For some individuals, drug addiction becomes triggered by the survival of traumatic events. Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that trauma survivors can experience a heightened risk not only for mood disorders and dissociation, but also for drug addiction development. In fact, many trauma survivors experience secondary mental health conditions alongside the development of drug addiction, including clinical depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), dissociative identity disorder, borderline personality disorder (BPD), or body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). In addition, trauma survivors can develop process addictions in attempts to further self-medicate emotional and psychological pain, such as the development of eating disorders or self-injury patterns – also requiring dual diagnosis treatment alongside addiction recovery.

Aims of Trauma Therapy During Residential Drug Treatment

Conditions of “dual diagnosis” – instances in which drug addiction and a secondary mental health concern coincide – are most effectively treated by concurrent therapy of both issues. As a result, trauma survivors benefit most from a steady, dual-pronged approach that guides them through both addiction therapies (such as detoxification and psychoanalysis) alongside highly specialized mental health treatment. Targeted trauma therapies may be employed – such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), exposure therapy and expressive arts therapies – in order to allow traumatic memories to resurface and heal. We’ve highlighted a few of the goals of trauma therapies when conducted at residential drug treatment programs below.

Contextualization of Trauma Responses

One of the first goals of any form of trauma therapy is to contextualize the responses that the individual has suffered as a result of survival. This process may include a diagnosis of a mental health condition such as post-traumatic stress disorder, or simply establishing awareness to common abuse cycles and responses. Patients are encouraged to let go of guilt, victimization tendencies and self-judgment, and focus is placed on normalizing common survival responses.

Identification of Trauma and Drug Use Triggers

“Triggers” are familiar sensory input, emotional dynamics, external pressures or internalized cognitions that bring the trauma survivor back to the traumatic event. Such triggers can be incredibly painful to experience, causing the survivor to dissociate, rage, cry or cower in fear. In some cases, responses to trauma triggers are virtually automatic, wired to a degree in the brain’s neuropathways as the body’s “flight, fight or freeze” response to a crisis emerges. Likewise, drug addiction triggers may also be strongly associated in the brain’s reward centers, causing drug cravings to occur in the presence of certain external stimuli. Therapists work with patients at identifying points of trigger, and forging practical solutions, calming visualizations and positive cognitions when triggers for drug use or traumatic fear arise.

Retraining Traumatic Perceptions and Behaviors

The final stage of trauma recovery in psychotherapy involves changing the perception of the trauma itself – and the individual’s placement in regards to the traumatic event. Many trauma survivors carry intimidating world views and lowered self-views that perpetuate negative behaviors. Therapists work with patients in providing insight, building self-esteem and honing coping skills to the point that the effects of trauma are greatly reduced or released, eliminating the need to self-medicate through drug use.