When your safety, health, or dignity has been compromised, you can experience a long-lasting negative impact. In turn, you may suffer from anxiety, depression, or a trauma-related mental health condition like PTSD. As a result, you may end up turning to drugs or alcohol to self-medicate the symptoms of your condition. This dramatically increases the odds that addiction will occur. Women suffering from trauma and addiction often require professional help from a women’s trauma treatment program.
Although trauma often happens during childhood, many people carry the effects of trauma with them into adulthood. The symptoms of trauma play out over the years, causing victims to struggle in almost every area of their lives. However, trauma victims can learn to overcome their traumatic experiences and lead happy, healthy lives with the proper treatment. This is the goal of trauma treatment.
Why Is Trauma Treatment Needed?
Trauma is an emotional or psychological response to a disturbing event. Affected people experience this event, which is usually violent or otherwise deeply distressing. The event can compromise your sense of safety or self-respect. Over time, it can also diminish your ability to function at work, school, or home.
Trauma affects people in different ways. Some people can experience a traumatic event and adjust their lives accordingly without emotional scars. Others are deeply affected and need professional help to recover.
Several forms of mental illness are linked to serious trauma exposure. The most prominent of these illnesses is PTSD or posttraumatic stress disorder. Some of the core symptoms of PTSD include:
- Heightened emotional sensitivity and emotional reactions
- A negative outlook on yourself, others, or the world in general
- Powerful urges to avoid anything that reminds you of your trauma
- Unwanted thoughts, dreams, or memories of a traumatic event
The illness can also increase your chances of developing an eating disorder or a substance use disorder. In addition, it can lead to emotional outbursts, serious relationship problems, paranoia, and trust issues.
Unfortunately, women often experience traumatic events that increase the risks of these problems. Failing to seek help in a women’s trauma treatment may actually reduce your chances of recovering a sense of well-being.
The Relationship Between Addiction and Trauma
Sexual assault, natural disasters, physical abuse, and other traumas can create more pain than you can handle. Professional treatment helps you overcome this pain. However, if left untreated, a trauma-related condition can drive a person to drink or take drugs as an escape. By definition, this is a form of substance abuse. If it goes on long enough, dependency and addiction can easily occur.
This helps explain why addiction and trauma-related mental illnesses often occur together. When this happens, the result is called dual diagnosis. As the name suggests, a dual diagnosis is two diagnosable problems occurring simultaneously, not just addiction or trauma. It is essential to treat the two simultaneously as they are often linked, and one condition will influence the other.
Getting Help for Combined Addiction and Trauma
An addiction program in CO that includes dual diagnosis treatment addresses both addiction and any mental health disorder. Comprehensive care for addiction and trauma may involve the following:
- Full detox facilities
- Outpatient treatment program
- Sober living houses
- Holistic treatment
- Evidence-based therapy
With the right trauma treatment program, it is possible to manage the symptoms of PTSD while recovering from drug or alcohol addiction. The same holds true for any other combination of addiction and a trauma-related condition. A treatment specialist can work with a client to identify co-occurring disorders and develop an appropriate treatment plan that includes detox, rehab, and aftercare.
The Role of Women’s Trauma Treatment
Women’s treatment programs target the issues that are specific to women. Why is this important? Women have higher chances of developing PTSD. In addition, their triggering traumatic experiences are often different from those experienced by men. Furthermore, women may need additional services not usually found in a mixed-gender treatment program.
In a program focused on their unique situations, women receive care that meets their needs. They also learn to cope with their condition while drawing support and accountability from their peers. Therapy is commonly used in both individual and group settings.
Learn More About Addiction and Trauma at Women’s Recovery
If you would like to learn more about trauma and addiction, just call Women’s Recovery at 833.754.0554. We offer comprehensive care for all types of addictions and mental disorders at our addiction program in CO. To find out more about your treatment options, contact us today. We can help you get on the path to recovery.
