How can we break the cycle of addiction and trauma? Ashley Rooks, Clinician of Substance Use Disorder Services at Diversus Health, addresses the topic of addiction and trauma, symptoms, and how to break the cycle.
Video Transcript:
Hello and welcome. Today I’m going to be talking about trauma and addiction.
Trauma and addiction are such important topics because these are mental health issues that are so pervasive and prevalent in our communities. According to the Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration, roughly 75-percent of women and men in substance use treatment report histories of abuse and trauma. Many times, childhood experiences of trauma lead people to seek substances as a way to cope with or numb traumatic symptoms. As a result, they often end up in situations in which they are traumatized again. This usually leads to feelings of fear, shame, dread, and anxiety, which creates a cycle of trauma and addiction that is difficult to break.
Being victimized as a child leads to attachment and trust issues, oftentimes leading to unhealthy relationship patterns.
How can we break the cycle of trauma and addiction?
Being a trauma-informed mental health agency is a great start to addressing the issues of trauma and addiction. However, oftentimes a trauma-related disorder or a substance use disorder gets neglected in treatment, while the focus remains on just one of these disorders. We need to be able to not only diagnose both of these mental health issues but treat both of them as well. This is why we offer a comprehensive program to address both addiction and trauma through the use of proven treatment modalities such as eye movement, desensitization, and reprocessing, or EMDR, and seeking safety curriculum.
Clients may use substances to find temporary relief from pain caused by traumatic experiences, but we are here to provide long-lasting relief to these clients.
*If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction and trauma, consider requesting an appointment to speak with one of our professional mental health providers at Diversus Health today. If you need immediate assistance, please call our crisis hotline at 844-493-8255, or text ‘TALK’ to 38255.