Tag: Trauma

Posted on

Psychedelic Therapy: A New Treatment for PTSD

Psychedelic therapy has been gaining traction and creating a reputable name for itself in the recovery community. The curiosity around psychedelic treatment for mental health began in the 1950s1 (although medicinal psychedelic use originates back hundreds of years) when LSD showed initial therapeutic promise in human trials. In the mid 1960s, a legislative ban was placed on this research. 

Fast forward to 1994, psychedelics such as psilocybin were approved once again for research in the United States. Today, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)2 serves as the foundation for human neuroimaging, psychology, and psychopharmacology studies with psychedelics.

Psychedelic therapy is becoming more and more common among providers, specifically for disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. This new age approach to healing offers patients a plethora of benefits, especially for those who do not resonate with traditional therapies. 

What Is Psychedelic Therapy?

Psychedelic therapy uses psychedelic substances such as psilocybin (naturally occurring in magic mushrooms), MDMA (commonly known as ecstasy), and LSD within a controlled therapeutic setting. Their therapeutic use can facilitate mental health recovery and personal growth.

Psychedelics alter your state of consciousness3, usually producing positive changes in perception, thought patterns, emotions, and a sense of interconnectedness. Each psychedelic is slightly different in how it affects your mind and body, but research has shown a positive association between psychedelic use and mental health1.

Through psychedelic treatment, qualified professionals can reach deeper into patients’ thoughts, feelings, and consciousness. This allows therapy sessions to reveal challenges that may be harder to process in traditional therapy. It’s unlocking new ways of healing. 

How Psychedelics Affect the Brain

When you’re using psychedelic substances, your brain functions differently. You can visually see this on an EEG or CAT scan showing the difference between normal brain functioning and a brain on psychedelics.  

Brain%20on%20Psychedelics

This image shows an increase of brain connectivity and blood flow4.

Psychedelics cause a disruption of electrical synchronicity in the brain5. This asynchronicity produces an “entropic” state, or an increase in connectivity between brain networks that may not typically communicate with each other. This can lead to a more integrated experience of thoughts, sensations, and emotions. Psychedelics can boost creativity and problem solving6 through the increased connectivity. And they can elevate mood.

Researchers and mental health professionals then use this connectivity to help patients open up about their emotions and process difficult memories and feelings.

Psychedelics for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Psychedelics show great promise to the mental health recovery community. Specifically, psilocybin and MDMA may have positive implications for PTSD recovery.

How Psychedelics Help a Brain with PTSD

Psilocybin

Psilocybin stimulates neurogenesis7—the growth and repair of brain cells—particularly in the hippocampus, responsible for memory and emotion. Neuron regrowth in this specific brain region allows PTSD patients to reframe and process traumatic memories in a less distressing way. 

MDMA

Bessel van der Kolk8, one of the top experts on trauma, dove into researching the promising effects of MDMA recovery for patients with severe PTSD. Two months after participating in the study, more than 66% of those who were administered MDMA no longer had diagnosable PTSD9. 

Why? MDMA can enhance trust, empathy, and communication between the patient and therapist. It reduces fear and anxiety responses while increasing emotional openness. This helps PTSD patients to revisit and process traumatic memories in a more controlled and comfortable manner.

Psychedelics as a Whole

Psychedelics bolster trauma processing by temporarily reducing activity in the Default Mode Network (DMN)10, responsible for rumination and mind wandering. These thought processes are commonly associated with mental health conditions like PTSD. Decreasing activity in this region prevents painful thoughts from coming up when talking about traumatic experiences.

Psychedelics also improve overall brain functioning. Mental health conditions often result in neuron atrophy, or neuron destruction, in the prefrontal cortex11. Studies have shown that psychedelics can boost neuroplasticity in the brain, meaning they can help the expansion of these neural networks. Rebuilding damage in the brain leaves room for mental health growth and learning new coping skills.  

What Does This Mean for PTSD Patients?

Psychedelic therapy offers PTSD patients a new way to heal. With a qualified therapist, you may be able to explore areas of yourself you have hidden due to trauma. 

The increased emotional intensity that psychedelics generate can help patients confront and process repressed emotions, traumas, and unresolved issues, potentially leading to therapeutic breakthroughs.

Many patients also gain new insights and ideas while on psychedelics, which is particularly helpful when exploring personal challenges or problem solving.

Psychedelics can enhance emotional regulation and resilience. MDMA in particular has been associated with increased empathy, trust, and emotional openness, which can help patients better manage intense emotions related to their trauma.

The Treatment Process

If you’re interested in adding psychedelic therapy to your treatment plan, you can expect your sessions to be monitored by trained professionals in a safe environment. Before the session, the therapist will conduct an extensive assessment to ensure that you are a suitable candidate for psychedelic therapy. They should also try to identify any potential risks. 

At your session, you’ll relax in a comfortable position, typically lying down with eye shades and headphones to minimize external distractions and enhance introspection. The carefully measured psychedelic dosage aligns with your body weight and previous experiences.

During the psychedelic experience, you’ll do some emotional exploration. Your therapist will help guide your thoughts, emotions, memories, and sensations. You’ll talk about specific traumatic experiences you’ve experienced. The therapist may ask open-ended questions, help you through challenging emotions, or offer reassurance. 

