Trauma-Informed Care in Addiction Treatment
Stress is part of life. While most people can manage their daily stressors, some stressful events can leave a lasting impact on a person’s mind and body.
Trauma is an emotional response to an intensely stressful event. People with untreated trauma may be more likely to develop substance use disorder. Those with trauma and substance use disorder (SUD) require specialized treatment programs to address both conditions.
This article will explore trauma-informed addiction treatment programs. You will learn:
- The symptoms of trauma
- The connection between trauma and substance abuse
- What to expect in trauma-informed addiction treatment programs
- Where to find comprehensive mental health and addiction treatment
If you or someone you love struggles with trauma and substance use, you are not alone. Find effective, trauma-informed addiction treatment at Blue Star Recovery. Contact our intake team to learn more about our programs or to schedule an intake appointment.
Trauma is an emotional and physical response to a frightening or highly stressful event. Traumatic events include single events or prolonged exposure to intensely stressful situations.
When people experience a single instance of intense stress or prolonged exposure to highly stressful events, they may develop lasting emotional and physical effects.
Some examples of experiences that may be traumatic include:
- Experiencing childhood neglect or abuse
- Being the victim of a crime or community violence
- Surviving a natural disaster, such as an earthquake, hurricane,
- Serious accidents
- Severe injuries or medical issues
- Living in a war zone
- Experiencing or witnessing interpersonal violence
- The death of a loved one
These and other events may cause changes in the brain and body. These changes may have a lasting impact on a person’s health and well-being.
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Recognizing the Symptoms of Trauma
People who have experienced trauma may not be readily able to identify the source of it. They may live with unexplained symptoms. In other cases, people may have vivid memories and complex feelings about a specific event.
People who have experienced trauma may live with disruptive symptoms that include:
- Intrusive memories of the traumatic event
- Avoidance of people, places, or things related to the event
- Changes in their thoughts and beliefs
- Changes in how they feel and react
Here is a deeper look at the long-term symptoms of trauma by type.
Symptoms of intrusive thoughts related to trauma include:
- Frequently thinking about a traumatic experience
- Feeling as though they are re-living the traumatic experience
- Having vivid dreams or nightmares about the traumatic event
- Having severe distress or intense emotional reactions to things related to the event
Symptoms of trauma-related avoidance include:
- Refusing to think or talk about the traumatic event
- Avoiding anything–people, activities, places–that remind them of the traumatic event
Symptoms may include:
- Having more negative thoughts about other people, self, or the world
- Developing a sense of hopelessness about the world or the future
- Finding it challenging to make and keep healthy relationships with others
- Feelings of detached or emotionally numb
- Finding it difficult to feel or express happiness, pleasure, or contentment
- Forgetting things related to the traumatic event
People may experience:
- Feeling tense, overly alert, or constantly on the lookout for threats
- Becoming angry or aggressive more often
- Having trouble falling asleep, waking up too early, or sleeping much more than usual
- Drinking or using drugs to cope with difficult emotions
- Becoming startled easily
- Heavy feelings of guilt, shame, or worthlessness
What is the Connection Between Trauma and Substance Abuse?
People who experience trauma may have symptoms that overwhelm their coping skills. Some people turn to drugs or alcohol for relief from the physical and emotional pain of trauma.
Using drugs or alcohol as a coping mechanism is a form of self-medication. Self-medicating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or the effects of trauma can lead to physical dependence or substance use disorder.
People who live with substance use disorder (SUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) require comprehensive trauma and addiction treatment. Mental health and medical professionals may use a trauma-informed approach to providing treatment for co-occurring disorders.
What is Trauma-Informed Care?
Trauma-informed care (TIC) is an approach to healthcare and social services that recognizes the widespread impact of trauma and prioritizes safety, trust, and empowerment in treatment. Instead of asking, “What’s wrong with you?” trauma-informed care shifts the focus to “What happened to you?”
This approach is especially important in addiction treatment, mental health care, and services for survivors of abuse, ensuring that individuals receive compassionate and effective support.
Principles of Trauma-Informed Addiction Treatment
Many medical and mental health providers implement trauma-informed treatment when working with people with substance abuse and mental health treatment. Here are some of the principles of trauma-informed care.
Providers work intentionally to build trust with their clients. They do so by being open, honest, and consistent in their communication and interactions.
Seeking safety is an evidence-based aspect of trauma-informed care. This approach requires providers to prioritize their client’s emotional and physical safety at every treatment step.
Trauma-informed treatment programs involve clients in decision-making and encourage them to actively participate in their care. Providers also respect clients’ autonomy at every stage of their recovery process.
Trauma-informed providers consider and respect their clients’ culture, age, gender, and other factors when providing care. Providers understand how culture and other demographics can impact how people work through trauma and address substance use disorder.
Trauma-focused addiction treatment is not a one-size-fits-all process. Instead, it actively empowers clients and offers tailored care to help people as they work toward their goals.
Using these skills, trauma-informed providers offer evidence-based therapies to address mental health and substance use, including:
- Medication management and medical care
- Behavioral therapies, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Individual counseling
- Support groups
- Family education and counseling
- Relapse prevention education
- Individualized mental health treatment
- Coping skills
- Holistic therapies like art, exercise, mindfulness, nutrition support, and more
- Aftercare planning and support programs
People typically receive intensive trauma therapy in addiction treatment. This type of therapy can help people to identify and process trauma, allowing people to move forward.
Find Trauma-Informed Addiction Treatment Now
If you or someone you love struggles with substance use disorder or trauma, you are not alone. Reach out to the Blue Star Recovery specialists to learn more about our trauma-informed addiction treatment programs.
References:
- National Institute of Health (NIH): Understanding the Impact of Trauma
- American Psychological Association (APA): Trauma
- International Journal of Emergency Medicine: Trauma-informed care (TIC) best practices for improving patient care in the emergency department
