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Trauma and addiction are connected. After a traumatic event, your emotional capacity may change. You might have flashbacks, or be triggered by events that remind you of what happened. And in response, you’ll likely develop coping strategies to deal with that sensitivity. For many people, substance use feels like an easy way to manage difficult emotions.
Because of this, there’s a high rate of addiction among people with a history of trauma. In order to heal from either of these concerns, it’s important to treat addiction and trauma at the same time. The Sanctuary’s holistic treatment program is a powerful way to begin this healing journey.
Researchers have found a complex relationship between trauma and addiction. More data is needed to understand the exact dynamic between the two, but the information we do have paints a clear picture. People with one of these conditions are far more likely to have the other.
Some studies have also focused on various populations, suggesting risk factors for certain groups.
After trauma, many people turn to drug use. In particular, childhood trauma can make you more vulnerable to addiction as an adult. One study found that experiencing or witnessing abuse and neglect during early childhood “alters brain development.” This can make it harder for you to manage stress, which increases your risk of addiction.
This may be due to the impact of trauma on emotion regulation. Trauma can color your daily experience of life, causing extreme responses to seemingly innocent stimuli. For example, if you once witnessed a violent event in a cafe, you might be triggered by the smell of coffee.
Triggers can be inconvenient, embarrassing, or even retraumatizing. It’s hard to stay focused if you’re having a panic attack during a breakfast meeting. And trying to avoid triggers can be very isolating. If you have to face situations that bring up unwelcome feelings, you might turn to other ways of controlling your feelings—like substance misuse.
At first, it can feel like drugs give you more control. By artificially changing what you feel, you may be able to face triggers without having a visible response. But that behavior isn’t sustainable. First, it prevents you from processing the trigger and prevents you from doing the important work of healing. Drug use can also cause more trauma.
Not all substance use disorders are due to trauma, but addiction itself can be traumatic. According to one study, “illicit drug use can increase the risk of PTSD” in a number of ways.
Addiction is associated with high-risk behaviors. The act of buying or using drugs might put you in dangerous situations, in which you risk your own safety because of your addiction. Some drugs also impair judgment, leading people to do unsafe things while using them. Over time, your addiction may damage your closest relationships, leaving you with little social support when you need it most.
Not every trauma has a long-term effect on mental health. However, people with substance use disorders are very vulnerable to ongoing symptoms following trauma. Because drugs can change your brain chemistry, you may be less able to withstand the emotional impact of a difficult event.
If substance use is already one of your main coping strategies, and then you develop new mental health symptoms, your addiction can become more severe. And that pattern often becomes a cycle. Addiction leads to trauma, and trauma feeds addiction. It can be difficult to break out of that pattern without help. But with expert support, you can learn to respond to triggers in a healthy way.
Your coping mechanisms exist for a reason. Trauma survivors develop the skills they need to get through immensely difficult situations—and in the short term, some of them can be very valuable. But the skills that help you survive aren’t always the same skills you need to live a life you love.
For example, it’s common for people to dissociate during or after trauma. Dissociation is mentally “checking out” of an experience. The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation describes this as “a ‘mental escape’ when physical escape is not possible.” During the event itself, it’s easy to see why someone would seek out safety in any way they can.
Following trauma, those same strategies can stand in the way of healing. Dissociating during lunch with a trusted friend doesn’t protect you; it just interferes with your friendship. The same logic applies to many other trauma-based responses.
With the right treatment, you can learn to use your coping skills more effectively. You can also integrate healthier behaviors into your daily routine, and start moving toward a balanced and sustainable lifestyle.
For many people, the process of healing from trauma begins with accepting themselves, just as they are. There’s always room for improvement—but blaming and shaming yourself into growth just isn’t effective. Instead, you can learn to recognize the strengths you already have, and integrate them into your recovery process.
At The Sanctuary, we encourage our clients to heal holistically and come into alignment with their values. Individualized treatment lets you choose between methods that support your goals for healing. And by combining different types of therapy, you can center your own needs, instead of following a set path toward recovery.
Trauma can be overwhelming—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Clients engage in several healing modalities during their time at The Sanctuary, including evidence-based therapy and alternative treatments. This allows you to address every aspect of recovery in an integrated way. “Holistic often can be defined as forgetting about Western medicine,” says Program Director Kelley Alexander, J.D., “and that’s not holistic. That’s not looking at the whole.”
Research has found that certain therapies are especially helpful for treating trauma and addiction. Many of these techniques are available for Sanctuary clients, including the following:
Technically, these modalities are classified as talk therapies or behavioral therapies. However, the line between mental and physical health is hazy at best. This is especially true for clients recovering from trauma because traumatic experiences can have a direct biological impact on body and brain function.
Emotional trauma can cause physical distress. Whether or not you have a visible injury, you may experience physical symptoms after a trauma. Holistic therapies honor the complex link between mental and bodily wellness. At the Sanctuary, you can heal your mind and body together, using these techniques:
Some physical activities, like yoga, are related to spiritual practices. At the Sanctuary, you’ll also be invited to heal through activities that are even more focused on spiritual growth.
Data shows that a renewed focus on spirituality can help people find meaning after trauma. Connecting with your higher self is a vital part of recovery.
Spiritual growth is a very personal experience. You may find that some of these techniques aren’t right for you. And that’s okay. That realization can be an important part of recovery. The act of choosing how you’ll heal can be empowering.
No matter what you’ve been through, you have the right and the ability to decide how to heal. By integrating your physical, mental, and spiritual experiences at The Sanctuary, you can learn how to meet your own needs in a sustainable way. That insight is the basis of a meaningful life.
You may not be able to change the past—but you can heal from it. Contact our admissions team today to learn how we can help.