After the session is complete, your therapist will stay with you and ensure you’re comfortable until you stop feeling the psychedelic effects. 

You and your therapist will integrate the lessons and insights you’re learning into the rest of your treatment plan and daily life. This may involve setting intentions for future growth and healing. 

Finding Qualified Psychedelic Therapy

Finding a qualified clinic for your psychedelic therapy experience is crucial to guarantee you have safe and effective sessions. 

First, research clinics in your area (and make sure this therapy is legal in your state/country). If you don’t know where to start, ask your primary care doctor for recommendations. The treatment team should have a background in psychology, counseling, psychiatry, or a related field. The therapists should also have additional training in psychedelic-assisted therapy. Make sure they have experience administering this treatment.

Then, schedule a consultation with the practice. You can ask questions like

  • What safety guidelines do you have in place?
  • What are your therapists’ qualifications?
  • Can sessions be tailored to my specific needs?
  • How long will my sessions last? How many sessions will I have?
  • How much do your sessions cost? Will insurance cover them?

If you feel comfortable after talking to the clinic, then you may be on your way to beginning your psychedelic therapy sessions.

Benefits and Risks

Psychedelic therapy shows the potential to be a major player in PTSD recovery; however, this is an emerging form of therapy. It’s always best to check with your doctor to see if you’re a fit. Before you start treatment, a psychedelic therapy clinic should complete a comprehensive physical and mental health assessment. 

Psychedelic therapy benefits patients not only by improving mental health but it’s also a great approach for people with treatment-resistant PTSD12. Psychedelic effects can break through hard to reach areas in the brain by promoting deep self-reflection and insight. 

Psychedelics don’t cause addiction or withdrawal5, making this therapy a viable option for PTSD patients with co-occurring substance use disorders. 

However, the psychedelic field is still growing. There is still a lack of long-term clinical trials to fully understand the benefits and risks of psychedelic therapy. And without proper supervision, psychedelics can produce intense and unpredictable experiences. They can also trigger psychotic episodes in patients vulnerable to psychosis, so thorough screening is essential.

Receiving treatment at qualified practices that supervise sessions and provide a clean, safe space will likely guarantee that you have a positive session. 

Legality and Ethics

While some regions have decriminalized psychedelics or keep them regulated for medical use, psychedelics are illegal in many parts of the world; however, many areas are reevaluating their potential therapeutic applications. For example, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted “breakthrough therapy” status to some psychedelic compounds13, which expedites their development as treatment for specific mental health conditions such as PTSD and depression.

Psychedelic therapy is ethical for patients so long as they give informed consent and are aware of the potential risks. They should have proper screening and risk assessment to identify if they’re at greater risk of adverse reactions, such as a personal or family history of mental illness or certain medical conditions. And before the session, the therapist should explain the psychedelic experience, so the patient knows what to expect. 

The Future of Psychedelic Therapy

The movement behind therapeutic psychedelic use will likely continue growing. Expanding research explores the potential of psychedelics in treating a broader range of mental health conditions outside of PTSD, including addiction, eating disorders, and neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, the FDA and other regulatory agencies are actively reviewing clinical trials using psychedelics, so more approvals for medical psychedelic treatments may come. From there, psychedelic therapy is likely to become more integrated into mainstream mental health care. 

While the road ahead is not linear, psychedelic therapy may become a staple in healthcare. So long as this therapy has continued research and education, and responsible use, it will continue to make a difference in people’s lives. 

Posted on

What Is Gaslighting? Signs, Effects, and How to Protect Yourself

Gaslighting is a manipulative psychological tactic used to control others. The person gaslighting aims to make you feel “crazy” by undermining you, acting like you’re lying, or that you’re making things up. 

Their adamant denial and blame-shifting can make you distrust yourself, even to the point of feeling like you’ve lost your grip on reality. The person gaslighting may try to make you seem untrustworthy to other people too. 

Gaslighting can happen in romantic relationships, friendships, and between family members. Gaslighting isn’t always meant to cause harm, either. Some people may do it accidentally. But others use it as a tactic of manipulation.

What Is Gaslighting?

Gaslighting is an attempt to make the other in the relationship feel or seem “crazy”1. It’s considered a subset of psychological abuse2. The gaslighter tries to create a surreal reality, one they control, to make the other feel like their beliefs and observations are both wrong and potentially nonexistent. 

The term arose from a movie adaptation of the play Gas Light, where a husband isolates his new wife and manipulates her into believing she’s gone insane. He dims the gas lights in their home only to insist she’s imagining it, claiming that as proof she’s gone insane. The wife eventually believes him.

Victims of gaslighting commonly feel confused1, disoriented, and like their reality has become distorted. This is what the gaslighter often intends. They gain control by “micro-regulating victims’ lives, self-concepts, and sense of reality”1. Over time, the victim may believe their gaslighter’s lies and view them as the only person who can define their reality. 

Gaslighters often separate their partner from the outside world2. They may lie and say no one wants them around, or that their friends are all no good. This makes their victim more vulnerable to manipulation, since no one else can point out their behavior and offer support. 

