If you are looking for addiction treatment after trauma, you may be wondering whether recovery can address both. For some people, painful experiences such as abuse, neglect, violence or loss can affect how they cope with stress and emotional pain. Substance use may become one way of coping, even when it creates new problems over time.
At Beach House Center for Recovery, we understand that substance use and trauma can be connected. Our approach to treatment considers the whole person, including what they have experienced and what they need to feel safe and supported during recovery.
Trauma-informed addiction treatment does not mean you have to tell your story before you are ready. It means receiving care that recognizes the possible effects of trauma and works to create a safe, respectful and supportive treatment experience.
It also means understanding how trauma may affect your experience of treatment and giving you a voice in your care.
If you want to learn more about the connection between trauma and addiction, read our Addressing Trauma in Addiction Recovery companion article.
Trauma-informed care is an approach to treatment that recognizes how trauma may affect a person's thoughts, feelings, behavior and sense of safety. Instead of waiting for someone to explain a traumatic experience, providers use this understanding to shape how they communicate, build trust and provide care.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), trauma-informed care is based on principles that include safety, trustworthiness and transparency, peer support, collaboration and mutuality, empowerment, voice and choice, and attention to cultural, historical and gender issues.
At Beach House Center for Recovery, these principles can help shape the treatment experience by:
Trauma-informed care is not the same as trauma therapy. Trauma-informed care is the approach that guides the overall treatment experience. Trauma therapy is specific clinical treatment that may help address the effects of trauma.
You do not have to know exactly what kind of support you need before reaching out. Your treatment team can help you understand your options and determine what approaches may fit your needs.
Trauma can affect the way people respond to stress, emotions and difficult memories. For some people, alcohol or drugs may temporarily provide relief from anxiety, fear, sadness or other painful feelings. Over time, however, substance use can create problems of its own and may become difficult to control.
Research has found a strong connection between trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) notes that people who have experienced trauma may have a higher risk of substance use and that some people with PTSD use substances in an attempt to cope with trauma-related symptoms.
That does not mean trauma is the cause of every substance use disorder. Addiction can have many contributing factors, including genetics, mental health, environment and stress.
For people whose substance use and trauma are connected, addressing both concerns may be an important part of treatment. This can include learning healthier ways to manage difficult emotions, understanding triggers and building coping skills that support long-term recovery. Treatment that considers both concerns can help your care team better understand the challenges you are facing and identify appropriate ways to support your recovery.
If you are concerned that trauma may be affecting your substance use, you do not have to figure out that connection on your own. A professional assessment can help you understand what may be contributing to your symptoms and determine what type of treatment may be appropriate.
Trauma-informed care may be helpful for people who:
You do not need a formal trauma diagnosis to benefit from a trauma-informed approach. Treatment can begin with understanding what you are experiencing now and what support you need.
Trauma-informed care is more than a specific therapy. It influences how treatment providers communicate with you, involve you in decisions and create an environment where you can focus on recovery.
At Beach House, these principles guide the treatment experience and can help our team understand how to approach your care with safety, respect and collaboration in mind.
Feeling safe is an important part of recovery. Our team works to create an environment where you can focus on treatment without feeling pressured to share more than you are ready to discuss.
Trauma-informed care considers both physical and emotional safety. It also recognizes that certain situations, words or treatment practices may be difficult for someone with a history of trauma.
Trust can take time, especially if you have had difficult experiences with healthcare or treatment in the past.
We believe you should understand what to expect from your care. Our team can answer your questions, explain treatment options and help you understand what happens during the admissions process before you begin treatment.
Trauma can leave people feeling that they have lost control over important parts of their lives. A trauma-informed approach gives patients a voice in their care whenever possible.
Your treatment team will work with you to understand your goals, answer questions and identify appropriate treatment options. You can learn more about individual therapy and the different ways therapy may support your recovery.
Recovery works best when you can build a trusting relationship with the people supporting your care. Trauma-informed treatment emphasizes collaboration rather than treating the patient as a passive participant.
