Living through traumatic events can often lead to people developing challenges with substance use. When attempting to recover, it’s essential to treat both problems simultaneously. At a dual-diagnosis rehab in Greenwich, you can find effective and integrated treatment options for both trauma and substance use.
The Science Connecting Trauma and Substance Use Disorders
Scientists have understood the connection between trauma and substance use disorders for a long time. The simplest way to see the connection between these two phenomena is to look at the prevalence of trauma disorders and substance use generally and how these two disorders overlap.
The most commonly researched traumatic disorder is known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In the United States, the lifetime prevalence of PTSD is approximately 6.8%.[1] However, when scientists investigate the rates of lifetime PTSD in people seeking treatment for substance use disorders, that number rises to 30-50%.[2]
The influence of substance use and trauma goes in both directions. People with PTSD are more likely to develop substance use disorders, and people with substance use disorders are more likely to develop PTSD.
Understanding why these effects happen requires a more careful investigation of trauma, how it affects people’s lives, and why people with trauma often turn to substance use.
Types of Trauma
Trauma has quickly risen to prominence as a significant contributing factor to people’s mental health. Still, there are several types of trauma and trauma-related disorders that can affect people’s lives and well-being.
Acute Trauma
Acute trauma is a collection of symptoms people experience shortly after a traumatic event. Importantly, it is not necessarily the event itself that can be traumatic. Instead, it’s how people respond to the event internally. Trauma is an internal phenomenon, not an external event.
Acute trauma can have a variety of symptoms, including:
- Feeling numb or detached
- Heightened anxiety
- Feelings of helplessness
- Intense fear
- Restlessness
Feeling these symptoms shortly after a traumatic event is an entirely normal reaction to a shocking and frightening situation. Acute trauma is not considered a mental health disorder, as it’s believed that anyone would react similarly to extreme conditions.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
If you have lived through a traumatic event but continue to feel lingering psychological effects for months or years, it might be a sign that you have developed PTSD. This mental health condition can be debilitating, causing symptoms such as:[3]
- Having flashbacks about the event
- Exaggerated startle responses
- Feeling as if you are constantly on guard
- Having difficulty sleeping
- Experiencing nightmares
- Sudden shifts in mood
- Becoming easily irritable
- Difficulty focusing or concentrating
People living with PTSD are often dealing with a sympathetic nervous system that cannot calm down. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the “fight-or-flight” response, which triggers a chain of physiological reactions that make people feel alert, on edge, and highly attuned to danger.
Your brain and body may become constantly vigilant for danger, even long after the traumatic event has passed.
Complex PTSD
Complex PTSD, or CPTSD, is a condition people may develop after sustained, repeated traumatic events. This could include living through situations such as:
- Sex trafficking
- Child abuse or neglect
- Kidnapping
- Torture
- Constant exposure to violence
People living with CPTSD often share many of the symptoms of PTSD. Still in addition, they may experience dissociative symptoms, chaotic relationships, rage or other emotional challenges, and several behavioral difficulties.
Why People Experiencing Trauma Turn to Substances
The negative experiences of living with trauma or traumatic disorders can be incredibly draining and disruptive. As a result, many people who have gone through traumatic experiences turn to drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism to help manage their symptoms and find relief.
While drugs or alcohol may provide a short-lived reprieve from trauma symptoms, they can quickly lead to a destructive downward spiral of addiction, worsening mental health outcomes, and more challenges to overcome.
Using drugs or alcohol to cope will often follow a similar pattern:
- Experiencing a negative symptom such as anxiety, fear, or mood swings
- Using drugs or alcohol to provide temporary relief for these symptoms
- When the effects of substance use wear off, symptoms return stronger than before
- More drugs or alcohol are used to deal with the greater symptoms, repeating indefinitely
This will often lead to the development of a co-occurring substance use disorder, which carries its own set of challenges and problems to be overcome. People will frequently start to face challenges with cravings, loss of interest in hobbies or activities, or giving up on essential responsibilities due to substance use — alongside their ongoing challenges with trauma or trauma disorders.
How a Dual-Diagnosis Rehab in Greenwich Can Help
A dual diagnosis rehab in Greenwich can provide specialized mental health and addiction treatment services to help people overcome the challenges of both these disorders simultaneously. Our rehab in Greenwich, CT, uses a wide variety of evidence-based treatment options to help people break free from addiction, recover from trauma, and start living a better life.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is a time-tested approach to helping people with both substance use disorders and breaking free from the symptoms of trauma. Working with a CBT therapist at our dual diagnosis rehabs in Greenwich can help you uncover the root cause of your mental health challenges, learn new and effective coping strategies, and conquer your substance use cravings.
Peer-to-Peer Support Groups
Social support is essential in recovering from both trauma and addiction. Starting treatment at our recovery center means you will join a group of people with similar challenges and experiences working together to achieve lasting recovery.
Family Counseling During Dual Diagnosis Rehab in Greenwich
Substance use and trauma don’t just affect a single person — they affect families, friends, and relationships. Our treatment program emphasizes the importance of bringing family into the trauma and addiction recovery process, helping people not only build a lasting base of support but to work through past hurts together.
Psychiatric Medication Given At Dual Diagnosis Rehab in Greenwich
When used in tandem with evidence-based talk therapy approaches, certain medications can make the process of achieving recovery from trauma and substance use disorders much easier. Our treatment center connects you directly with a trained medical provider to help determine what medication might be able to help in your recovery process.
Dual-Diagnosis Rehab in Greenwich: Connecticut Center for Recovery Can Help
Dual-diagnosis treatment is much more than simply adding mental health treatment alongside a substance use treatment program. At the Connecticut Center for Recovery, our team recognizes how each mental health challenge can affect your life and how they interact with each other on your journey to recovery.
When you are ready to begin receiving quality dual diagnosis care, reach out to our team online or by phone to learn more about our treatment facilities, treatment options, and what we have available to support you or your loved one on the journey toward recovery. Recovering from the effects of trauma and addiction isn’t always easy, but the life you build in recovery will be worth the effort.
Sources:
[1] https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd
[2] https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-36391-8_93
[3] https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/what/ptsd_basics.asp
Alexis earned both a B.S. in Psychology and a B.S. in Family and Child Sciences from Florida State University and an M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of San Diego. She holds licenses in Marriage and Family Therapy in Florida, Connecticut, and Massachusetts and is also a member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT).
Alexis works with families, couples, children, and groups and also has a sub-specialty in addiction and recovery. She utilizes an integrated, systemic approach to counseling; empowering people to define what is not working for them in their lives and to discover the possibilities for making life work. In doing this, clients are guided towards identifying their strengths, accessing their resources, tapping into their potential for success, and taking action toward achieving their desired goals.
Alexis also has extensive experience in the administration of behavioral health organizations. She has developed, built, and supervised several facilities encompassing all levels of care while leading them through state licensing and The Joint Commission accreditation process.