Not all gaslighting is done with ill-will. Sometimes, friends, family, and those you care about can unintentionally make you feel unheard or like your ideas aren’t important. It’s also possible to respectfully disagree with someone.

Healthy Disagreements Vs. Gaslighting

Two people can disagree or have different views in healthy, respectful ways. For example, you may disagree with someone’s opinion while still respecting their autonomy and beliefs. You both keep your opinions and work towards a middle ground. 

A gaslighter, instead of accepting the other’s different belief, would cruelly question the thoughts, emotions, and sanity behind their belief. Their goal is to “prove” the other’s opinion is wrong and not based in reality … because the gaslighter creates their own.  

You can firmly plant yourself in reality by knowing and recognizing the signs of gaslighting. 

Signs And Characteristics of Gaslighting

You can look for these signs of gaslighting3 in your partner and in other relationships in your life. 

  • Blatant, continued lies. If you point out the truth, they’ll wholeheartedly deny the lie and likely spin it to claim you’re lying. 
  • Making you doubt yourself through statements like, “You’re being too sensitive, you shouldn’t feel that way.”
  • Ignoring your feelings. 
  • Making you question your judgment.
  • Questioning your version of reality.
  • Isolating you from family and friends.
  • Confusing you through white lies and small acts of manipulation.
  • They say things like, “Really? Are you sure?”, “You only think that because you’re so sensitive.”, “That’s all in your head.”, or “You’re crazy.”

Gaslighting Tactics

Gaslighters often resort to specific strategies4 to challenge your reality. These include

  • Withholding, where they pretend they don’t understand you, accuse you of confusing them, or refuse to listen to you.
  • Countering, where they question your memory and the events you know happened. 
  • Blocking/Diverting, where they change the subject or accuse you of inventing/imagining a situation.
  • Trivializing, where they make your feelings and needs seem silly, wrong, or unimportant. 
  • Denial, where they pretend to forget what actually happened and deny the truth. 

Effects of Gaslighting on Victims

The victim of gaslighting, or the gaslightee, may experience serious effects5, like anxiety, low self-confidence, constant underlying fear, confusion, codependency, lack of trust, and psychological trauma. 

If you’ve been severely gaslit, you may even believe you are psychologically sick. Your gaslighter could convince you that your family thinks the same and wants you to get help. In your isolation and confusion, refuting their lies gets harder and harder. 

Even after you leave the relationship, the effects of gaslighting may stick around. You may need professional help to navigate how it makes you feel and how it’s affected your sense of self. A therapist can guide you through the journey and help you process the experience. 

Gaslighting in Different Contexts

Gaslighting is a common abusive tactic in romantic relationships, but it can happen in friendships, families, and in the workplace. Your options for navigating gaslighting often depends on its context.

Gaslighting at Work

If your coworker uses gaslighting to undermine and embarrass you, you could talk to higher-ups to address the gaslighter’s behavior. Depending on the scope of their gaslighting, however, your boss or other coworkers may already believe the gaslighter’s lies. In that case, you can look into other jobs and leave the situation. 

Gaslighting from Family

Gaslighting from a parent or sibling may not be abusive in intent. Your mom, for example, may disregard your feelings about something without meaning to hurt you. Her beliefs overpower yours, but in that example, she’s not actively trying to cause harm. Depending on the situation, you could rectify your relationship through couples and family counseling. 

Online Gaslighting

Online gaslighting may occur more easily because anyone can claim anything, and say someone’s wrong for nearly any reason. Politicians, celebrities, and influencers could have this effect whether they know it or not. Deleting your social media, unfollowing certain accounts, and not following specific news sources are the quickest ways to escape this gaslighting.

Gaslighting in a Relationship

Your romantic partner may use gaslighting to hide their abuse1 and maintain control over the relationship. They may say they never hit you, that you’re making it up, and that you need them to define your reality since you’re lying about being hit. 

They could gaslight you into believing you’re a bad partner, parent, or generally unstable, to invalidate your existence. A gaslighter also uses gaslighting to keep their partner from leaving the relationship. If you feel like your partner defines your reality, leaving them may feel impossible.

You can protect yourself from gaslighting in any context by recognizing it and learning how to respond.

Protecting Yourself from Gaslighting

Gaslighting may start small, with little offenses you barely notice. But you can immediately strategize your protection as soon as you catch their abuse.  

Gather Evidence

You can create an arsenal of evidence to secure your reality by taking screenshots, recording conversations, and writing down abusive actions. If needed, you can also use your evidence to prove the gaslighter’s behavior—either to themselves or others. 

Practice Assertiveness

Being assertive can help you feel more sure of yourself and confident in your reality. You can respond to gaslighting attempts with simple but strong replies, like:

  • “I know you disagree, but I still feel ___” 
  • “You may not remember this happening, but I am not responsible for that.” 
  • “I have explained myself. Your confusion is your responsibility.”
  • “I hear you, but that has not been my experience.”
  • “I do not need to convince you to believe me.”
  • “I know what I’ve experienced is true. I don’t need to prove it to you.”

