Addiction happens for many reasons, but at the center of it, there is always a reason. For women, some of the most common reasons have to do with an attempt to self-medicate, whether that is for an undiagnosed or untreated mental health disorder or trauma. Exposure to trauma, especially chronic trauma or childhood trauma, can increase the likelihood that women will develop mental health disorders and addiction, particularly as they try to self-medicate to cover up certain symptoms. In this blog, we’ll learn more about the role of trauma in women’s substance abuse.
What is Trauma?
Trauma refers to events or circumstances that you are exposed to, affect you, or that you witness. These are typically emotionally harmful, life-threatening, and physically dangerous. Some examples include:
- Violence
- Systemic poverty during childhood
- Systemic discrimination
- Mental health
- Childhood abuse
- Domestic violence
- Assault
Trauma doesn’t have to be something that directly affects you; instead, it could be something that harms someone you love or something that you witness. For example, a woman might be exposed to trauma by witnessing domestic violence in her home growing up, by experiencing domestic violence herself, or by having a child who is the victim of domestic violence. All of these cases can be traumatic.
The Role of Trauma in Women’s Substance Abuse
Exposure to trauma increases the risk of health issues, including the development of mental health disorders and addiction. Studies have found that long-term exposure to trauma increases your vulnerability to things like PTSD, depression, or anxiety. This can have a negative impact on several areas of life, such as:
- Problems finding pleasure in social activities or hobbies
- Problems holding down a job
- Problems trusting people, developing or maintaining relationships
- Problems with emotional regulation
Women who experience these symptoms are more likely to try to self-medicate in order to cover up or suppress the unprocessed traumatic emotions and memories. Regular stress from trauma disrupts the natural structure of the brain, making women more susceptible to mental health concerns and addiction.
There is a strong correlation between childhood trauma and addiction as well. Traumatic experiences in childhood can actually cause brain abnormalities that result in cognitive, behavioral, and social impairments for women.
The Role of Trauma-Informed Care
For those women with a background of trauma, getting help for addiction can seem a frightening prospect, especially when there is a risk that clinicians, therapists, or other personnel might be triggering.
For that reason, it’s important to work with a women’s drug and alcohol rehab centers that understand the role of trauma in women’s substance abuse. You want a facility that avoids retraumatization, uses trauma-informed professionals who have been skilled and trained to avoid such triggers and utilizes non-judgment, collaboration, and empathy.
The right facility will specialize in better organizational practices that focus more exclusively on the way trauma has influenced where you are currently by offering empowerment and collaboration, informed choices for the treatment you have, and active participation in a group setting, all while feeling emotionally and physically safe.
Overcoming Trauma in Women’s Substance Abuse Treatment
At Casa Serena, we are a women’s only treatment center, located just a few minutes from the beach. We provide a full continuum of care starting with sub-acute detox, then residential care, outpatient treatment options, and sober living.
We work hard to provide luxury treatment for women, by women, with special attention paid to the role of trauma in addiction and trauma in women’s substance abuse treatment.
Clients do not abuse drugs without cause, and for women, that cause is often linked to trauma. For that reason, our trauma-informed organization means each staff member is trained to avoid potential triggers for clients. We focus on helping our clients build insight and understanding of previous trauma and the relationship it has to current behaviors. This is achieved through a range of therapies, including:
- Trauma treatment
- Family therapy
- Mental wellness programs
- CBT and DBT
- EMDR
- Body-Mind balance programs
- Career counseling
- EcoTherapy
We work hard to help each client feel safe, seen, and heard from the start.
Overall, the role of trauma in women’s substance abuse rates is significant. Many women have been subject to at least one form of trauma in their lives. Untreated trauma can cause symptoms that women try to control with drugs or alcohol. If you have developed an addiction, we can help with our women’s-only programs.
Contact Casa Serena at (866) 590-8601 to learn more about our programs for women.