Can Trauma Therapy Help With Addiction Treatment in Florida?

With how widespread it has become, addiction is nowadays a well-researched topic. And because it has been looked at from different angles and points of view, we now know that many things can affect how addiction forms. We know that there is a strong connection between addiction and trauma, as one oftentimes stems from the other. At Bright Futures Treatment Center, we know that every problem has a solution. So can trauma therapy help with addiction treatment in Florida and reverse your addiction to drugs, alcohol, and/or prescription drugs? Our experts have the answer.

The strong connection between trauma and addiction

There’s a lot of debate about whether addiction is a disease or a matter of choice. It might be something you decide to do at the beginning, as you have to make a conscious choice to start experimenting with drugs or alcohol. However, once that initial stage passes, addiction becomes a disease. And it’s a disease that’s hard to control and influence. Almost every individual in our Inpatient Program in FL will tell you that there was a reason why they decided to consume drugs in the first place. For some, this was because they were under too much stress at that moment. For others, it was because they had gone through a life-changing event, such as a divorce or a health crisis. But most often, addiction comes from past trauma and PTSD.

Traumatic events will impact a lot of people differently. But one thing is almost a guarantee – everyone will be impacted in some way. How a person manages to deal with the aftermath of trauma depends on their character, as well as the circumstances surrounding their life and childhood. Unfortunately, many people will not be able to cope with the consequences of trauma (and the memories that come with them), so they will look for an escape from their situation. And that’s when they will seek comfort in drugs or alcohol. Even though they are never a good solution to any problem, drugs and alcohol will help people forget about their problems for the time being – and that’s just what people with PTSD need.

How does addiction develop?

As it goes with addiction, taking a substance once and feeling that high will lead to wanting to go through the experience again. After taking a drug a few times, a person will notice that they need more of it in order to experience the same feelings of euphoria. At first, an individual will develop a dependence on drugs or alcohol. They might be able to function without taking the substance on a daily basis, but that won’t last long if they continue to take it. Therefore, the next step that inevitably follows is developing a full-blown drug or alcohol addiction in Florida. At that point, a person will already need to receive professional care and treatment. Likewise, they will discover that reaching and maintaining sobriety will be a lot harder than they initially thought.

The good news is that, nowadays, there are plenty of treatment options available. Depending on the severity of a person’s addiction, they can choose between Inpatient and Outpatient Programs in Florida. Likewise, there are many treatment options available under the Outpatient treatment category, and you can spend varying amounts of time in treatment. When it comes to Outpatient care, a person can spend anywhere from one day a week in treatment to seven days a week. The more severe your addiction is, the more time it will be needed for it to be treated.

What form of trauma can result in addiction?

In the past, the word PTSD has mostly been associated with war veterans. They are people who have seen incredibly difficult things, which is why it is not unusual for them to have long-lasting memories of that period of their life. However, you don’t have to be in a life-or-death situation in order to develop trauma. Any event that makes you scared for your life can result in PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and trauma. Most often, people who have PTSD and trauma have experienced one or a couple of the following situations:

• Childhood abuse and neglect
• Domestic abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Physical violence of any kind
• A serious accident
• Loss of a loved one
• Bullying

Having memories and experiences with any of these events can have you searching for ways to forget about what has happened to you. It’s also important to mention that trauma can occur at any point in time, so it is not age-related. No matter when it happens, it is most likely going to leave long-lasting effects on a person’s mental and physical health. And while it’s true that children are more susceptible to trauma, adults aren’t an exception. A person’s brain will have problems accepting and processing what has happened, so they might search for distractions. Unfortunately, what begins as a temporary distraction oftentimes results in a heroin or cocaine addiction in Florida.

Can trauma therapy help with addiction treatment in Florida?

Now that you know how your trauma might have gotten you into addiction, it’s just as important to know that there is a way out. For most people, the solution lies in alcohol, cocaine, or heroin rehab in Florida that’s combined with trauma therapy. Focusing on just one of these two won’t be enough to maintain sobriety. This is particularly true for those people who focus on rehab and treatment. While it’s imperative to get the necessary help, rehab alone doesn’t mean much without trauma therapy. That’s because the root cause of the problem is going to remain there. Thus, when you start to experience the memories that you have wanted to escape from in the first place, you might resort to drugs once again. After leaving treatment, the focus shifts to preventing relapse and ensuring that you successfully stay away from drugs and alcohol.