Surround Yourself With Support

Keep your friends and family close. They can help you feel more secure in your beliefs and experiences. Your loved ones can also point out gaslighting behavior and help you catch it before you become deeply entangled in their distortions. 

Tighten Your Boundaries

Putting more space between you and the gaslighter gives them fewer opportunities to gaslight. If you can, spend less and less time with the person to lessen their influence. Set hard boundaries. You can tell them you’ll continue the conversation when they can be honest and respectful. Block them if you need to. 

As an example, you could agree to see them once a week at most and keep your visits short. Only communicate when you decide to. Don’t text them if they use text conversations to gaslight you.

Setting boundaries isn’t always possible, especially in romantic relationships. In those cases, you may need to fully walk away.

Leave The Relationship

Other forms of abuse may accompany gaslighting, like physical or sexual abuse. Abusers may use severe gaslighting to hide their other abusive behaviors. If you feel unsafe in your relationship, whether romantic or otherwise, you may need to leave. 

A therapist can help you navigate this process safely. If you need immediate help, call your country’s emergency number or talk to the national domestic violence hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (or text “START” to 88788).

Seeking Professional Help

Any form of psychological abuse can damage your sense of self and the way you see the world. That’s why getting professional help for the effects of gaslighting can help you both now and in your future. 

A therapist can help you recognize gaslighting if you’re currently experiencing it. They can also help you create a plan to leave abusive relationships or set stronger boundaries. And as you close the chapter on your gaslighter, a therapist can help you process the experience and heal from its traumas.

With their help, you can rebuild your self-confidence and self-efficacy. You can learn to trust others, including yourself. You can remove blame from yourself and see gaslighting as an issue of the perpetrator, not you. You can heal.

Posted on

Blacking Out Drunk: Understanding the Risks, Causes, and Prevention

“If recreational drugs were tools, alcohol would be a sledgehammer.” – NCBI article

Some hail getting “blackout drunk” as the apex drinking experience: a testament to how wild the party was or how disinhibited they felt. But rather than being a story to tell, getting blackout drunk can put you on a dangerous path—one of crime, danger, and life-changing risks. 

What Does It Mean to Black Out?

Blacking out drunk means you have a “blackout” period in your memory. You won’t remember anything that happened around you or to you when you were “blacked”. You’re still awake when you black out, just not making memories. That’s because alcohol can block the transference of memories into long-term storage.  

Alcohol can cause 2 types of blackouts: partial and complete. If you have a complete blackout period, you won’t remember anything. Your blackout will simply feel like a blank expanse in time. Partial blackouts mean you can remember a few things, like who drove you home and where your purse might be. Physical or emotional cues can also trigger the memories you made in a partial blackout.  

Both types of blackouts keep you from forming and recollecting memories.

How Alcohol Affects The Brain And Memory

Blackouts affect an area of the brain called the hippocampus, where memories form and move into long-term storage. Too much alcohol keeps this transfer from happening. Just 1-2 drinks can start the memory-losing process. 

Alcohol disrupts the communicative chemical activity in your hippocampus. That disruption between neurons prevents the hippocampus from storing events and memories as they happen. Blackouts don’t affect past memories or the ones you make when sober, only the memories made with too much alcohol in your system. 

You may seem alert and able to hold a conversation when blacked out. But any interactions you have won’t stay in your memory for longer than a few minutes. 

Who’s More Susceptible to Blackouts?

The severity of your blackout usually depends on your blood-alcohol level—the higher it is, the more complete your blackout. Because of this, some groups are more susceptible to blacking out, including women, young college students, and binge drinkers. 

With generally smaller bodies, women are more likely to black out than men. Women also have less of an enzyme in their stomach that breaks down alcohol. And, they’re more likely to drink wine or mixed drinks instead of beer, which has comparatively less alcohol. 

College students and other young drinkers also experience blackouts more often. It’s usually because they’re not used to drinking (especially in high amounts), leading to accidental blackouts. Similarly, binge drinkers, or someone who drinks a lot in a short period of time, may rapidly raise their blood-alcohol level and black out more often. 

Recognizing The Signs of Blackout Drinking

You can look for some of these signs of blackout drinking if someone seems blackout drunk. But be aware: you won’t always know if someone’s blackout, yourself included. Though surprising, your friend may seem fine and have most of their motor and cognitive functioning intact. 

What you can look for is problems with their memory. Though everyone shows cognitive impairment when they’re drunk, like seeming spaced out, they’ll usually still have some of their memory intact. If you suspect someone’s blackout drunk, take them home as soon as you can. 

Forgetfulness

Someone who’s blackout drunk may repeat questions, seem confused, or forget the names/faces/information they just learned about. 

To test their memory-storing ability, try asking your friend to name 3 items: fruits, for example. Then, a couple of minutes later, ask what fruits they named. If they’re not blacked, they’ll eventually remember what fruits they named—even if they need time to think or slur their words. 

Retelling Stories

Your friend may repeat the same story because they don’t remember already telling it. They may also tell you the same thing repeatedly throughout the night, like they’ve spotted your mutual friend nearby.

Seeming Confused When Corrected

If you tell your friend they’ve already told you the same thing multiple times, they may seem confused. They may not even believe you. They’ll likely have no idea their memory has started to go—even if they’re concerned about that, their worries will soon fade. 

