Trauma

The slippery slope from trauma to addiction

Have traumatic experiences in your past?
Are painful emotions overwhelming you?
Do you turn to substances to cope?
Do addictions control you?

Past experiences can cause real pain. When you can’t escape the resulting emotions from those experiences, even if it was years ago, many will turn to substances to ease that emotional pain. Trauma can lead to a reliance on and even an addiction to substances. Trauma becomes a gateway to addictions, which makes life even more difficult.

What is trauma?

Trauma is defined as an emotional response to a shocking event like a terrible car accident or a violent experience. Immediately after the event, the sufferer typically experiences a jolt to their physical and emotional system. Their brain must store and be able to recall the experience in order to protect from potentially similar experiences. Trauma can be a one-time event. It can also be “complex” when the experience happens over and over.

Unfortunately, as life continues the sufferer can be highly sensitive to reminders or have flashbacks of the event accompanied with the same intense emotions as though it’s all happening again. This “re-experience” can include physical symptoms like chronic fatigue, difficulty sleeping, and gastrointestinal issues. The resulting experience is overwhelming and miserable.

What is addiction?

Addiction here is defined as any substance, thing or activity to which one seeks out repeatedly despite negative consequences. This can be anything from gambling, shopping, going to the gym, using alcohol, nicotine or illegal substances. Through these external substances or activities, a need is getting met. The need to escape the pain! This activates the reward and reinforcement part of the brain creating motivation to continue even though there are strong reasons to stop. If you want to read more, here is an article at Psychologytoday.com that goes further into addiction

What to do?

If you’re using substances or activities to numb or distract yourself from the pain of trauma and want to stop, it’s challenging to know where to begin. Giving up the addiction without a new skill or tool might be too difficult. How would you cope when the thoughts and emotions return? On the flip side, it’s very difficult to make progress in trauma work if you’re using a substance and maintaining the old pain/reward system. This prevents you from learning new tolerance and practicing new skills.

You need support

If you can break an addiction on your own, fantastic. However, if you can’t you might need some backup. Healing from the trauma so that it becomes only a memory and not a trigger for overwhelming emotions is the goal and possible. This is where a skilled counselor you trust, can make the difference. Having someone to guide you toward healing, being compassionate about the addiction, while working to help you break the reliance is key.

Tools like Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Lifespan Integration Therapy along with gold standards like Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and mindfulness, are techniques we use at Bellevue Family Counseling. If you’re looking to get off the slippery slope and break free, book an appointment and get started today.

 

Learn More

Counseling & TBI

Experiencing an impact or blow to the head can create what is known as Traumatic Brain

Injury, or TBI. This is defined as an injury that occurs within the cranium when an external force impacts and injures the brain. When that external force injures the soft tissue of the brain, it is called TBI.

TBI – the “invisible” injury

Unlike a broken bone, the injury isn’t so obvious. The “invisible” injury of the brain can greatly impact not only one’s ability to function but also to manage the resulting distress. Emotions commonly experienced by individuals fighting to recover can be overwhelming, such as anger, sadness, and grief. These can lead to anxiety, hopelessness, and depression.  This is exactly what counseling can help manage and reduce.

Medical doctors for physical healing are critical. Occupational therapists to manage the physical recovery are critical. Counseling to have support for managing the overwhelming emotions are important as well. This is what we can help with at Bellevue Family Counseling.

Counseling for TBI

In addition to helping manage the difficult emotions that arise from TBI, counseling can also support your relationships, help with problems that arise and provide tools to manage the stress that life brings. At Bellevue Family Counseling, we have two excellent counselors available to support you on your journey back to being your best self.

Erin Manhardt works with teens and young adults who have suffered from TBI.  Contact Erin through her team profile here.

Learn More