Menu Close

How Childhood Trauma Impacts Addiction 

childhood trauma and addiction

Our experiences–and how we respond to them–shape who we are. Childhood trauma and addiction often go hand-in-hand because using drugs and alcohol briefly eliminate the pain caused by unhealed trauma. When you experience trauma, especially as a child, and the brain does not correctly process it, it can lead to a lifetime of struggle. Trauma-informed care can help you move past this limitation and on to a better future. At Recovery Bay Center, we can help your loved one address both trauma and addiction in order to make a full recovery.

The Link Between Childhood Trauma and Addiction

At Recovery Bay Center, the level of care you receive is always unique to your needs. When it comes to those who have childhood trauma and addiction, treating both conditions through dual diagnosis allows us to give you the tools and resources you need to heal. We also offer treatment for the following mental health issues:

  • Depression
  • Anger
  • Mood disorders
  • Acute psychological distress

When trauma occurs, the brain is not able to process what is happening. Whatever happened to you, such as seeing someone you love die, facing physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, or otherwise struggling with what you’ve experienced, can profoundly alter how you approach conflict and deal with stress.  Many people try to forget about childhood trauma because they don’t want to live in the past. Unfortunately, repressing trauma or pretending it didn’t happen causes psychological and behavioral issues that can lead to addiction.  In fact, for those who have childhood trauma and addiction, the addiction is often caused or brought on by your need to push aside the symptoms, memories, and feelings you have about that trauma. Your brain is looking for relief, and drugs or alcohol sometimes helps with this.

See also  Helping a Codependent Loved One 

How Dual Diagnosis Can Help You

If you have any type of childhood trauma and addiction, you have a very real need to get support and help. Our team can do that for you through dual diagnosis. The first part of this treatment is to get you help for your substance use disorder. That may include detox or medications to help you. Then, we work with you on mental health needs. A variety of medications are available to help you, as are a wide range of therapies. We offer therapies such as these that may be a part of your mental health care:

  • EMDR
  • Nutritional education and counseling
  • Holistic therapy
  • Individual therapy
  • Psychotherapy
  • Neurofeedback therapy

There are many types of therapies available that can comprehensively help you break the impact of the trauma you are facing. Yet, we will not encourage you to relive what you are experiencing or even try to understand why this happened. The goal, instead, is to help you to move on.

How Our Team Can Help You With Dual Diagnosis

Our mental health and addiction treatment services are here to help you. Let us help you with everything you’re going through in our men’s treatment center. We offer the care you need, including:

When you recognize how trauma and addiction have changed you, it’s time to realize that you can make a change in your future. Our team at Recovery Bay Center wants to help you. All you have to do is to reach out to us to learn how.

See also  Understanding the Types of Depression

Choose to Get Help Today – Call Recovery Bay Center

Childhood trauma and addiction have changed who you are and the control you have over your future. They do not have to dictate your future if you take action today. Our dual diagnosis support services are here to help you. When you treat addiction and mental health, you find balance and peace. Learn more about how our team at Recovery Bay Center can help you. Call our team at 833.991.2955 or reach out to us online for immediate help.