Motor or Cognitive Impairment

If someone seems drunk, look for stumbling, nonsensical speech, poor coordination, slurred speech, and sleepiness. This could indicate they’re heavily drunk and in a blackout state.

When to Intervene

If your friend, or anyone else, seems blackout drunk, keep a close eye on them. Since they’re mentally and physically impaired, they could easily get into trouble. Make sure they don’t drive, even if they seem “fine”. And make sure they don’t go off alone with anyone—someone could try to take advantage of their impairment.

And ask your friend to stay around you. If they can’t remember to stay by you, you might need to shadow them. 

Step away from the situation if you’re able and they’re willing. This could mean going home if you’re at a bar or going to a safe room and lying down if you’re at a party. Never let them drive—and call a taxi or Uber if you don’t feel safe driving, either.

Risks And Consequences of Blacking Out

Sexual And Physical Violence

Getting blackout drunk puts you at risk of physical and sexual violence. You may unwittingly go along with whatever someone else wants—even if that’s stealing, vandalizing someone’s house, or sleeping with someone you never planned to. 

If you did sleep with someone, you may not remember if you gave consent, if your partner was violent, or if you used protection. And if something terrible did occur, not knowing would prevent you from getting the medical care you need. That applies to both physical and sexual assaults. 

Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-HOPE (4673)
Domestic Violence Hotline: Call 1.800.799.7233 or text “START” to 88788
Crisis Hotline: Call or Text 988

Waking Up…Somewhere

After blacking out, you could wake up and not know where you are, how you got there, or how to get home. You might wake up a few blocks from your house or on the other side of your city—blackouts make almost anything possible. 

Acting Out of Character

You could get into trouble in a blackout state. Being impaired mentally and physically, you might bend easily to peer pressure. Or, doing something illegal may suddenly seem fun, like stealing. Then, you could wind up in legal trouble.

Causes And Triggers of Blackout Drinking

Blackouts commonly happen after high-intensity drinking, when you have at least twice as many drinks per hour more than binge drinking (8+ drinks in 2 hours for women, 10+ for men). Binge and high-intensity drinking lead to blackouts because your blood-alcohol level rises too fast. 

Some drugs, like sleep or anti-anxiety medications, can cause blackouts at a lower blood-alcohol level. Keeping aware of your medications can help you prevent getting blackout drunk.

Prevention Strategies for Blackout Drinking

You can prevent blackout drinking by drinking in moderation. Set a limit for yourself, like one drink per hour. Be sure to eat a full meal before drinking and start the night hydrated. And drink slowly—take sips instead of gulps. Avoid chugging, shotgunning, or joining in other drinking games. 

You can also try staggering your alcoholic drinks. For example, having a glass of wine, a big cup of water, then a smaller glass of wine. Plan for how you’re going to get home, too. Either bring a friend who’s not drinking or schedule an Uber in advance. 

Avoid drinking in unfamiliar situations, too. Nerves could cause you to drink multiple drinks much faster than usual. And, only drink what you buy or bring yourself. Never take a drink from a stranger. 

Supporting Others And Seeking Help

One way to help a friend or family member struggling with their drinking is by noticing how much they drink. If they frequently black out, binge drink, or drink whenever they can, you can consider starting a conversation about how they’re feeling and how alcohol fits into their life. 

You can start the conversation early by talking to your kids/teens about blackout drinking and its consequences. But you can emphasize the risks of blackout drinking with someone of any age. You can also pass along tips to avoid blackout drinking, how to quit drinking, and make drinking a safer experience for those you love. 

If your friend or family member reveals they’ve been struggling with drinking, you can share these resources with them:

You can also offer yourself as a resource of support. Though you can’t make anyone get help, you can offer a listening ear and be someone to walk beside as your loved one begins their recovery journey. 
To learn more, you can browse our list of rehabs treating alcohol addiction to see photos, reviews, insurance information, and more.

Posted on

Codependency and Addiction: Understand the Relationship and Get Help

Codependency and addiction have a complex relationship. A codependent person may unwittingly enable their loved one to keep using substances without consequences. The codependent person themself may struggle with an addiction to cope with the pain of codependency. 

Addiction often results from codependency, as codependents may turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with their issues and to fill an emotional void. Codependency can also lead to addiction by enabling an individual to continue substance use even when it harms their health or relationships. Someone with a substance use disorder may also be more likely to form codependent relationships to gain approval and validation.

Addiction and codependency can feed into each other—though one hasn’t yet been found to definitively cause the other. Codependency doesn’t just happen in a relationship with someone with an addiction, either. 

To find help for codependency and addiction, you can attend peer-support groups, therapy, and go to a rehab that focuses on codependency. 

Codependency: What Is It And Where Does it Come From?

Codependency is a type of dysfunctional relationship where one person has a dependent pattern of behavior that’s emotionally destructive to themselves and/or the other person. It’s typically characterized by an excessive emotional, physical, or psychological reliance on another person—to the point of neglecting your own needs. Codependents also tend to be overly controlling of the other person in their relationship.

Codependency isn’t a diagnosis, nor does it have a mutually agreed upon definition. Some psychologists, scientists, and members of the public think the traits of codependency could just be part of the emotional human experience. 

