What’s the Connection Between Addiction and Trauma?
Experiencing trauma requires us to develop coping mechanisms. When the way we cope with trauma is helpful and healthy for us, it’s called “Adaptive” coping. When the coping is harmful or leads to more problems, that kind of coping is called, “maladaptive”. One common way I’ve seen people cope with trauma is substance use.
Six in ten adults with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder eventually develop substance use disorders - this is that coping that leads to other problems. The cycle of trauma and addiction becomes self-perpetuating: trauma that leads to addiction usually leads to more traumatic experiences and addiction.
It can be hard for even teams of professionals to know what to treat first, addiction or trauma, and often the layers of both addiction and trauma can make it challenging for clients to feel hopeful about recovery from either addiction or trauma.
Thankfully, there are some simple ways to help you break-free from perfectionism and retrain your brain for an improved quality of life.
Understanding the connection between addiction and trauma can enhance the quality of addiction recovery counseling therapies and provide empowerment for individuals that are experiencing addiction to help choose the right path for their wellness.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Trauma comes in many forms:
Neglect at the hands of a parent, or partner, etc.
Physical assault
Sexual assault
Emotional abuse
Verbal abuse
Domestic violence
Terminal illness
Accidents
Natural disasters
Bullying or continued harassment
After experiencing trauma, it’s common to have behavioral or physiological symptoms as a result of a traumatic experience, such as:
Erratic behavior
Mood swings
Anxiety
Eating disorders
Relationship issues
Repeatedly reliving the traumatic event
These symptoms of trauma are where people find the need to cope with their new reality - post-trauma. After trauma, a person is looking for ways to feel “normal” and in-control of their own experiences. The decision to turn to substance use, including alcohol, street drugs, prescription medication, and over-the-counter medication, can begin as a way for a traumatized person to experience relief from their post-traumatic stress symptoms and feel how they want to feel in their minds and bodies. While therapy might be a better long-term option, substance use and addiction usually begins as a short-term relief for individuals.
Substance Use Disorders
When someone presents with a substance use disorder, it’s important to work with a therapist to explore the trauma history of the individual. Many folks that come to therapy for addiction-related reasons have unresolved or unacknowledged trauma. Once established that a client has a dual-diagnosis of substance use disorder and trauma, a client can be properly treated.
More and more therapists are becoming trauma-informed, and learning that addiction should not be treated as a stand-alone issue because it’s a symptom of trauma. Both issues of trauma and addiction need to be addressed and treated by a qualified therapist or counselor.
Become Trauma-Informed
If you or someone you love are experiencing addiction and want to learn trauma’s role in substance use disorders, I want to help. In addition to being a specialist in trauma recovery, I spent years working in addiction recovery and am a Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor through the Pennsylvania Certification Board. It can be hard to find a therapist that has the appropriate understanding of trauma’s impact on addiction and recovery, so please reach out today to schedule a good-fit call to see if I’m the right therapist to help you explore the trauma-addiction connection.
