Addiction and trauma recovery is essential for those who want to live a sober lifestyle, recover from substance use disorder, and want to heal from past trauma. But what exactly does it look like recovering from SUD and PTSD? Are there certain treatments that work better than others? These therapies below are tailored to help in addiction and trauma recovery and can help you improve your mental health, physical well-being, and emotional stability.
What is Therapy for Addiction and Trauma Recovery?
If you’re brand new to the process of recovering from addiction and trauma, you might be wondering: what exactly is therapy? Essentially, therapy is a form of professional treatment that helps individuals address mental health issues, emotional challenges, and behavioral problems. There are various types of therapies available for those seeking addiction and trauma recovery, each with its own unique approach and benefits. During therapy, you can expect several different things, including:
- Talking one-on-one to a professional therapist
- Learning new coping skills for dealing with past trauma and triggers
- Identifying patterns of unhealthy thinking or behaviors related to addiction
- Developing a personalized treatment plan that addresses both addiction and trauma recovery
Trauma and addiction often go hand-in-hand, with a whopping 75% of people with addiction having experienced trauma at some point in their lives. Whether it’s using substances to forget the pain or turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms, addiction can often be a way to self-medicate and numb the effects of trauma.
Types of Therapies for Addiction and Trauma Recovery
There are many different types of therapies available for those seeking help with addiction and trauma recovery. Each offers its own unique approach, techniques, and benefits. The overall goal of these therapies is to help people process their trauma and learn how to manage their emotions without using substances. Here are some of the most effective and commonly used.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral therapy, or CBT, is one of the most widely used forms of therapy for SUD and other disorders, including PTSD. Evidence shows that it is useful for both alcohol and substance use disorders. During CBT, therapists work with individuals to identify negative thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to addiction and trauma. Then, they teach new skills for identifying and changing these thought patterns and the behaviors that accompany them.
Some common forms of CBT for addiction include:
- Motivational interviewing: Having the motivation to complete treatment and achieve recovery is crucial for success. Motivational interviewing helps people find their own motivation for change and develop a plan to achieve it.
- Contingency management: Rewarding someone for the good they’ve done goes a long way. With contingency management, people are rewarded for reaching certain milestones in their recovery.
- Relapse prevention: Certain thoughts and behaviors often lead to relapse. From thinking about “just one more” cigarette to hanging out with friends who use, relapse prevention through CBT helps people identify their thoughts and behaviors, known as triggers, that might lead to a relapse and avoid them.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, or DBT, was originally developed to help treat borderline personality disorder. However, it has been shown to be effective for a wide range of disorders including trauma-related issues.
Past trauma can often make it difficult for people to manage their emotions properly. This inability to regulate emotions can lead to substance abuse and other issues with relationships and interpersonal communication.
DBT focuses on teaching skills for regulating emotions, managing distressing situations, and improving interpersonal relationships. It also emphasizes the importance of mindfulness in recovery. Some of the many skills you can learn during DBT that can help with both trauma and recovery include:
- Distress tolerance: learning how to tolerate and cope with distressing situations without turning to substances or other unhealthy coping mechanisms.
- Emotion regulation: understanding and managing emotions in a healthy way, rather than letting them control actions and behaviors.
- Interpersonal effectiveness: improving communication and relationship skills to build healthy connections with others.
- Mindfulness: cultivating awareness of the present moment and accepting thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgment.
DBT is typically done in both individual therapy sessions and group therapy settings. It can be an effective treatment for those struggling with substance abuse as well as other co-occurring mental health disorders.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Another type of therapy that has been shown to be effective in treating trauma is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). This type of therapy was originally developed to help people process and heal from traumatic memories. EMDR involves a therapist guiding the patient’s eye movements while they recall a distressing memory, with the goal of reprocessing it in a less distressing way.
Studies have found that EMDR can be beneficial for those struggling with PTSD. While trauma can be difficult to fully recover from, EMDR can help individuals better integrate and cope with the traumatic event, reducing symptoms such as flashbacks, anxiety, and dissociation.
These benefits can, in turn, reduce the need for substances as a coping mechanism. Like DBT, EMDR can also be used in conjunction with other types of therapy or treatment for substance abuse.
Choosing the Right Therapy For You
These are just some of the many types of therapies available for people in need of addiction and trauma recovery. Individual therapy, group therapy, 12-step programs, art therapy, and other forms of treatment can also help people address their underlying trauma and cope with the challenges of recovery.
At Atlanta Recovery Place, our intensive outpatient treatment in Atlanta allows you to explore tons of different options for recovery. Art therapy, CBT, family therapy, and dual diagnosis treatment are just some of the many evidence-based and holistic therapies we offer to help you overcome both addiction and trauma. We’re here to help you every step of the way on your journey to healing and recovery. If you’re ready to take the first step, don’t hesitate to reach out for help and support today. Call us to learn more about our partial hospitalization and IOP programs and how we can help you on your path to a healthier and sober life.
