Let us help you through your trauma
There are many aspects of addiction which require addressing during an individual’s time in treatment. If the underlying causes of addiction are not identified and confronted, when these issues arise outside of treatment walls, recovering individuals may be at risk for relapsing and, in turn, overdosing. While every individual may have their own, individualized causes for developing addictive behaviors, one of the most common underlying conditions is trauma.
What is Trauma Resolution Therapy?
Trauma resolution therapy is a specific type of individual therapy which includes determining and addressing traumatic experiences individuals may have experienced, even if they don’t remember them. While at first, trauma resolution therapy was created to help individuals to reduce negative symptoms brought on by trauma, it has been adopted throughout the years to help a more broad range of patients.There are a number of negative side effects that can occur as a result of trauma which trauma resolution therapy can help to identify and address including:
- Mood swings
- Feelings of shame or guilt
- Avoidance of loved ones/responsibility
- Chronic pain
- Trouble with concentration
- Inability to express intimacy
- Self-harming behaviors
- Panic attacks
What is Trauma?
Essentially, trauma is a psychological response to an emotional, disturbing situation or series of events. Trauma can develop from a range of situations; from getting in a car accident to being physically or sexually assaulted. While traumatic experiences may affect everyone differently, some examples of traumatic situations include:
- Natural disaster
- Car accident
- Loss of loved one
- Witnessing violent crime
- Being a victim of violent crime
- Sexual assault
- Childhood abuse
Cases of traumatic events can either be a singular event, or they can occur over a length of time. When they happen repetitively, it’s known as complex trauma. Complex trauma is traumatic situations which usually occur redundantly within the same setting, relationship, and/or time period. For example, childhood abuse which happened for a series of years would be characterized as complex trauma.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Addiction
When individuals suffer from symptoms of traumatic events by exhibiting the symptoms listed above, and these symptoms interfere with everyday life, individuals are diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Those diagnosed with PTSD commonly seek therapy, medications, or other resources to help reduce symptoms of their disorder to no avail. And, when there is nowhere else to turn and nothing seems to work, those struggling with the effects of PTSD may try various substances to dull the pain. And, while substances may provide relief from symptoms of trauma for a short while, they always come back. Unfortunately, far too many individuals struggling with PTSD reach for substances enough times to develop dependence and eventual addictive behaviors.
Trauma Resolution Therapy for PTSD and Addiction
If someone comes to addiction treatment, is diagnosed with PTSD, and only gets treatment for addiction, their chances of remaining sober are minimal. The effects of PTSD don’t just go away when someone stops drinking or using drugs. Without disrupting harmful behaviors and thinking patterns through therapy, individuals will likely turn back to their drug of choice when dealing with symptoms of their PTSD after treatment concludes. So, for these patients, Trauma Resolution Therapy is used throughout treatment to provide the optimal chance for recovery success long-term wellbeing.
How Does it Work?
While individualized talk therapy does help people dealing with the symptoms of trauma, and is a great additional tool, Trauma Resolution Therapy works a bit differently. However, the setting is much of the same; one-on-one sessions with a specialized trauma therapist. Instead of how talk therapy uses storytelling to recount traumatic events, a Trauma Resolution Therapy therapist guides patients into a state of altered consciousness, or hypnosis. Once in this state of hypnosis, patients are slowly guided to recall the events of their traumatic experience. The safety of the environment and the relaxation of the hypnosis often allows individuals to recall their painful situations in a way which warrants no extreme emotional response. This helps the patient to offset the negative energy associated with their traumatic experiences. This often results in feelings of acceptance, peace, calm, and composure for patients.
All in all, Trauma Resolution Therapy is a way to address and confront trauma as it relates to addiction without intrusive, uncomfortable, and rushed techniques. Each session is based on the patient’s needs and usually doesn’t conclude until the patients respond in a positive way and receive relief from symptoms brought on by trauma.
Who Can Benefit from Trauma Resolution Therapy?
While this type of therapy was designed specifically to help individuals dealing with emotional effects of trauma, it can also help individuals dealing with other issues as well. That’s because many emotional disturbances may have an underlying root cause, and identifying and confronting these causes through guided therapy can help to reduce symptoms. Patients who can benefit from the advantages of Trauma Resolution Therapy may include those dealing with:
- Low self-regard
- Substance abuse disorder
- Self-destructive behaviors like eating disorders
- Suicidal thoughts/actions
- Compulsive anger
- Obsessive-compulsive disorders
- Various accounts of trauma/PTSD
Trauma Resolution Therapy at Asheville Recovery Center
Here at Asheville Recovery Center, we want to give every person seeking the freedom from addiction the means to do so. So, we understand the importance addressing symptoms of PTSD and trauma, mood disorders, and any other underlying conditions which may affect a person’s chance at obtaining true, lasting recovery. If you think that you could benefit from the many advantages Trauma Resolution Therapy can offer, please contact us today to speak confidentially with an addiction specialist!