Therapists, addiction experts, and researchers have documented the connection between trauma and addictive behavior. Trauma can mean different things to different people. Most commonly trauma falls into one of these categories:

• Child abuse survivor
• Intimate partner violence survivor
• Car accident survivor
• Bullying
• Terrorism survivor
• Sexual assault survivor
• Witnessing a loved one’s illness or death
• Having direct knowledge of the trauma of a loved one

Experiencing trauma can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD can cause serious complications in the form of nightmares, heightened startle response, depression, anxiety, and many more life-altering symptoms. Survivors of trauma are more likely to use alcohol and drugs to cope with the effects of trauma.

Just because you have experienced trauma, does not mean that you are doomed. There is hope for you to be able to enjoy your life again. You most definitely can enjoy recovery and heal from the past. Moving beyond trauma and trauma symptoms takes work, understanding, and patience.

Trauma sensitive treatment is incredibly important for your treatment. There is decades worth of research that verifies that in order to treat addiction, you must treat the whole person. For many people, trauma is interwoven in their addiction. Without addressing and healing the trauma, long term recovery may be impossible or very difficult to obtain.

Trauma sensitive treatment may mean therapy. Trauma therapy is unique and intimate. Your therapist may use several different techniques during your work together. Common types of trauma treatment include:

• Yoga
• Mindfulness
• EMDR
• DBT and CBT

Your therapist may recommend using acupuncture or massage therapy to supplement your treatment. Memories are not only stored in the mind. Your body and muscles retain memories. Acupuncture and massage therapy help treat the somatic aspects of trauma.

Surviving trauma does not make you weak. Being a trauma survivor means that you are strong. You just need to work through it, heal, and implement a lot of self care. The Kimberly Center has experts who can help you treat the trauma and substance abuse connection.

At The Kimberly Center, we care about your recovery from substances and trauma. Contact us now at 855-4-KCENTER to learn more about what treatment involves for you. We are committed to helping you heal and progress one day at a time. At the Kimberly Center, you can trust that you are in safe hands.