiction Treatment Program
With so many addiction treatment services, finding the right program can seem daunting. Many clients benefit from options like a female-only program because it provides a supportive, gender-specific environment. Depending on the individual’s addiction history, they may also want options like aftercare programs. Through the right treatment program, individuals can find treatment choices such as:
- Trauma therapy
- Dual diagnosis
- Experiential therapy
- Outdoor activities like horseback riding, gardening, and hiking
- Yoga and meditation
- Acupuncture
- Service work
If you are struggling to become sober, you do not have to go through treatment alone. At the Willows, addictions specialists are redefining clinical treatment through programs like service work, relationship building, and trauma-informed treatment. To discover more information about the Willows at Red Oak Recovery and how we can help your recovery plan, call us today at 855.773.0614.
