Trauma is an emotional response to experiencing a major negative event or events, such as a natural disaster, sexual abuse, combat exposure, or the sudden loss of a loved one (to name a few). In the face of trauma, individuals can develop any number of symptoms that impact their ability to live their lives the way they want.

When someone experiences trauma, they often find themselves left picking up the pieces of the experience and trying to move on. For some, moving on after trauma can feel near impossible because of the presence of symptoms such as the following:

• Denial
• Shock
• Problems concentrating
• Anxiety
• Fear
• Hypervigilance
• Guilt or shame
• Withdrawing from others
• Feelings of helplessness
• Feeling disconnected

In some instances, individuals experiencing the effects of trauma take matters into their own hands and attempt to self-soothe. Unfortunately, this is one of the many reasons why those dealing with untreated trauma turn to drugs and alcohol.

On average, roughly 20-40% of individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a substance abuse problem. That means that almost one quarter to one half of all individuals who develop PTSD in the face of one or more traumatic events turns to drugs or alcohol to cope with the lasting effects of it. And, despite their being several treatment resources to address the impact of trauma, many people continue to drink and do drugs to self-medicate. But why?

For starters, posttraumatic stress disorder is technically an anxiety disorder. This means that those who have it are dealing with symptoms such as being on edge and having excessive worries. These two symptoms alone can make drugs and alcohol look highly appealing, as getting high or drunk can easily take away those unpleasant feelings. In addition, attempting to carry on with a normal, everyday life when symptoms such as problems concentrating and difficulty making decisions are in the way can make even the simplest things seem challenging. Drugs and alcohol have long been known for their ability to mask painful feelings and experiences, and those with PTSD or those who struggle with the impacts of trauma are no exception. PTSD rehab centers near you specialize in understanding the trauma that led to substance abuse and treat both simultaneously.

Clients in the Trauma Therapy Program may be treated with specific pharmacotherapy when appropriate for managing disruptive symptoms of the trauma. This includes any medication treatment that will be appropriately identifies by the treatment team to treat any possible diagnosis such as Depressions, Anxiety, PTSD, and more.

Additional treatment may include the following:

• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing
• Therapeutic Groups and individual sessions using evidence-based behavior therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy to address parenting, trauma, chronic pain, depression, relapse, grief, and loss, among others.
• Other important topics may include grounding skills, anger management, boundaries, Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART), and more.
• DreamLife Recovery uses research-supported strategies for enhancing and sustaining physiological self-regulation for trauma stabilization including yoga, mindfulness exercises, adventure therapy, meditation, reiki and much more.

For those interesting to learn more about the DreamLife Recovery Trauma Program and process, please contact our team today.