Researchers have a growing understanding of the role that trauma plays for individuals struggling with substance abuse. Deep-seated reactions to incidents involving violence, war, disaster, the death of someone close to you, or other difficult moments can drive individuals to drink or use drugs. In such cases, you will want to make sure treatment involves the principles of trauma-informed care.
Trauma-informed care is an approach that recognizes the impact of trauma on the whole person. In connection with trauma therapy, counselors work with you to address how trauma drives your behavior and help you craft a better future.
What Is Trauma-Informed Care?
Understanding trauma plays an important role in the treatment of substance abuse. Evidence suggests that many turn to drugs and alcohol due to traumatic experiences in their lives, be it the loss of a loved one, physical or sexual abuse, exposure to violence, or other circumstances.
Trauma-informed care recognizes that traumatic events are often deep-seated and long-lasting and must be addressed during therapy.
In trauma-informed care, therapists are careful not to re-traumatize by inadvertently getting the person to relive the trauma. Trauma-informed care only works by establishing an environment of safety and security and by letting the individual know they have control.
Trauma therapy has proven to be a very significant factor in the success of substance abuse treatment. Find out more about it today by contacting Georgia Addiction Treatment Center.
Other Types of Therapy for Substance Abuse
Trauma-informed care is only one way of approaching therapy sessions in substance abuse. The therapy phase in drug and alcohol treatment involves discussions with counselors, both individually and as part of a group, about the circumstances that led to substance abuse.
A prime focus of therapy sessions is on developing coping skills to resist substance abuse challenges for the future.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT, is a common approach in substance abuse therapy. CBT sessions seek to help a person reframe how they see the world and how they act or react to situations they face in daily life.
Trauma-informed care may incorporate aspects of CBT. Discuss the different approaches to therapy with your counselor.
Before and After Counseling
Therapy, including trauma-informed care, is only one step toward recovery from substance abuse. Treatment for abuse of drugs or alcohol involves an integrated set of steps.
Before you get to addiction therapy, you will receive a thorough physical and psychological exam to establish a baseline for your health. This gives your care team the information they need to develop a comprehensive treatment plan. After the assessment, your first step is medical detox or detoxification. At this stage, you will be asked to step down from your use of drugs and alcohol — gradually and carefully. You will do so under the supervision of doctors, who can watch for any adverse reactions in the withdrawal phase. The next step is counseling, followed by the aftercare phase. In aftercare, you are offered resources to help lower the risk of relapse. The entire treatment plan is grounded in trauma-informed care.
Addressing Trauma at Georgia Addiction Treatment Center
Traumatic incidents can have a lasting impact on our lives. It might not even be apparent to you that the pain of trauma continues to linger. Unfortunately, for too many people, one of the ways of coping with trauma is to turn to drugs and alcohol. In the process of recovery from addiction, you may come across a need for trauma-informed care. At Georgia Addiction Treatment Center, we’re careful and sensitive about everything we do. We’re an outpatient facility that treats substance abuse and process addictions as well as co-occurring disorders.
We maintain an accredited staff of doctors and therapists who believe in and rely on evidence-based treatment for your care. With us, you are an individual, and we will work hard to help you return to sobriety. All the while, we will keep you safe, secure, and comfortable, with your privacy intact. Break free from addiction and seek the best trauma-informed care you can find. Contact Georgia Addiction Treatment Center at [Direct] for an initial consultation today.