This means your experiences and concerns matter as your treatment plan develops. It also means your care team can adjust its approach as your needs become clearer.
Connecting with others who understand some of the challenges of recovery can be an important source of support. Trauma-informed care recognizes the value of peer support and shared experiences when appropriate.
Respect for Culture, History and Individual Experience
No two people respond to trauma in exactly the same way. Your background, experiences, culture and personal strengths all shape how you experience treatment.
Trauma-informed care recognizes these differences and avoids assuming that one approach will work for everyone. It also considers how cultural, historical and other personal experiences may affect a person's sense of safety and trust.
These principles help create the foundation for treatment. From there, your clinical team can determine which therapies and services may be appropriate for your needs.
Trauma-informed care provides the foundation for treatment, while trauma-focused therapies address the effects of trauma more directly. The right approach depends on your symptoms, history, treatment goals and clinical needs.
At Beach House Center for Recovery, trauma treatment may be incorporated into an individualized plan that also addresses substance use and other mental health concerns. Depending on your needs and treatment plan, this may include individual therapy and trauma-focused approaches such as Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is a structured therapy that may help people process distressing memories and reduce the emotional impact associated with them.
ART uses techniques that can help you work with difficult memories while limiting the need to describe every detail of the experience. Your clinician can explain what to expect from ART and whether it may be appropriate for your treatment goals.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a trauma-focused therapy that uses guided eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation while working with distressing memories.
The goal is to help reduce the distress associated with traumatic memories and support healthier responses to trauma-related thoughts and memories. As with any therapy, a qualified clinician can determine whether EMDR is appropriate for you.
When trauma and substance use occur together, treating them as separate concerns may not address the full picture.
Integrated trauma treatment brings trauma-related concerns and substance use treatment into a connected plan of care. This approach may include therapy, recovery education, coping skills and other services based on your individual needs.
For people with both mental health and substance use concerns, dual diagnosis treatment can provide another important part of an individualized recovery plan.
Beach House Center for Recovery also offers the Freedom First Program as part of its approach to addiction treatment. The program addresses substance use and co-occurring mental health concerns, including trauma-related challenges, through an individualized treatment approach.
Trauma-informed care means providing addiction treatment with an understanding that past trauma may affect a person's emotional health, behavior and response to treatment. It emphasizes safety, trust, collaboration, empowerment and respect.
It does not assume that every person receiving addiction treatment has experienced trauma. Instead, it creates an environment that recognizes trauma may be part of a person's history and avoids practices that could cause unnecessary distress.
No. Trauma-informed care is an overall approach to treatment. It affects how providers communicate, build trust and involve patients in their care.
Trauma therapy is a specific type of clinical treatment designed to address trauma and its effects. Someone can receive trauma-informed care even if trauma therapy is not part of their treatment plan.
It can be difficult to recognize this connection on your own. You may notice that you use drugs or alcohol to cope with painful memories, anxiety, fear, stress or other difficult emotions.
That does not necessarily mean trauma is causing your substance use. A qualified professional can help you explore possible connections and determine whether trauma-focused treatment may be appropriate.
Not necessarily. Trauma-informed care does not require you to share every detail of a traumatic experience.
Your treatment team can work with you at a pace that respects your needs while providing appropriate clinical support. If trauma-focused therapy becomes part of your treatment plan, your clinician can explain what to expect and answer your questions.
If you need a higher level of support, inpatient rehab provides a structured environment where you can focus on treatment with support from a clinical team and fewer of the demands of daily life.
If you came here because substance use and past experiences have become difficult to manage, you do not have to solve everything before asking for help.
Trauma-informed addiction treatment can provide a place to address substance use while also considering the experiences that may be affecting your recovery. At Beach House Center for Recovery, our team can help you understand your treatment options and determine what type of support may be appropriate.
Our Juno Beach campus provides a structured setting where you can focus on treatment and recovery. If you are ready to learn more, contact admissions to speak with our team and take the next step.