Did you experience trauma as a child? Perhaps you did not know it then, but as you got older, you started to bury thoughts and feelings. You did not like being around some people. When it comes to childhood trauma and addiction, the two are most certainly linked. At Ethan Crossing Recovery, we offer the trauma and addiction treatment OH residents need to overcome both.
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How Are Childhood Trauma and Addiction Linked?
Over a third of all teens have experienced some type of neglect or abuse in their lifetime prior to reaching the age of 18. When a person experiences trauma at a young age, their brains are still fully forming. They are unable and often unwilling to open up about what is happening because the brain shuts away that event or experience to protect itself. You know it is there. Something happened, but at the same time, you don’t understand what happened or why.
Where Does Trauma Come From?
Childhood trauma and addiction can stem from a wide range of different types of events. What is traumatic for one person may not be traumatic for another person. Some examples of trauma that can lead to addiction use include:
- Sexual assault
- Extreme verbal or emotional abuse
- Witnessing domestic violence
- Fearing for one’s life or that of someone close to them
- Physical assault
- Natural disasters
- Terminal illness
- Repeated harassment
When a person experiences these types of things at a young age, the brain cannot process them to understand them. They become unresolved. That means they lurk in the back of the mind and are never dealt with properly at a mental health treatment center.
How Does Childhood Trauma Affect Addiction?
How childhood trauma and addiction form from here is dependent on other factors. Sometimes, teens and young adults begin to use drugs or alcohol as a way of dealing with those thoughts. These chemicals can relieve stressful emotions. For some, post-traumatic stress disorders occur. This brings with it flashbacks and intense emotions. Some use drugs to deal with these events, pushing them further away.
The key to remember here is that addiction forms because a person has not dealt with these types of abuses. The brain seeks out treatment of some type. Using drugs or alcohol tend to be one of the most common methods of self-medication because it works for a short period of time. However, it worsens the issue over time as well. That is when it becomes so important to seek out an addiction and trauma program in OH for help.
How Can You Move Beyond This?
Through trauma and addiction treatment in OH, it is possible for a person to deal with those emotions. That is not to say that you will have to actually relive them. Your therapist does not want to encourage that. Rather, it is about disassociating the event or experience from the thoughts you have. When we use these methods in a safe setting while also working to help you with your substance abuse disorder, you can recover. You can stop allowing that past trauma from interfering with your life. Most importantly, it can help you to start healing from addiction and trauma you cannot control.
We offer treatment that helps, including:
- Drug addiction detox
- Residential treatment programs
- Intensive outpatient program (IOP)
- Partial hospitalization program (PHP)
- Outpatient treatment program
Help for Childhood Trauma and Addiction at Ethan Crossing
For many, childhood trauma and addiction go together. While this may be true, it does not mean you have to live with either. Our team at Ethan Crossing can help. Through an effective addiction and trauma program in OH, we can work closely with you to achieve your goals. Call our team at 833.691.0736 today to learn more.