Both physical and mental trauma can cause problems. In fact, trauma is one of the main issues that lead to mental disorders, including addiction. For this reason, rehab services such as trauma counseling are essential for mental health. However, what is trauma therapy, and how can it help people overcome addiction?
What Is Trauma Therapy?
First, let’s take a look at trauma counseling. Knowing more about this unique type of therapy makes it easier for people to understand how it benefits them.
Trauma counseling can refer to several therapeutic approaches. Therapists use various strategies or techniques to help people overcome past traumatic events. Regardless of the method, the primary goal is to relieve the side effects that the trauma causes.
Types of Trauma Counseling
Although therapists can use numerous counseling techniques to address trauma, they use some more than others. The most common are eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
During EMDR, experts ask their patients to recall the specific traumatic events that trouble them. At the same time, the therapists have them follow an object with their eyes. Studies suggest that this form of eye movement can help the brain reprocess traumatic events. The reprocessing is important since most trauma stems from events that the brain didn’t initially process correctly.
Taking a different approach, CBT focuses on changing negative thoughts and emotions. It’s the belief that these negative aspects lead to negative behaviors. More often than not, they’re the result of past trauma.
Starting the Healing Process
Knowing what trauma therapy is just the beginning. Trauma therapy is one of the first steps in helping people overcome addiction. If people don’t deal with it, then it’ll be challenging to begin the healing process of addiction recovery.
In fact, failing to deal with past trauma makes relapse more likely. People must remember that trauma is one of the leading causes of addiction. Failure to deal with such underlying problems leaves them with the same issues that they had before rehab.
Trauma Therapy as a Part of Dual Diagnosis Treatment
Many people who suffer from trauma may begin using substances. Unfortunately, due to their traumatic experience and substance use, there is a significant chance that they will also develop a mental health condition. If you battle both substance use and mental health conditions, you require the appropriate treatment methods.
The best option for those who are struggling with a combination of these conditions is dual diagnosis treatment. Dual diagnosis treatment addresses both addiction and mental illness concurrently, giving the victim the tools that they need to recover. For many people, this treatment is imperative for long-term recovery.
Those who only get treatment for their addiction may relapse because they do not have the tools they need to battle their mental health condition. Conversely, if you only get treatment for the mental health condition, your continued addiction can lead to other mental health problems.
At Serenity House Detox & Recovery, we offer a range of dual diagnosis treatment options, including:
- Depression treatment
- Anxiety treatment
- PTSD treatment
- Bipolar disorder treatment
- Schizophrenia treatment
We Can Help You Overcome Past Trauma
At Serenity House Detox & Recovery, we pride ourselves on going above and beyond what other detox centers offer. We don’t just help you detox from drugs. We aim to prevent relapse and prepare you for rehab too. With this in mind, we use a range of programs and services such as:
- Medical detox program
- Men’s detox program
- Women’s detox program
- Holistic detox program
- Young adult detox program
Don’t let past trauma continue to cause you problems. Learn more about what trauma therapy is and how it can help you during detox, rehab, and recovery. Reach out to the friendly staff at Serenity House Detox & Recovery today. Contact us online or by calling 866.294.5306.