When treating mental health and substance abuse disorders, it’s important to remember that the body keeps the score. Trauma-informed therapy pays respect to a patient’s past. It gives them the space to address what is keeping them “stuck” in a life they don’t want to lead.
At Milton Recovery Centers, our mental health professionals provide trauma-informed therapies in addiction treatment. Our treatment plans take a holistic approach to address all aspects of addiction.
The Role of Trauma in Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Taking addiction at face value can mean only that the symptoms of underlying trauma are being treated. That’s because experiencing trauma can physically change the brain. This leaves victims with less ability to cope, driving them to self-medicate with drugs or alcohol. Additionally, it can leave them to overcome the mental impact with less resilience.
Trauma is intertwined with mental health and substance abuse. So, to treat addiction, we must treat the root issue. By working through traumatic experiences, individuals in treatment can rebuild their resilience and purpose, increasing their chances of lasting recovery.
What is Trauma-Informed Therapy?
Trauma is when a person experiences or witnesses a deeply disturbing situation that negatively impacts them physically, mentally, or emotionally. It can affect the way a person behaves, how they view themselves, and their outlook on the world. Trauma-informed therapy recognizes the impact traumatic experiences have on a person. Therapists coach patients in an effort to remove the hold trauma has over them and help them move forward.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) characterizes trauma-informed care with the four Rs:
- Realize the effect trauma can have on a person and understand the paths to recovery
- Recognize the signs of trauma within a patient’s system, including their family and friends
- Respond with respect to trauma through policies, procedures, and practices
- Resist re-traumatization during the healing process
The Benefits of a Trauma-Informed Approach to Recovery
When a person’s unique experiences are addressed in a safe, non-judgmental setting, they have a greater chance at overcoming addiction.
Reduces Impact of Trauma on Daily Life
Trauma-informed therapy guides patients through their past experiences. During this, they are encouraged to reframe their thoughts around the situation. With this, they increase awareness of triggers and how their bodies and minds react. This gives them more control over the day-to-day.
Creates Psychological Safety
By working with a therapist on a recurring basis and in a judgment-free environment, patients feel more understood. The feeling of being seen and heard is crucial. It allows patients to be vulnerable, lead with honesty, and be receptive to therapy.
Minimizes the Possibility of Re-traumatization
A pillar of trauma-informed therapy is to resist re-traumatization. Looking back on painful experiences is inherently difficult for patients. Therapists are trained to carefully maneuver talk tracks around trauma with respect for the patient. This allows the experience to be healing rather than another trauma.
Increases Resilience & Coping Skills
Over time, patients undergoing consistent therapy gain tools to cope. They can apply these tools to real-life situations. Ultimately, it increases their resilience, minimizing the chances of relapse.
Types of Trauma-Informed Therapy
A trauma-informed approach can be used in nearly any form of therapy. However, there are certain evidence-based methodologies that are directed to treating trauma.
Narrative Therapy for Trauma
Narrative therapy is a storytelling approach to therapy that separates the patient from their past. It allows them to view the trauma as something that happened to them rather than their identity. This separation makes it easier to assess the feelings tied to the memories and “rewrite” their story.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, is a form of talk therapy that helps patients manage large, complex emotions. When seeing a DBT therapist, the patient learns mindfulness practices as well as skills to regulate their emotions and increase their distress tolerance.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) uses guided eye movements, or bilateral stimulation, while the patient talks through their past. When used in tandem with walking through past trauma, the memories lose their emotional impact. It allows patients to reprocess their past and move forward in a productive manner.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
Accelerated Resolution Therapy, or ART, is a fast-acting form of therapy. This does not mean healing happens overnight. But patients have been shown to see a positive impact sooner than other forms of therapy. Similar to EMDR, it pairs guided eye movement with talk to aid the brain in reprocessing traumatic memories.
Rapid Resolution Therapy (RRT)
Rapid Resolution Therapy, or RRT, is another form of psychotherapy that has been shown to have a fast impact on patients. Guided imagery, hypnosis, and storytelling may all be used by an RRT therapist. It works by not just adjusting the thoughts around a memory but the feelings as well.
Holistic Therapies
Therapy does not require sitting on a couch and talking through feelings. Creative expression, like art and music therapy, and holistic therapies, including yoga and meditation, can be powerful tools that patients carry with them through their healing journey.
There Is More to Mental Health and Addiction Than What Meets the Eye
That’s why we offer trauma-informed outpatient programs for mental health and substance abuse at Milton Recovery Centers. Understanding our patients as people and the role their pasts may play in their addiction is imperative to lasting recovery. To learn more about our recovery programs in North Palm Beach, contact us today.
