Does Trauma cause Addiction?
The National Institute on Drug Abuse recently cited between fifty and seventy risk factors for drug abuse 1)the individual’s peers 2)the individual’s family 3)the individual. The largest risk factor for drug abuse is an untreated childhood mental disorder including trauma and PTSD. Two other major reasons people take drugs are to “feel good” or to “feel better” (self-medication).
Scientific research, mainly in neurobiology, has produced significant studies of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The findings through brain imaging demonstrate that trauma can affect the body and brain much more than had previously been understood (Van der Kolk 1996). Traumatic memories are stored not only in the mind but throughout the body as what scientists call cellular memory.
Whether a person’s addiction is caused by trauma or whether trauma intensifies addiction, our therapists, psychiatrists and doctors use the latest techniques to support recovery. This includes:
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy helps you explore and understand the unconscious aspects of the trauma and its personal meaning for you. This form of treatment may be necessary for multiple traumatic events experienced over time (e.g., childhood abuse in a dysfunctional family).
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). The premise of EMDR is that many traumatic events are not properly “processed” by the memory network of the brain, and that the eye movements of EMDR help a person “reprocess” the traumatic memory through “rapid learning” so that it no longer has negative psychological effects.
Pharmacotherapy refers to the use of medication to help alleviate serious symptoms, such as anxiety and insomnia, so that psychotherapy can be effective.
Group Therapy may be used for social support and to help individuals understand and resolve the social aspects of their symptoms.
Creative Arts Therapies are sometimes used in conjunction with other treatment.