The effects of trauma is one of the major causes of drug and alcohol addiction rehabilitation in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and across the nation. Although there can be many factors contributing to an individual becoming addicted, experts agree that Trauma is one of the top reasons. With that being said, the focus of this article is on the different types of trauma, and how many addiction treatment centers provide specific therapies to get to the root of an individual’s trauma and mitigate its damaging effects.

First; it’s important to understand that there are hundreds of causes of trauma, and what is considered to be a traumatic event can and will affect people differently. For example; losing a parent or sibling is certainly traumatic, but rarely will it cause a person to resort to drugs and alcohol. The loss of a loved one is a short term trauma that can usually be healed by time and grieving.  There are many other types of “short-term” trauma that every human being will experience and get over without resorting to drug or alcohol abuse.

Trauma Occurring Early in Life May Lead to Drug and Alcohol Addiction Rehabilitation in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

As one of the leading drug and alcohol addiction treatment rehabilitation centers in Fort Lauderdale, Florida we are on the front lines. In many cases we trauma is at the root of our clients addictions. This is one of the reasons we specialize in brain mapping. This clearly identifiies co-occurring disorders which are present in most drug and alcohol addiction cases. One of the biggest is trauma.

The types of Trauma that typically lead to extreme behavior including drug and alcohol addiction is more of a “long-term” trauma. this occurs in approximately 65% – 85% of cases. These include some type of either physical, sexual or verbal abuse. In many cases this abuse may have begun in early childhood or even infancy. Instances of trauma that occur early in life are some of the most damaging types due to human vulnerability in the early stages of development. In writing for The Chronicle of Social Change, Deena McMahon stated

“If the trauma occurred during childhood, which is the case for many people struggling with addiction, often they did not get the services they needed at the time, and likely they had no advocate. The harmful effects of prolonged and repeated experiences of abuse, abandonment, molestation and chronic neglect run deep.”

Help is Available to Victims of Trauma Based Drug and Alcohol Addiction Rehabilitation in Fort Lauderdale

The Source drug and alcohol addiction treatment rehabilitation centers in Fort Lauderdale, Florida has resources to help. We are one of the few South Florida drug rehabs to provide brain mapping. Our experience treating drug and alcohol addiction has shown us co-occurring disorders happen in most cases. If this is not properly treated the chances of long-term recovery are drastically reduced.

Today’s drug and alcohol treatment centers are well aware of the effects of trauma on addiction and have responded with specific trauma related programs.  There are several methods and therapies for treating trauma based Drug and Alcohol Addiction, and each of them are worthy of an entire article. The following is a partial list of treatments and a short description of each.

Of interest and relevance; The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies published an article entitled “Traumatic Stress and Substance Abuse Problems” in which they stated;

“Traumatized people are more likely than others of similar background to abuse alcohol both before and after being diagnosed…”

What Are the Top 5 Ways Drug and Alcohol Addiction in Fort Lauderdale, Florida are Treating Trauma?

1. Individual Therapy – Working one on one with a licensed addiction psychotherapist has always been foundational in addiction treatment – and still is. To gain a successful outcome, it’s important that the relationship between a therapist and recovering addict be one of trust and compassion. The role of a therapist in recovery is not to tell the client what or what not to do; but rather, it’s to guide the client into learning the behaviors that can help the client to “help themselves.”

2. Group Therapy – Group therapy is another foundational tool used by most treatment centers to address Drug and Alcohol Addiction in Fort Lauderdale. By talking in a group setting under the supervision of a qualified addiction professional; recovering addicts often learn that so many other people share similar backgrounds and exposure to the same types of trauma.  These group sessions can initiate revelations to an addict providing an understanding that they are not “special or alone” and that many others share similar unpleasant memories and pain.

3. Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) – Cognitive Processing Therapy is a time tested method of treating trauma and is used in most drug and alcohol treatment centers and programs. It is defined as “a specific type of cognitive behavioral therapy that helps patients learn how to modify and challenge unhelpful beliefs related to the trauma.”

CPT has been proven to be effective in treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder resulting from physical abuse, rape, combat and other extreme types of events.

One of the drawbacks of CPT is that it usually takes a minimum of 12 sessions (and typically over 12) to become therapeutic. Therefore; many folks will begin a CPT program while in a residential addiction treatment program and continue on with the therapy; either on their own, or as part of an IOP drug rehab program.

4. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) – EMDR is a newer therapy being used to treat trauma and related addiction. The EMDR Institute defines EMDR as follows: “EMDR is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences. Repeated studies show that by using EMDR therapy people can experience the benefits of psychotherapy that once took years to make a difference…” Therefore; in certain instances, what previously could have taken years of traditional therapy might be accomplished in only weeks or months through the effective use of EMDR.

5. Rapid Resolution Therapy (RRT) – Another modern and groundbreaking therapy that is particularly effective in treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is called Rapid Resolution Therapy or RRT.  Developed by Jon Connelly, PhD, MSW, LCSW; RRT is designed to resolve specific traumatic events or thoughts through the use of “hypnosis, guided imagery, stories and purposeful communication” Like EMDR, RRT is designed to accomplish meaningful progress in a fraction of the time as it might take using more traditional methods.

As we progress through the 21^st century, and Drug and Alcohol Addiction in Fort Lauderdale continues to spread, additional therapies and methods of treating trauma related addiction are being experimented with and showing significant promise. Some addiction treatment centers have incorporated extensive music, art and equine related therapies; all showing varying levels of success.

COVID 19 Creates Additional Trauma for Victims of Addiction

As of this writing in Mid-May 2020, and worthy of mention is that COVID-19 is creating its own level of trauma throughout the entire globe.  This has placed additional stress on those being treated for drug and alcohol addiction in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and indeed around the country.  As the virus continues to unfold, treatment centers are diligently working to ensure safe environments for all clients and employees.

The corona virus outbreak has caused national isolation. This is not a good situation for individuals in early recovery. It is a perfect storm for those sufferring from drug and alcohol addiction to be face to face with addiction. Being isolated increases the chances for relapse for many individuals. This combined with the loss of physically going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings can get individuals easily off track.

Solutions for Trauma as a Major Cause of Drug and Alcohol Addiction in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The Good News about Treating Trauma and drug and alcohol addiction in Fort Lauderdale is there are solutions. Now that you know one of the major causes, you can learn how to treat it more effectively. You will also increase the chances of long-term sobriety as 1000’s of our clients have experienced.

If we were to look back 30 years ago, we would see few options for treating trauma. There were significantly fewer addiction treatment centers and much of the research at the time considered addiction to be a personal choice and a crime as opposed to a medical condition.  If addiction was still erroneously looked upon in that fashion, we would most likely not be seeking different therapies.  Thankfully, we have come a long way.

Advanced therapies including EMDR, RRT, and others that were not mentioned in this article will lead the way in treating trauma based addiction throughout the balance of the century.  With these new, and some yet undiscovered therapies coupled with advances in technology, there is no telling what addiction treatment might be able to accomplish in the future.

If you are seeking addiction treatment and want to find out of trauma is the major trigger give us a call today. Our drug and alcohol addiction rehabilitation centers in Fort Lauderdale, Florida can help. Call our addiction specialists now at (800) 204-0418.