Move Past and Heal from Traumatic Experience
Substance abuse and chemical dependency is very often linked to trauma. Trauma is defined as an emotional response to a singular or repetitive significant negative event which makes it hard for a person to move on and live a normal life. These events can take many forms, and some of the most commonly reported traumatic experienced include:
- Rape
- Poverty
- Sexual Molestation
- Domestic Abuse
- Military Combat
- Bullying Natural
- Disaster Death of a Loved One
- Near Death of One’s Self (automotive accident, significant falls, etc.)
Patients often cope with their trauma through a variety of self-destructive behaviors, most notably substance abuse. Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches offers a full menu of therapies to help patients successfully confront and process their trauma as well as overcome their subsequent chemical dependency.
Trauma and Mental Health
In between trauma and addiction is psychological imbalance. In many cases, patients can experience an acute or reoccurring mental disorder resulting from their traumatic event. Victims of trauma and addiction are particularly at risk for developing depression or an anxiety disorder. If these issues are left untreated, they can easily lead to substance abuse and ultimately chemical dependency.
Identifying and Treating Trauma
Our professionals will start with a complete patient history and psychological examination, during which they will work to determine the level of trauma from which the patient is suffering. Trauma cases usually fall into one of three categories, the higher the category signaling the more severe trauma.
Once we identify the level of trauma and how it’s contributed to the patient’s addiction, we quickly get to work assembling a customized course of therapy. Patients will work with their therapists in both group and individualized counseling, while exploring our full array of specialized trauma management therapies.