Others argue codependency can be separated from the bulk of human experiences as a unique adaptation to stress, trauma, unstable childhoods, and living with someone with an addiction. And as codependency becomes a more common phenomenon, more people may realize they fit into its broad definition. 

Generally, a codependent person will aim to control another person or situation by losing themself in the other’s desires and perceived needs. They accept unacceptable behavior as a way to maintain some control of the situation or of the other person. But this can make them disappear—hiding away to continually meet others’ needs. 

Where Does Codependency Come From?

Some definitions of codependency suggest it only develops if someone you live with has an addiction. More accurately, the source of codependency may stem from personality, childhood experiences, trauma, and an intermingling of each. Living with someone who has an addiction can certainly cause codependent tendencies. 

And, none of those factors can cause codependency, too. Some people who live with a person with an addiction may never struggle with codependency. Studies have proven an addicted spouse or child isn’t the sole cause of codependency; but for some family members, addiction can be a catalyst. Someone with childhood trauma may never become codependent either, but it’s a common cause since childhood shapes your adult personality.

Childhood Roots of Codependency

Someone who grew up in a dysfunctional or emotionally distant family may resort to codependency to survive—taking on more responsibilities than they should, making others’ emotions their duty to manage, and losing their true self in the instability of those they seek to control. Doing this may offer a sense of safety and security. 

Codependency in childhood usually causes codependency in adulthood. A child of an alcoholic parent, for example, may gravitate toward a spouse with drinking problems because that unstable relationship feels normal, as does forfeiting their sense of self for safety and control. Being in fight-or-flight mode during childhood can cause a codependent to seek that feeling in adulthood. Someone who takes them out of fight-or-flight mode may feel too unfamiliar, and even daunting, to pursue.

Addiction in Both Parties

As defined by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), “addiction is a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual’s life experiences.” Addiction can affect the codependent, the other in their relationship, or both of them. 

A person with substance addiction isn’t the only half of a codependent relationship that can struggle with an addiction. Often, a codependent person will use alcohol, drugs, sex, food, and other substances to manage the pain of codependency. Addressing substance use in both parties can help the relationship heal as a whole.  

The Relationship Between Codependency And Addiction

A spouse, parent, or sibling may become codependent as a way to manage the turmoil of their loved one’s addiction. Someone with an active addiction often has unpredictable emotions, behaviors, and moods. Their codependent will likely appease their every whim to self-manage their unreliability. 

A codependent person also believes they can force their loved one to stop using out of sheer will—or by succumbing to their every need and demand, hoping they can abate the feelings causing them to drink or use drugs. Failing to stop the substance use may drive the codependent to drugs, alcohol, or risky behaviors to cope with that pain.

Someone who’s codependent can enable their loved one’s addiction by accepting the behavior. Codependent people often live in denial—denial of their loved one’s addiction, how they need help, how they both need help—as a way to manage the problem. 

Denying the issue can give it fuel. The person with addiction may knowingly or unknowingly take advantage of that denial to continue using without consequences. So, their addiction may get worse, as would how they treat their codependent partner. The codependent, meanwhile, resorts further and further to their codependent tendencies to find some element of control. And so the cycle continues.

A lack of control and a codependent’s limitless desire for control can perpetuate their codependent behaviors. They may reason that if they just keep trying, they’ll eventually gain control; one day it’ll work and they’ll never drink again. But, as many come to realize, you can’t force someone out of addiction.

Challenges of Breaking The Cycle

The codependent may feel too scared or anxious to stop seeking control through appeasing their spouse/child/parent. They may also fear speaking up about their emotional pain, or even recognizing it at all. 

Someone with an addiction could find it easier to stay addicted if their partner goes along with it or pretends they can’t see it. They might not consider treatment, thinking they’ve “got it handled” and don’t need help. Over time, and without any treatment, their addiction can worsen. 

The codependent often experiences an addictive cycle of emotions. They can go from extreme lows to extreme highs, depending on how their partner treats them. The codependent may crave the next high just as a drug user craves a drug high. 

Treatment And Recovery

Professional treatment can help you find the cause of your codependency traits and develop new ways to manage a lack of control, real and perceived. Each person in a codependent relationship can benefit from treatment.

Treatment for The Codependent

Codependents can benefit from psychoeducation and taking a dive into their childhood. Psychoeducation teaches a codependent the “why” behind their behaviors, including the biochemical reactions that make the cycle so hard to leave. 

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help a codependent recognize the traits of codependency and examine the emotions behind them. Since most codependents have had a traumatic or dysfunctional childhood, CBT sessions will likely focus on your childhood to find the root belief behind your emotions and behaviors. 

For example, you may believe others’ needs are your responsibility and will feel guilty if you don’t completely satisfy their needs. This ingrained belief may have begun in childhood, perhaps because of an emotionally volatile, mentally unwell, physically unwell, or addicted parent. CBT will help you identify what caused that belief and the guilt related to it, then change your coping tool (codependency).  

