Nobody arrives in recovery entirely trauma-free. The relationship between addiction and trauma is often direct. Additionally, trauma and addiction are similar in that they both produce physical changes in the brain.
Addiction, after all, is a brain disease. This is important to understand so that the right treatments can be used to manage its symptoms and allow the brain to heal. Similarly, understanding the effects of trauma on the brain is vital for recovery from trauma.
Types of Trauma
Trauma can encompass many different things. For example, some events are obviously traumatic, such as death, natural disasters, combat, and violence.
There are also more subtle forms of trauma. Some people experience the symptoms of trauma without realizing that what they have experienced was traumatic. Many people, for instance, have abandonment trauma from childhood. Betrayal trauma is another unfortunately common experience.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
When a traumatic event is particularly impactful, some people develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This disorder consists of four main features:
- Re-experiencing. Reliving traumatic events is expressed by symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive memories.
- Avoidance. Some patients with trauma never discuss the events at all. Another common feature is staying away from certain places, people, or triggers out of fear.
- Reactivity. High levels of stress, strong startle response, or constant feelings of anger or fear are reactive symptoms.
- Intrusive thoughts. These can extend well beyond the event and develop into other cognitive issues, such as inability to trust others.
How Trauma Hijacks the Brain
Any traumatic event can force a person into “survival mode.” Neuroscientist Paul McClean’s theory of the three-part brain is helpful for understanding how our minds are affected by negative events.
Research published by Frontiers in Psychiatry in 2022 confirms that while more recent discoveries show more interaction between the parts of the brain and raise more developed theories, three core brain regions are affected by stress.
#1. The Brain Stem
This part of our brain is its deepest layer. The brain stem regulates our instincts, which have developed over time through evolution. This is why it is often dubbed the “lizard brain.”
It’s a bit like a computer that orders our bodies to execute basic survival functions: eat, sleep, breathe, and in healthy folks, pursue sex.
A traumatic event tends to make people revert to this basic level. This is because, during trauma, people may be in danger. It’s helpful to be in survival mode during acute trauma. Over time, however, it can be damaging to stay in survival mode too long.
#2. The Midbrain
Our limbic system, which is where most of our emotional life comes from, is integrated by the midbrain. Traumatic events may disable critical emotional processes or reasoning for some time. This can reduce our ability to make good long-term decisions. Instead, we may find ourselves pursuing immediate gratification more often.
This part is also largely responsible for our behavior in relationships and social settings. When this system is not working right, we may be especially vulnerable to peer pressure and other forms of negative social influence. We may find ourselves increasingly making choices that are not in line with our values.
The current understanding is that substance use and addiction are heavily influenced by midbrain processes. That is why many recovery programs include treatments like individual and group therapy. In therapy, we can learn more about healthy boundaries, emotional regulation, and other vital midbrain skills.
#3. The Forebrain
This last part executes complex functions. These include reading, writing, math, driving, and most forms of working. For the forebrain to operate at its best, the first two “levels” of the brain must be reasonably healthy. Unfortunately, unhealed trauma often means that this is not the case.
There is good news, though! Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to create new neural pathways. Our brains are constantly rewiring themselves to adapt to our habits and surroundings. When healing from trauma, we can use this natural mechanism of the brain to supercharge our healing. People with trauma can unlearn destructive habits, acquire new coping skills, and heal their brains over time.
Healing the Brain from Trauma
People affected by past traumas do have hope for recovery. PTSD is quite common as a dual diagnosis in recovery.
At Dream Recovery, we know addressing trauma is vital to long-term success. Rare is the client whose addiction isn’t informed or even driven by trauma. Recovery is an ideal time to learn to process and appropriately cope with the trauma you have experienced.
Fortunately, there are many effective treatments for trauma and PTSD. At Dream Recovery, we provide evidence-based trauma therapies as well as holistic treatments. Together, these approaches to recovery can help you effectively heal. Three of the most effective treatments for PTSD are:
#1. Eye Movement Reprocessing Desensitization (EMDR)
This modality first came to global attention for its success in treating combat-related trauma in veterans. However, EMDR is now available to the general public.
Using a moving light, sound, or pulse, a therapist guides the patient through their memories of trauma. This modality creates an interaction between the left and right brain, which is crucial to healing.
#2. Brainspotting
This treatment evolved out of EMDR but is even more precise.
Brainspotting uses neuroscience innovations to provide imaging of the brain. We are proud to offer this highly effective therapy at Dream Recovery.
#3. Talk Therapy
Conventional evidence-based talk therapy has been around for a long time. It is still very effective today in helping people heal from trauma.
This therapy comes in various forms. Two of its most common forms are cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). In any form of talk therapy, the client and therapist work together to unpack and process trauma.
Trauma informs so much of the addiction and recovery process that managing it is a necessity. Dream Recovery is proud to be a dual diagnosis treatment center. Many of our clients arrive with active trauma or have PTSD diagnoses. We know the importance of resolving, processing, and coping with the past for enjoying the present and moving toward a better future. If you or a loved one needs treatment for trauma and addiction, we provide multiple modalities of treatment across every level of care. These include everything from conventional talk therapies such as CBT and DBT to cutting-edge brainspotting technology. If you have questions or know someone who needs help, please don’t hesitate. Call us at (657) 216-7218.
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