There are as many different therapeutic approaches to addiction as there are people struggling with addiction. And healthcare professionals like the experts at WebMD agree that therapy is essential to treating addiction. But beyond the broad categories of addiction therapy services — individual, group, family, and so on — there are several subsets. One of the most essential, we have discovered, is trauma therapy. Indeed, the importance of trauma therapy cannot be overstated.

A significant percentage of people struggling with addiction also have underlying mental conditions that drive their addiction. These “co-occurring disorders,” sometimes called “dual diagnosis,” are all too common. The psychological issues that most frequently underpin addiction are anxiety, depression, and trauma. At Lakeview Health’s trauma disorder treatment center in Jacksonville, FL, we focus on treating the trauma that feeds the addiction. And the primary way that we do this is through trauma therapy. If you are interested in learning more about the importance of trauma therapy, Lakeview Health is an excellent place to start.

The Importance of Trauma Therapy

More Americans are struggling with addiction today than ever before. The Centers of Addiction have indicated that more than 40 million Americans facing addiction. That’s one in every seven people: more than suffer from cancer, diabetes, or heart conditions. What few people understand, however, is that addiction is not a disease that comes out of nowhere. An enormous number of studies linking trauma — especially childhood trauma — and addiction have been published in recent years. And according to the U.S. Department of Justice, upwards of 70% of adolescents suffering from addiction have been exposed to trauma.

At a trauma disorder treatment center, we understand the importance of trauma therapy in treating addiction. And at our trauma disorder treatment center in Jacksonville, FL, in particular, we focus on helping you heal in a variety of ways. By using an array of therapeutic approaches, we focus on healing your addiction at its very root. This means treating your trauma alongside your addiction with a trauma-informed therapy program. And by addressing both, we provide the tools you need to live a life free of drugs and alcohol. If you have been exposed to traumatic events and are suffering from addiction, Lakeview Health’s trauma disorder treatment center might be right for you.

What to Expect in Trauma Therapy

In order to understand the importance of trauma therapy, it is essential to know how it works. The first thing to understand is that trauma therapy comprises any treatment aimed at treating trauma specifically. This means that trauma therapists are not limited to only one approach.

What all of the approaches share, however, is a single set of goals. These include:

• Helping the patient address, process, and move past the traumatic event
• Reducing or even eliminating the symptoms of trauma, especially as they regard daily functioning
• Encouraging the patient to shift their focus from the past to the present and future
• Raising awareness of the issues surrounding trauma as we treat them
• Giving the patient the tools to operate confidently and independently in the world
• Overcoming the addiction that has resulted from the trauma, and helping them to avoid relapse

Understanding the importance of trauma therapy means understanding the importance of trauma. And once you are able to accept that the root of your addiction is something that you have the power to fix, you can begin your journey of recovery.

Contact Lakeview Health Today

Once you understand the importance of trauma therapy and getting proper treatment, it is possible to recover from both addiction and trauma. At Lakeview Health, we are committed to giving you the help, guidance, and support essential to recovering from these two simultaneously occurring conditions. Contact Lakeview Health online today for more information about our trauma disorder treatment center.