Stress is part of everyday life. Over time, you try to build coping skills, but sometimes circumstances become too hard. It might be because of emotional pain tied to a specific event — something so enormous that it turns your life upside down. When this happens, consider trauma therapy. But what is trauma therapy?
Trauma therapy is a branch of counseling that recognizes the significance of these major events and works to help reframe your thinking. The application of trauma therapy isn’t exclusive to events that have already passed, either. You can still be experiencing the trauma. Part of what makes traumatic events so challenging is they come with the potential to lapse into substance abuse. That’s why trauma therapy exists.
Basics of Therapy
To understand trauma therapy, it may be helpful to also have a working knowledge of the purposes of therapy. Therapy is a place where you can speak confidentially to a trained professional about your life and the people in it.
There are many reasons for seeking therapy. Some people just need a neutral party to listen to them as a way of understanding feelings. Others pursue therapy to deal with a specific problem as in addiction treatment therapies. Whatever the reasons, therapy is meant to be non-judgmental.
It’s important to note that the therapist’s role is not to solve problems for you. They can’t tell you what to think or what to do. That’s your job.
What is Trauma Therapy?
Professionals who provide trauma therapy seek to help understand the source of trauma, how it impacts your life and sense of well-being, and guide you to build capacity to move forward. Trauma therapists also work to look at how the trauma impacts the full spectrum of your life, including friends and family.
You can imagine the importance of trauma therapy as it pertains to military service, which results in a high degree of cases of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. But PTSD is a real factor in everyday life. Some studies suggest that 3.5 percent of the population will experience PTSD in a particular year, according to GoodTherapy.org, an education resource for therapy. Some of the situations that can cause PTSD include:
- Car, boat or train accidents
- Domestic violence
- Sexual abuse
- Witnessing a violent crime
- Onset of severe health problems
It’s easy to see how traumatic events can lead directly to signs of addiction. Asking the question, “what is trauma therapy” could be an important step to prevent that.
Trauma and Substance Abuse
The link between trauma and substance abuse is very real. According to a report from the National Trauma Consortium, more than 30 percent of women in substance abuse treatment report having experienced physical or sexual abuse.
In many instances, the trauma happened years earlier, during childhood, researchers say. According to an article on the website of Hackensack Meridian Health, citing the Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences study of 17,000 patients: “A child who experiences four or more traumatic events is five times more likely to become an alcoholic … and up to 46 times more likely to become an injection-drug user than the general population.”
Understanding how to answer the question “what is trauma therapy?” is often a way beginning the process of recovery from substance abuse at bay.
Dealing with the Past
Putting up a brave face in life is what we’re encouraged to do sometimes by society. But often the best solution is to be able to admit you need help – even if you don’t quite understand why. If you or a loved one is suffering from substance abuse issues, perhaps tied to previous trauma. Reach out to Georgia Addiction Treatment Center to learn the answer to the question, “what is trauma therapy.” We focus on substance abuse treatment and care, along with the mental health issues that come along with them. Our staff includes board-certified therapists, counselors, and medical professionals. Don’t struggle in silence. Contact us at 833.641.0661 to learn about our rehab admissions process today.
