Addiction is a complex topic, and the people who face challenges with substance abuse understand that better than anyone. Many wonder whether outpatient treatment can help. Fortunately, this method has a proven track record because outpatient treatment programs reframe how individuals think about addiction.
Additionally, the support from these programs assists participants in overcoming trauma and tying that victory into sobriety. Many people do not understand just how deeply trauma can affect them or whether they have suffered trauma at all. In reality, studies repeatedly show that a history of one or more traumatic events is highly correlated with addiction to substances.
By understanding how trauma recovery is tied to long-term sobriety, outpatient treatment participants can work to heal their past pain and find success in their recovery.
Understanding Latent Trauma
Trauma is a broad term defining any of an almost incalculable number of events or circumstances that may cause severe distress. The body’s survival mechanisms tend to remember such events, often in vivid detail, leading to people experiencing lasting consequences from that exposure.
It is common to assume that because a traumatic event occurred long in the past, it has no further bearing on the present. However, unresolved trauma can continue to inform a person’s decisions and may destabilize their emotional regulation and mental well-being.
From facing unexpected flashbacks to never fully regaining emotional stability following the incident, there are many potential long-term consequences.
Studies repeatedly show that individuals who suffered trauma in the past were more likely to experience depression and anxiety, and over time, fewer than a quarter went on to fulfill the criteria for normal resiliency against stressors.
The Correlation Between Trauma and Addiction
Trauma and addiction may not seem to be related on the surface, but they are closely correlated. The following are some of the areas in which this connection is most evident:
Relief as the goal
Individuals may seek relief from the residual effects of trauma, such as anxiety, through substance use.
Emotional dysregulation
Trauma can interrupt healthy emotional processing, leading to challenges in making healthy decisions.
Mirroring
Some people, either intentionally or unintentionally, repeat their trauma because they do not know how to navigate life with a different strategy. For example, individuals who grow up with a parent suffering from addiction may eventually copy this behavior. The good news is that just as trauma is closely tied with addiction, recovering from that trauma is associated with sobriety.
By healing and processing unresolved traumatic events, an individual can make large strides toward sobriety from addiction as well. Thus, the best outpatient treatment programs focus on the whole person, not just their reliance on a substance.
Resolution and Sobriety
One of the cornerstones of effective outpatient treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy. This method of reworking thought patterns can not only help with addiction but also with the resolution of trauma. Those who gradually learn to process their trauma and heal from it see improved outcomes that translate directly to success with addiction recovery. For instance:
- By mitigating the physical reactions to the trauma, such as insomnia, they can live a healthier life that leaves more room for hobbies and community, which supports freedom from a substance.
- By seeking help for the mental health challenges created by the trauma, they reduce their reliance on a substance as a coping mechanism for the symptoms of that emotional wound.
- By understanding the alterations to the brain’s chemical makeup due to trauma, they can better understand how to generate positive responses in the brain’s reward and pleasure centers without using a substance.
- By learning to identify and control the brain’s thought patterns post-trauma, they can reduce self-defeating thought processes that may lead them back toward addictive behaviors.
These are just a few of the many ways that healing past pain supports current and future sobriety. When a person’s entire experience is part of the puzzle of recovery, the results are more likely to last so that patients can avoid relapse and go on to live the life they have always wanted. In addition, processing trauma can improve other areas of life besides substance use, such as mental health, physical wellness, and even socialization.
Reach Out to Washington DC’s Addiction Outpatient Treatment Experts
Trauma can be a major challenge, especially when left unresolved. Someone who is struggling with substance use as a result of trauma is not weak, and they are not beyond help or hope. The team at Aquila Recovery Clinic is always happy to welcome those who are still struggling with the effects of trauma, whether it happened recently or decades ago.
Even seemingly minor events can have a big impact on a person’s long-term wellness, and we are eager to help you overcome these challenges, big or small. If you or someone you know would benefit from help, not just with addiction but with the trauma that may contribute to it, contact Aquila Recovery Clinic today!