Preventing relapse

To successfully prevent relapse, you need to address your trauma during alcohol or drug treatment in Florida. There are many different types of trauma therapy, and it’s best to consult a professional to choose the right one. Oftentimes, people will be advised to give Dialectical Behavior Therapy a go. This is a form of therapy that combines different strategies, such as mindfulness, emotion regulation, and acceptance of situations. How long this form of therapy will take to be completed depends on various factors, so it’s impossible to give you a precise answer. We believe that it’s important to invest as much time as necessary, as it can help you overcome traumatic events and get a different perspective.

So if you were wondering can trauma therapy help with addiction treatment in Florida, the good news is that it can. And it can significantly impact the success of your treatment and long-term success. It’s important to make note that trauma treatment is as important as getting mental health support for the ones who have a dual diagnosis. The existence of this diagnosis is yet another indicator that addiction almost never comes alone. Usually, it is prompted by a bigger problem that has been existing for quite some time. Addiction happens to be the consequence, not the cause of the problem.

What are the benefits of trauma therapy during addiction treatment?

We’ve already mentioned the biggest one of them all – the fact that your treatment will be more successful, helping you prevent relapse. However, there are many other benefits that come attached to trauma therapy. You might find it to be the missing piece of the puzzle that will help you to finally break free from your bad habits and behaviors. Thus, you can expect to encounter the following benefits that will be a direct result of trauma therapy:

• Overcoming your fear. Trauma usually comes with fears that are difficult to confront. When in therapy, you will be able to come face to face with the situations that induce fear, as you will be in a safe environment. Likewise, you’ll receive guidance from your therapist.
• Becoming more confident. People who experience trauma and PTSD usually feel like the victims of their circumstances. Trauma therapy will help you regulate your emotions, which will provide you with a brand-new perspective. The better grasp that you will have on your emotions and life situation will result in greater confidence and self-efficacy.
• Reduction of stress. Trauma is an event that’s going to trigger plenty of negative emotions and feelings – including anxiety and stress. And we all know that stress is the number one risk factor for many illnesses. Trauma therapy is also going to focus on teaching you some healthy ways to deal with stress. With less stress come a much healthier and calmer mind and body, impacting every aspect of your life.
• Development of healthier patterns. Getting help for your trauma will result in overall healthier thought patterns. Your therapist will have the goal of restructuring the negative thought patterns you are harboring. Those patterns will be replaced with thoughts of safety, love, and positivity, changing your entire outlook on life.

Trauma therapy will have far-reaching effects

Working on your mental and physical health is something that will bring plenty of benefits. The good news is that those benefits will not be temporary – they will last for life. Of course, therapy isn’t something that you should do once and never have to do it again. When a person is dealing with trauma and addiction, it’s recommended to attend therapy long after the treatment is finished. The reason for this is a simple one – it allows you to work on maintaining your sobriety and a good state of mind. Besides, trauma tends to run deep, and there is never a point where you can claim that you are completely healed. You are going to feel the positive effects of treatment, but your recovery will never be officially done.

It’s important to keep in mind that therapy is a healthy thing, and it’s going to have a positive influence on every aspect of your life. With that in mind, you should make attending therapy one of your main objectives. The time that you spend on it is going to be well invested.

The importance of healthy coping skills and mechanisms

People who have experienced trauma and have PTSD as a consequence are not the best when it comes to finding the right way to deal with difficult situations in life. Sometimes, their first response is to shut down or engage in destructive behavior. And that’s how they usually end up in an Oxycodone rehab Florida center. However, healthy coping skills and mechanisms have a way of changing that – and the change is usually permanent.

Keep in mind that coping isn’t an event – it is a process. That’s why you can alternate between several of these mechanisms, depending on the circumstances. Likewise, chances are that you will find all of these mechanisms useful in different scenarios, so it’s essential to get a grasp on them.

What entails healthy coping skills and mechanisms?

