How Trauma Therapy Can Help With Addiction

How Trauma Therapy Can Help With Addiction

People who experience severe trauma or have PTSD are at a higher risk of addiction and often face problems with substance abuse. It’s common for people to try and calm their brains and tackle trauma symptoms by turning to self-medication, but this is a dangerous road. While substances can take away pain and create a feeling of relief, relying on them for comfort can turn into dependency fast.

Understanding the connection and crossover between trauma and addiction is an integral part of recovery. Many people navigating addiction benefit from trauma therapy. This tailored approach and its focus on the overlap between trauma and addiction can create positive change.    

What is trauma?

Trauma is the emotional response following a distressing life event. This event could be a crime, abuse, war, neglect, natural disaster, assault, or an accident, among other things. One person could experience an event like this, process it, and move on, while another is left with lasting psychological trauma. Trauma affects mental health, physical health, emotional health, and overall well-being. 

Around 70% of people across the world experience a potentially traumatic event at some point in life. It can harm people no matter their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, or socioeconomic status. 

Understanding the connection between trauma and addiction is essential.

Those who experience a traumatic event and carry the symptoms of trauma through their daily lives are at a heightened risk of developing substance use disorders. The main reason this increase is seen comes from the common desire to self-medicate as a way to cope with these intense feelings. When a person starts to rely on drugs to feel temporary moments of peace and ease their emotional pains, this often leads to addiction.

The LGBTQ+ community faces a high risk of trauma. 

Trauma doesn’t discriminate. It affects all sorts of people for a variety of reasons, but those in the LGBTQ+ community face many struggles that can lead down this road. It’s common for this community to be surrounded by bullies who say or do mean things. 

Growing up in a world that forces people to conform to binary gender roles is harmful to trans and non-binary individuals. Having to show up every day as an unauthentic version of yourself and hide who you are is traumatic. Being forced to dress and style your hair a certain way is hard enough, but needing to constantly mask your identity, control your mannerisms, and tailor your interests can lead to developmental trauma. 

Those who identify as LGBTQ+ face other unique traumas. Societal trauma is common for LGBTQ+ individuals but looks different from person to person. One may have been raised attending a church that wasn’t accepting and filled with harmful rhetoric. Another may have parents who believe in conversion therapy or disown their child based solely on this one part of their identity. Feeling rejected and isolated in everyday life is expected in the LGBTQ+ community, especially in earlier years. 

The trauma inflicted on the LGBTQ+ community can result in anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, self-harm, and substance abuse. Many will turn to drugs as a way to cope with this intense physical, mental, and emotional damage. 

What is trauma therapy? 

Trauma affects countless people from all walks of life and can be caused by a range of events. When trauma becomes too much to process or has led to an addiction, trauma therapy can help. This is a form of talk therapy and is sometimes referred to as trauma-informed care or trauma-informed therapy. This type of therapy helps a person cope with the emotional response caused by a traumatic event. 

It’s common for people to avoid processing their trauma. It seems easier to push down the experience and the emotions attached than to come to terms with what happened. Drugs are a common way for people to do this. Trauma therapy helps people visit their traumatic experiences in a safe environment and with guidance from a professional.

LGBTQ+-specific trauma therapy is beneficial in recovery.

LGBTQ+ trauma therapy can be life-changing. This type of therapy helps in the process of unpacking trauma and understanding what caused the addiction. Trauma therapy helps a person navigate other routes to deal with this heavy emotional weight. Therapy helps one process their emotions and past experiences and is an essential step in dealing with trauma and healing. Trauma therapy also helps one learn new coping skills, aiding recovery.

Therapists who understand LGBTQ-related trauma are able to identify the root cause of clients’ specific issues, which aids in treatment planning and creates a healthy environment for healing. The strong team at Pride Detox is skilled in trauma-informed care and can aid you in your recovery journey. Here, you’ll have access to specific LGBTQ+ healing therapy, social interventions, and more. Call us now at 1-562-525-5501.