You can also benefit from peer support and self-help groups, whether they’re 12-Step-based or not. Support groups can help you find an explanation for your experience and others who share it. Other resources, like books and podcasts, can also help a codependent understand their traits and heal. Here’s a few books you could check out:

Treatment for The Partner

The “partner” in a codependent relationship could be your romantic partner, but it broadly refers to the other person in your codependent relationship. That could be your spouse, child, parent, relative, or close friend. 

The codependent partner may not mean to drive someone to codependency. A codependent’s empathy and conscientiousness might be so highly attuned to negative emotions that healthy expressions of sadness, anger, or other negative emotions could trigger their partner’s codependent traits. 

But in some cases, if not most, the codependent’s partner has similar traits as the dysfunctional or abusive parent(s) the codependent grew up with. They have poor relationships in adulthood because it feels normal. That means a codependent is more likely to fall for a narcissist, an abuser, or someone exploitative. 

When your partner has a personality disorder, an addiction, or dark personality traits, they need professional treatment to heal. Treatment for addiction, for example, can help your partner address the cause of their addiction and identify new coping strategies for difficult emotions. After treatment, you’ll hopefully find your partner much more stable, reciprocative, and safe. In those cases, your codependent traits may fade because you simply don’t need them anymore. 

Once your partner has received proper treatment, you could both attend couples therapy. Here, you’ll address what triggers your codependency traits. Your partner will learn more about how it works for you and how they can help. They may also be able to reassure you that codependency isn’t their intent for you and that they’ll work with you to get well.

You and your family can also attend family therapy to address codependency in your family and how it affects each member. 

Prevention And Self-Care Strategies for Codependency

One way to prevent codependency is to educate yourself on what it is and what causes it. If you do recognize it in yourself, you can seek professional treatment and practice self-care strategies to prevent it from getting worse. Some strategies you can try include:

  • Practice self-acceptance. Each day, try to take stock of the times you blame yourself for someone else’s negative emotions. Then, challenge the blame. Write down the process and your thoughts on it. See if you can make it a daily habit. 
  • Surround yourself with people who make you feel safe. Can you identify people in your life who don’t make you feel responsible for their emotions? People who make you feel safe being yourself? Keep them close as you navigate your codependency.
  • Set aside time just for you. Spend an hour, three hours, or any amount of time however you want—just not on the other person in your codependent relationship. Take a bath, go to the library, or take a walk. Anything that sounds nice to you. 
  • Pursue what brings you joy. Rekindle old hobbies or try something new to give you an extra boost of happiness and confidence in your abilities. 

You can also attend treatment for codependency and addiction at rehab, which provides 24/7 support, intensive treatment, group and 1:1 therapy, and wellness services. 
Explore our list of rehabs treating codependency with pricing information, reviews, photos, and more.

Posted on

How to Help Someone Who Has Relapsed on Drugs or Alcohol

Relapse involves drinking alcohol or using drugs again after abstinence or successful recovery. Like other chronic diseases, addiction relapse is always possible. Relapse can happen at any time in the recovery process, including early stages or even after long periods of sobriety.

When relapse does happen, your loved one will need all the support you can provide. If you know someone who has relapsed, there are ways you can help. Your help can make a big difference in their life. Browse rehabs specializing in chronic relapse to give you an idea of how to help your loved one continue their recovery journey.

Understanding Relapse

In addiction recovery, relapse can often be part of the overall process rather than a failure. Addiction is a chronic condition1, and relapse does not mean that your loved one’s recovery is impossible. Instead, relapse provides an opportunity for learning and growth. 

This journey can help them identify triggers and areas that need attention in their recovery. Be aware of these common things that trigger relapse:

  • Environmental cues: Specific locations, objects, smells, or even certain people associated with their previous substance use can be powerful triggers.
  • Co-occurring disorders: People with addiction often have underlying mental health conditions2 such as anxiety, depression, or trauma. If these co-occurring disorders are not properly addressed and treated, they can significantly increase the risk of relapse.
  • Stress: High levels of stress can weaken their ability to cope and make them more vulnerable to relapse.
  • Unhealthy coping mechanisms: If they haven’t developed healthy and effective coping mechanisms to deal with stress, manage emotions, or solve problems, your loved one might resort to their addictive behaviors as a way to cope with stressors.

Recognizing Signs of Relapse

Signs of addiction relapse can manifest in various ways, depending on the individual and their specific addiction. Here are some common signs to be aware of, so you can hopefully address this issue early on:

  • Behavior changes: They may become secretive, defensive, or dishonest. They may also isolate themselves, withdraw from social activities, or show a lack of interest in things they used to enjoy.
  • Mood swings: Emotional instability, mood swings, and irritability are common signs of relapse. They might also be anxious, depressed, or angry.
  • Justification: If they’re on the verge of relapse, they may begin to rationalize their drinking or drug use again. 
  • Reconnecting with old using friends: Reconnecting with old friends who are still drinking or doing drugs is a red flag.
  • Loss of interest in recovery: A noticeable loss of interest or commitment to recovery can be an indicator of relapse. They might stop attending therapy or support group meetings or disregard their relapse prevention plan.

Communicating with Your Loved One About Their Relapse

Sometimes, it just takes the right person to help someone kick start their recovery. So when you’re helping your loved one through their relapse, work on showing empathy. Active listening without judgment can help them feel supported. Having a reliable ally can make a huge impact.

