Childhood Trauma and Addiction

Traumas suffered in childhood can be carried with a person throughout their life. Some people can overcome these issues on their own. Many people, however, seek help through therapy to overcome these problems.

Unfortunately, some people turn to self-medication to help them deal with the problems from their past.

Those who try to mask the pain through drug or alcohol abuse often find themselves coping with an addiction. These chemicals cannot cure the pain they feel, nor can they even help, so the person finds themselves using more and more to feel better.

The great news is that it does not have to stay this way. You do not have to live with an addiction, and you do not have to live with the pain from your past. There is help.

Addiction recovery center dual diagnosis treatment programs

When you enter into drug rehab, you will work with many different people. One of those people will be a substance abuse counselor. Your counselor will help you get to the root cause of your addiction. They will also be there to help you as you go through the stressful process of detoxing.

It is a misconception that addiction is the result of having poor self-control. Addiction is usually the result of someone trying to cope with another issue in their life that is too hard to manage on their own.

In the case of childhood trauma, you may be experiencing anxiety, depression, or suffering in other ways from that trauma. You may have post-traumatic stress or mental health concerns that medical professionals have not appropriately addressed.

Overcoming issues in rehab

When you are in drug rehab, you can get the help you need to overcome these issues to feel better and live happier. You will get the treatment you deserve for these underlying issues so that you can overcome your addiction. You will not need that addiction when these problems have been managed.

When you can cope with these underlying issues, the freedom you will feel cannot easily be put into words. But the best word to use is relief. You will feel relieved at not having to feel bad or struggle with your emotions.

Learning new skills in drug rehab

Drug rehabilitation has changed so much over the last few decades. In the past, it was all about physical detox, and that was it. Now, drug rehab is about healing the person physically, mentally, and emotionally so that they can stay sober once they leave the program.

In addition to being treated medically for other conditions that may be contributing to or resulting from your addiction, you will also learn many new social skills while in the program.

Why new life skills matter for recovery

Why is this important? Because after you have been suffering for so long, it may feel weird to interact with people without being under the influence. This is especially true for those who have suffered from childhood traumas.

Children who suffer trauma may find it hard to socialize or feel accepted in a crowd. This is one of the contributing factors to addiction. Learning new social skills while you are in drug rehab helps you go out into the world feeling more confident. You will know how to interact with people while sober.

Rehab is refreshing

Part of rehabilitation will also be discovering what your triggers are that may cause a relapse. Knowing what types of things may cause you to relapse will help you avoid those situations or seek help if they cannot be avoided. This is a skill to be learned and is part of a good rehab program.

A final skill you will learn is that you are not alone. There are other people who have suffered similar situations and have found themselves with an addiction. There are other people that have overcome these problems with help. And most importantly, there are people that are available to help you at all times. This is the most important skill to learn.

Others can help

You will learn that you do not have to depend on yourself to make yourself feel better. There are caring people and professional help available to you. This is one of the best things to learn in rehab. Children who have been traumatized often feel very alone. They have depended on themselves to stay safe for long periods of time. Discovering that they are not alone can be the first step to recovery.