Millions of Americans have reported experiencing at least one traumatic event in their lives. The effects of childhood trauma have been studied extensively in adults, and many people who seek help for their mental health later in life have experienced some form of trauma. Trauma experienced in childhood can quite literally change the makeup of the brain, as the way it adapts can be affected by certain stressors.
The long-term effects of trauma are important to understand when treating someone who is seeking help for an addiction. A link has been studied between the two, and when looking for help with recovery from a substance use disorder, look for a treatment facility that includes trauma-informed care. The professionals who treat you or your loved one should focus on all the contributing factors to your addiction in order to treat it comprehensively. To learn more about the benefits of trauma-informed care, call Skywood Outpatient at 248.617.6237 or connect with us online.
Childhood Trauma
The human brain is a fascinating thing. The brain has the ability to grow and change based on certain stimuli, and this phenomenon is known as plasticity. If a person experiences an event or a series of events in childhood that are not processed correctly, the structure of the brain changes to adapt. If these changes are not assessed and reversed as a person grows older, they often result in maladjustment to life and myriad mental health problems,
Some examples of childhood trauma are:
- Neglect
- Abuse (physical, mental, and emotional)
- Poverty or homelessness
- Witnessing violence or abuse in the home
- Serious accident or illness
There are also factors that can affect how well the child’s brain responds to the event. Depending on how close the event or events are to the child, how their caregivers respond to the trauma, how serious the events were, or whether there was previous trauma, the brain reacts accordingly.
Long-Term Effects of Trauma
As an adult, childhood trauma can manifest in many ways. Emotional difficulties like anger or aggression, anxiety, self-destructive behavior, or low self-esteem can occur. Some of these challenges can even manifest physically, putting childhood trauma survivors at higher risk for things like heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes. It is not uncommon for people who have experienced trauma to have difficulty maintaining healthy relationships, performing well at work, or excelling academically.
Link Between Addiction and Trauma
One reason that understanding the correlation between addiction and trauma is important is because when a child experiences physical or sexual trauma, they can become more vulnerable to addiction as adults. With this knowledge, the adults in that child’s life can help take preventative measures to keep them from developing these types of problems later in life.
It is also important because when an individual is being treated for their substance use disorder, they can be additionally treated for the childhood trauma they’ve endured. This can be done through support groups, individual counseling, or holistic forms of healing. What is important is that these old wounds are tended to so that the chances of recovery are as high as they can be.
Trauma-Informed Care at Skywood Outpatient
Seeking treatment for a substance use disorder can be a daunting and confusing process. At Skywood Outpatient, we try to make that process as seamless and thorough as possible to ensure that we offer you a chance at recovery. We want to dig to the bottom of the addiction and take every step we can to set you up for success, offering a variety of programs and services to help get you on your way, including:
- Family therapy
- Group therapy
- Depression treatment
- EMDR
- DBT
If you or a loved one are seeking trauma-informed care, you may find what you need at Skywood Outpatient. Call 248.617.6237 or reach out to us online today for more information.