People cope with stress and problems in many different ways. For some, doing it on their own is the best approach. Others need some help from outsiders to successfully solve their problems. Luckily, there are plenty of different coping strategies around, allowing a person to rely on that which works best for them. When faced with problems, stress, or trauma, people can resort to one of the following things:

• Taking responsibility for their own life, situations, and relationships.
• Being in fulfilling and emotionally supportive relationships.
• Relying on religion to view and solve the problem.
• Distancing yourself from that which causes stress and/or problems.
• Trying to change the source of stress.
• Lowering your expectations – both the ones of yourself and of others.
• Asking others for help with the difficult situations in life – there’s no shame in it.
• Learning how to express the distressing emotions that you are feeling.
• Engaging in problem-solving.

These strategies will, hopefully, lead to a stress-free and sober life. For the best results, you can enhance them by making sure that you lead a healthy lifestyle. Sleeping at least six hours per night, getting plenty of nutrients, staying hydrated, and exercising on a regular basis are only a few of the positive lifestyle changes you ought to make.

How do you acquire them?

While taking a look at these coping skills and strategies makes it seem like they can easily be acquired, the reality is a little bit different. A person with trauma is used to approaching life and problems in a certain way. That way usually includes unhealthy substances and addiction. Thus, when the time comes to reverse the damage, it can be difficult to adapt to a whole new life. But with plenty of time invested and special guidance, it’s possible to exchange unhealthy mechanisms for healthy ones. And this is where rehab and recovery enter the scene.

While in an Adderall rehab facility in Boynton Beach, you will constantly be working on these positive lifestyle changes with your team. The goal of therapy is to solve your existing problems, prevent future ones, and teach you how to approach life in a healthy way. Your therapist is a professional who will know how to assess your situation and decide what you can benefit from the most. They can also dedicate sufficient time to your situation, monitoring your progress and acquisition of these strategies. That’s why therapy will play a crucial role in your recovery and sobriety.

And while attending treatment is the best way to acquire healthy coping skills if you are battling an addiction, you can also get them through working with a private therapist in an individual or group setting. The Internet can be your best friend when it comes to searching for a healthcare professional. It would be perfect if you had a few word-of-mouth recommendations, but that’s not always easy or possible.

An individual approach is necessary when dealing with trauma and addiction

The question isn’t ‘can trauma therapy help with addiction treatment in Florida’ – the question is how it can be done. It just so happens that both trauma therapy and addiction should be approached in the same manner – with individuality in mind. There are many different forms of trauma therapy, just like there are many different treatment programs. Luckily, you aren’t the one who should assess what’s best for you, even though you are free to do so if you believe that you can. That’s what your therapist is for, as it’s their job to ensure that you get access to the best treatment for you.

They should begin by assessing your situation through a lengthy and detailed conversation about your past trauma and addiction. After judging how deep in addiction you happen to be, they will be able to tailor a suitable treatment plan for your needs. If past trauma happens to be present, they will make a suitable form of trauma therapy a very significant part of the process. It’s important to mention that a person’s time of recovery is also very individual. Some people can process their trauma and go through withdrawal in a matter of weeks. Others might take months, while some might even need years. Needing more time to process the traumatic events of your past doesn’t make you weaker than others.

Finally, you should know that many people aren’t even aware of the fact that they are suffering from trauma. After all, traumatic events are something everyone wants to forget. Once they happen, people tend to dismiss them and minimize their effects. But they are still there, impacting your life even if you aren’t aware of them. Some people will start an addiction treatment program only to realize that it was their trauma that pushed them toward addiction in the first place. We consider this to be a victory once it happens, as it’s important to get to the bottom of one’s addiction. And when it comes to this matter, the whole better late than never policy applies. 

How quickly can trauma therapy help with addiction treatment in Florida?

We’ve already mentioned that you can’t put a time stamp on recovery. However, you can expect trauma therapy to start giving positive results soon after its commencement. Of course, don’t live with the false belief that you will get better in a matter of days. But as you start to uncover the hidden feelings that you might be having, you will start to see positive changes. This is only true if you combine trauma therapy with addiction treatment. Once the process of withdrawal passes, you can start to work on building a brand-new life. And that’s when all the positive changes will make an appearance.

In our experience, trauma therapy can sometimes take a long time to provide the effects you desire. But with a bit of patience and constant work on yourself and your mental well-being, you will reach that point of recovery. Hopefully, you are no longer wondering can trauma therapy help with addiction treatment in Florida. By now, that question should have been substituted with ‘when and where can I start.’ And you can start as soon as you contact a rehab facility in your vicinity and start working on your health.