Trauma and Addiction
Trauma and addiction are two sides of the same coin, where trauma happens first, leading to addiction. According to addictions statistics in the US, seven in a group of ten adults experienced traumatic occurrences at one point in their lives. As a result, about twenty percent suffer from post-traumatic disorders. Moreover, about 1 out of 10 people in the United States suffer from either drug or alcohol addiction. In most cases, addiction results from underlying abuse history or trauma. Surprisingly, most people lack awareness regarding their past traumas and think they are just addicts (Caro, 2018). In this case, the victims apply addiction to ease their pains brought about by certain traumas. Therefore, addiction is an attempt, which is unconscious, used as an escape for pain. Connecting trauma with the treatment of substance abuse is, therefore, an essentials step. Without connecting the trauma and abuse of substances, treating the underlying addiction is not a walk in the park. For most victims, trauma results from abuse exposure, injury, stress, or shock, especially during an early age.
The treatment of trauma and addiction should occur concurrently. Co-occurring addiction and trauma treatment using approaches based on exposure, such as physical education, are effective, safe, and acceptable. In severe cases, the exposure-based treatment methods ought to have a combination of pharmacotherapies for better efficacy. However, some health physicians show reluctance in applying the exposure-based strategies due to anecdotal concerns. In this case, the physicians apply therapy to enhance quick recovery. The non-exposure based approaches aim at reducing memories of the trauma (Goldman et al., 2018). Moreover, the non-exposure approaches of treatment focus on the relationship between trauma and addiction and psycho-education, thus leading to coping skills.
References
Caro, I. (2018). Psychotherapy Integration: A main Obstacle and Challenge. Terapia Psicológica, 36(3), 177-180.
Goldman, R. E., Hilsenroth, M. J., Gold, J. R., Cersosimo, B. H., Levy, S. R., & Owen, J. J. (2018). Psychotherapy integration and borderline personality pathology: An examination of treatment outcomes. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 28(4), 444.