Treating Emotional Pain and Trauma in Addiction Recovery

Treating Emotional Pain and Trauma in Addiction Recovery

It might be easy to see someone struggling with addiction and just notice those destructive behaviors, but people are so much more than what they do. Often, there is underlying trauma and emotional pain that triggers this behavior. It can be invisible to the casual observer but deeply imprinted on the person suffering. Addiction is not a silent illness – it can manifest in many ways.

The emotional pain associated with addiction can cause addictions to be worse and can be a barrier for addiction recovery. Sometimes, you don’t even realize how much you are hurting until you’re already deep in a destructive cycle. It is important to understand the link between emotional pain and addictive behaviors so that you can put an end to the cycle and get the help you need for your trauma.

What is Trauma?

Trauma is deeply personal, unique, and pervasive in its influence on daily life. Examples of trauma include abuse, rape, trying financial situations, miscarriage, divorce, etc. Emotional trauma and addiction often go hand-in-hand as a coping mechanism for the suffering.

It is important to understand that any trauma you’ve experienced is not your fault – especially while suffering from addiction. It is important to seek treatment for the emotional, physical, and spiritual disruption that trauma can cause. 

For some, traumatic events can be clear-cut and singular. Other times, trauma is ongoing and subtle. It’s not until the mental and physical effects of the trauma start to manifest that the person even realizes trauma has occurred.

Counselors in addiction recovery are trained to recognize those behaviors that often result from trauma. Those behaviors can include guilt, shame, reclusiveness, paranoia, intrusive and recurring negative thoughts, and difficulty maintaining daily routines. 

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Treating Trauma and Addiction Together

The effects of trauma can be physical, mental, and emotional. These effects can manifest immediately after the trauma or years down the road^[1]. In particular, those who have experienced trauma can be more susceptible to self-harm. These thoughts and behaviors are very serious and common, so it’s important not to feel any shame or guilt about seeking healing from the traumatic events that were a catalyst for those destructive behaviors. Sometimes, self-harm comes in the form of addiction to harmful substances. Healing trauma during addiction recovery can be an imperative part of a person’s path to total recovery. 

The best path to recovery is the one that takes into account the underlying causes of the addiction and treats the person as a competent, active participant in their recovery. Therefore, when seeking treatment for your addiction, realize that the best counselors will also treat the underlying trauma in addiction recovery. Similarly, if you seek treatment for the emotional pain associated with trauma, then realize that it is best to treat the addictive and destructive habits resulting from that trauma with direct intervention. This way you can move on from your past towards a clean, trauma-free future.

Taking Time to Heal the Whole You

When you’re ready to heal the whole you, and take a deep, reflective path to a stronger, happier you, then it’s time to contact an addiction recovery counselor who specializes in holistic care. There are many facets to a person, their trauma, and their addiction. By addressing trauma in addiction recovery, you can begin to unlock trauma you didn’t even know about.

The staff at Desert Cove Recovery are leaders in the industry by using comprehensive, individualized approaches to create a recovery program that works for you. The counselors at Desert Cove Recovery are trained to treat the whole person and the root cause of the addiction using a state-of-the-art holistic approach to get you onto the path to recovery sooner. Reach out today to see how Desert Cove Recovery can help you start the rest of your life. 

Sources:

Blake Nichols

Blake Nichols is the Director of Operations at Desert Cove Recovery. Blake battled his own addiction to drugs and alcohol and was given the gift of recovery at the age of 23. Since 2008, Blake has dedicated his life and career to the field of addiction. He has experience in all aspects of addiction treatment including direct care, admissions, marketing, and administration.

Blake feels that the greatest reward of working in the recovery field is being part of the transformation that a person goes through from the time they arrive and begin treatment, through the hard work and the Miracle of recovery, and ultimately the change into a confident and capable person ready to carry the message of recovery.

“My career has focused on serving others. I have accepted ownership of my responsibilities as that is the key to working at the highest level of professionalism. I have worked to be positive and offer solution-based suggestions in my work and personal life.”