Addiction Disorders
Treatment for trauma and recovery go hand in hand
There is often a connection between addiction (substance abuse problems, gambling, food, pornography/sex addiction) and trauma. It is common for individuals who have experienced trauma to look for ways to cope. Coping often means numbing out, escaping, or forgetting about the pain and distress that unprocessed trauma leaves us with. The problem with this solution is that these behaviors do not erase the traumatic memories and they live on in our thoughts, emotions, and our bodies. Addiction, also, increases the individual’s vulnerability to exposure to unsafe situations that could lead to more traumatic experiences. Over time, the addictive behaviors can create their own set of problems.
Historically, treatment for addiction consisted of a focus on the addictive behavior symptom and the need for abstinence before examining other co-existing issues, such as a history of trauma. This approach, however, leaves the individual vulnerable to the unprocessed trauma memories as they begin recovery, leading to early treatment drop out and relapse. Treating the trauma in conjunction with the addictive behaviors increases the individual’s chances of long-term successful recovery.