Childhood trauma that is not appropriately dealt with is the root cause of many of the problems that plague us as adults. Trauma is often the cause of addiction to the frequently used substances to relieve the pain and soothe the psyches disturbed by this trauma. The same substances that we turn to self-medicate in times of emotional turmoil are often the ones that blunt our emotional responses and perpetually prevent us from dealing with that trauma.
Addressing childhood trauma is a necessary piece in solving the complex puzzle of addiction. At Baltimore Detox Center, our trauma therapy program allows people to start healing from trauma and begin overcoming addiction issues. If you feel that you may benefit from this type of therapy, reach out to our team today.
Signs of Untreated Childhood Trauma in Adults
The lingering effects of childhood trauma on an individual’s overall functioning can profoundly affect every avenue of their life. Commonly seen symptoms of unprocessed childhood trauma include:
- Angry outbursts
- Insomnia, erratic sleep patterns, or night terrors
- Depression
- Panic attacks
- Anxiety
- Personality disorders
Trauma generates powerful emotions, and unless we process these emotions when the trauma initially occurs, it becomes stuck in our mind and body. Instead of healing from the traumatizing event, the trauma resides in us and continues to stifle us in every aspect of life. Psychological trauma therapy techniques are often used to uncover where the trauma started for you and how to best confront it. The goal is to realize its place in your story while integrating the lessons you learn from therapy programs into your future.
Trauma Therapy for Recovery
Trauma comes in many forms, and there are many causes behind it. Some children will process an interaction or event as traumatic, while the same event would be seen differently by an adult. Children are sensitive and don’t always understand the world around them or have the words to express how they are feeling. Examples of serious life events that can cause trauma:
- Rape/sexual abuse
- Stress from poverty
- Witnessing violence
- Verbal abuse
- Bullying or violence
- Isolation or neglect
- Serious medical conditions or accidents
- Separation from a parent
- Death of a loved one
Since the ability to deal with trauma on your own is quite limited, trauma therapy is an essential aspect of healing.
Trauma Therapy Options
Some common trauma therapy options at Baltimore Detox Center include:
- Prolonged exposure therapy – This type of therapy involves the client recounting their memory of the traumatic event in the greatest detail possible, over and over again, to a therapist. The theory is that as the memory is repeatedly confronted, the brain has the chance to process that the memory is now harmless, and desensitization takes place. Again, this is an effective, well-researched method of addressing trauma.
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EDMR) – The client focuses on the worst part of the traumatic experiences for short bursts of time while moving their eyes back and forth in a specific path guided by the therapist. The pattern is repeated until the distress of the memory on the client is alleviated. The precise mechanism behind why this therapy works so well is not completely known. Still, EDMR has been demonstrated to be more efficient than the traditional exposure therapy methods for trauma processing.
- Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) – CPT is an exposure variant that involves having the client write down traumatic experiences rather than speak about them. Writing instead of talking about the trauma can provide comfort to the client by creating distance from the traumatic memory. Thus, making the procedure less scary.
Begin to Heal with Baltimore Detox Center’s Trauma Therapy Program
As children, it is hard to distinguish that there is a difference between our emotions and who we are as people. Emotional expression isn’t always encouraged, and we don’t know how to separate ourselves from our emotions, so we may believe very early on that we aren’t acceptable as people.
The mission of Baltimore Detox Center is to approach detox from a whole-person perspective of healing. Our team proudly offers many trauma therapy options for people to begin their recovery. If you would like more information about how our trauma therapy program can help you, contact our team today by calling [Direct].
