TRAUMA & ADDICTION

Addiction does not happen in a vacuum. Undernearneath all addictive behaviors is an attempt to avoid some sort of pain or discomfort. This suffering is often from past experiences that inhibited us from learning healthier ways to deal with overwhelming emotions or to relate to others. Alcohol and other substances often provide relief in the beginning, a life raft amidst an ocean of pain. Over time, they become our only way to deal with life and we feel stranded out at sea.

I work with people who have self-medicated for years and are unsure where to turn. Having worked in residential treatment for substance use and been on the front lines of addiction for years, I can count on one hand the number of clients who did not have some sort of unresolved trauma or past painful experiences or relationships. Oftentimes, it is not apparent to the client that these past pains are connected to their current addiction.

 

In dealing with addiction and/or trauma, the initial phase will be developing a sense of trust within the therapeutic relationship and identifying healthier ways to cope so that we can process and move through past pains.