Trauma and addiction are often closely related, and according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, nearly 8 million adults in the United States suffer from both. Colorado ranks in the top 10 states for reports of trauma and addiction, making it an important state to recognize and address these issues.
Women’s Recovery in Colorado offers an integrated healing approach, combining addiction treatment and trauma therapy. They recognize the integral connection between the two and offer a trauma treatment program in Colorado to address both issues in tandem. Through individual counseling, therapy, support groups, and educational classes, clients receive the necessary tools to heal and move forward.
If you or someone you know requires help, Women’s Recovery can offer the support needed. Call 833.754.0554 today to learn more.
What Is Trauma and How Is It Connected to Addiction?
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration says that trauma is any event or circumstance experienced by an individual that leaves a lasting impact on mental, physical, social, or emotional well-being because it was either physically or emotionally harmful. The key here is an individual experience. Traumatization occurs in a single individual through stress, abuse, shock, or injury. Nobody else can fully understand or appreciate this experience, which is why many people turn to substance abuse as an answer to their trauma.
Clearly, there is a connection between trauma and addiction. Some experts go as far as to say that addiction is almost always a result of underlying trauma or a history of abuse. But what does this look like, and why are trauma and addiction so commonly two sides of the same coin?
A Holistic Perspective of Mental and Physical Health: Unresolved Trauma and Addiction
Dr. Gabor Maté is a Canadian physician with a focus on addiction and trauma. More than anything, Maté focuses on the connection between mental health and physical health. Before jumping into why trauma and addiction are so often inextricably connected, it is worthwhile to consider Dr. Gabor Maté’s holistic perspective. The physician focuses on helping people realize how their past abuse, injury, stress, or hurt has either caused or impacted their substance abuse and addiction.
“They didn’t know they were traumatized. They thought they were just addicts. They didn’t realize that they were using the addiction to soothe a deep pain that was rooted in trauma. Addiction is the person’s unconscious attempt to escape from the pain,” stated Dr. Maté.
In other words, addiction is often a response to past trauma—whether someone realizes it or not. Without making this connection between past hurt and substance abuse, it becomes much more difficult to treat the underlying addiction. Ideally, these specific connections between trauma and addiction can highlight how to recognize when past stress or abuse plays a role in substance abuse. These connections also show the importance of connecting trauma and substance abuse treatment.
Treatment for Trauma and Addiction in Denver, Colorado: Women’s Recovery
The connection between trauma and addiction is particularly concerning when considering women’s issues in recovery from addiction. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 80% of women in addiction treatment have reported a history of abuse or trauma. This highlights the importance of finding a women’s integrated treatment model.
At Women’s Recovery, we offer a variety of evidence-based therapies and holistic approaches to treat trauma and addiction in Colorado. Each client receives a tailored treatment plan that may include some or all of the following:
- Trauma release exercises (TRE)
- Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (TF-CBT)
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
Women’s Recovery in Colorado offers hope for anyone looking to recover from both the effects of addiction and the impact of past trauma—especially for trauma survivors and their relationships. Call 833.754.0554 or contact us online to learn more or to get started on the road to recovery.
