If you have experienced trauma in your life, which has triggered an addiction to drugs or alcohol, you may have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD can lead to a chain of events that can affect you mentally and physically. Not only are you more at risk for heart disease, cancer, and digestive ailments, you may also have difficulties with relationships. These problems can lead to symptoms that result from anger, irritation, fear, or depression. Trauma counseling can help a person with PTSD, as it often is hard to speak to a friend or even a loved one about an experience they have not gone through themselves. This is true about any traumatic experience. By speaking to a counselor, you can process the reasons for your feelings and behaviors.
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Types of Traumatic Experiences
Events that can lead to a traumatic experience include:
- Sexual assault or an assault – either by someone known to you or a stranger
- Combat experience while serving the military
- Going through a natural disaster, such as a hurricane, earthquake, tornado, wildfire, or flood
- Surviving a serious auto accident
- Dealing with a serious injury from a fall or similar mishap
To deal with PTSD, many people self-medicate with drugs or alcohol to deal with the emotions of the event. That is why trauma therapy is often offered for people who enter a drug rehab program. To overcome their addictions, they can use the therapy to avoid triggering a relapse.
Symptoms of PTSD or Trauma
The following symptoms are related to PTSD or trauma. If you experience these symptoms, you need to work them out and talk to a trauma counselor or consider Trauma Counseling.
- Having recurring nightmares about a frightening event
- Having upsetting images or memories that won’t go away
- Avoiding certain places or refusing to talk about certain subjects
- Feeling like a certain event is currently happening
PTSD leads to negative thinking and problems with sleep as well. Some people engage in more reckless behaviors.
How Trauma Therapy Can Help
Trauma-based psychotherapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy, are two forms of treatment that can help people who have experienced trauma resume a more normal life. Advantages of the treatments include:
- Looking forward to the future instead of concentrating on the past
- Reducing the symptoms associated with PTSD
- Learning certain coping skills
- Getting along better with others personally and professionally
- Taking a more realistic and positive approach to life
By speaking to a counselor–someone who understands how trauma can lead to feelings of isolation, loneliness, fear, and depression–, you can express yourself in a non-biased forum. By taking this approach, you can gain a more realistic perspective on resolving the feelings a past trauma has caused.
Everything you learn in trauma therapy can be applied to your interactions and daily living activities. Doing so can mean the difference between upset and freedom. If you have experienced a traumatic event, make counseling a priority. Getting at the root of the problem is the first step to setting yourself free.