When having these conversations, timing is everything. First, make sure the person you are talking to is not under the influence of any substances during these conversations. Next, have conversations with this person in a calm and safe atmosphere. This will allow them to feel more relaxed and comfortable discussing their thoughts and feelings.

Blaming or criticizing them for their relapse can create defensiveness and hinder open communication. Instead, emphasize your support and understanding. Let them know that relapse doesn’t define their worth or undo the progress they’ve made so far.

Providing Emotional Support

Relapse can bring feelings of shame and guilt. Emotional support provides a safe space for your loved one to express their emotions and experiences without judgment. Feeling understood can help them recognize that they are not alone in their struggles. Sometimes, people just need to be heard without receiving immediate advice or solutions.

Creating a supportive and non-enabling environment for someone in addiction recovery is crucial for their well-being. After educating yourself on addiction and the recovery process, you can create a caring home for your loved one to come back to. You can also support them by adopting a healthy lifestyle that complements their recovery. Encourage regular exercise, nutritious eating, and adequate sleep. Offer to participate in activities together that provide alternative outlets for stress and anxiety.

Be mindful of enabling behaviors that inadvertently support their addiction. This can include providing financial support for their unhealthy lifestyle, making excuses for their behavior, or covering up the consequences of their actions. Instead, focus on supporting their recovery and encouraging self-sufficiency. And celebrate milestones because recognizing their progress reinforces their commitment and boosts their self-esteem.

Assisting with Treatment and Recovery

While relapse can be common, it’s still a tricky situation that requires immediate attention. After you talk to your loved one, and they agree to get treatment, you can help them find the best treatment for their needs. 

Whether this is their first relapse or not, residential rehab may be in the cards for them. Here, your loved one can separate from triggers and distractions in their day-to-day life and focus on recovery. They’ll likely participate in a variety of evidence-based therapies, like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This will help them change any unhealthy thought patterns or behaviors that might’ve contributed to their relapse. And many rehab centers will offer holistic therapies and activities, like yoga, to help them connect their mind and body. 

Ongoing care will be important for your loved one. Outpatient treatment can help them transition back home while still providing some structure. They’ll continue building vital coping skills for stress and negative feelings, without using substances. And outpatient programs allow them to go to school or work. This is a great option for those who cannot fully give up those commitments.

Reconnecting with support networks, such as support groups or 12-Step programs like AA or NA, can be a helpful piece of their journey, too. You can even offer to help them find these groups or attend them, too, if they feel comfortable with that. Being part of a supportive community can provide valuable insights, encouragement, and accountability during the recovery process. And they can lean on others for support who have been in similar circumstances.

Setting Boundaries

Boundaries can help maintain a healthy relationship dynamic and prevent enabling behaviors. For example, you can express that you won’t participate in activities or situations that enable their addiction, but you’ll support their recovery efforts. You can encourage their recovery efforts by helping them find appropriate treatment, celebrating milestones, and staying consistent with your support. Boundaries help create a healthy and balanced dynamic while providing a framework for sustainable progress.

Not only is setting boundaries during their recovery important for your loved one, but this is also essential for you. Supporting someone in addiction recovery can be emotionally demanding. Take care of yourself by setting healthy boundaries, seeking support from others, and practicing self-care. Your own well-being is crucial to being an effective support system.

Dealing with Relapse Triggers

Identifying addiction relapse triggers is an important step in relapse prevention. You can find these by:

  • Paying attention to your loved one’s emotional cues (like mood swings)
  • Recognizing high-risk situations (their stressors)
  • Reflecting on their past relapses (what triggered them in the past?)

Developing healthy coping strategies can ease the impact of their triggers. For a while, drinking alcohol or using drugs was your loved one’s coping strategy, even though it was an unhealthy one. Finding positive ways to deal with stress can prevent a trigger from greatly affecting them.

Prevention is much easier than dealing with the after effects of relapse. You can help your loved one create a relapse prevention plan to maintain long-term recovery. This might include being aware of triggers, developing healthy coping mechanisms, building a support network, and making lifestyle changes.

Encouraging Continued Recovery

Your loved one will deal with uncomfortable feelings and situations for the rest of their life, just like all of us do. Creating sustainable habits to manage discomfort is key during their journey.

Motivation to continue their recovery comes from not only within, but also from others around them. Sometimes, they’ll need a “pick me up” from you or someone else, and that’s okay. The support network your loved one will build requires effort and reciprocity. Nurturing these relationships involves active listening, offering encouragement, and celebrating each other’s successes.
Recovery is a journey, and with the right support and treatment, your loved one can continue moving forward toward sustainable sobriety. Recovery is, in fact, possible. Explore centers that specialize in treating chronic relapse to open up new doors for you and your loved one.

Posted on

Fawning as a Trauma Response: Understanding Its Effects and Coping Strategies

Fawning as a trauma response is the 4th theorized response to trauma and complex PTSD (c-PTSD). As defined1, “Fawn types seek safety by merging with the wishes, needs, and demands of others” and, “fawn types avoid emotional investment and potential disappointment by barely showing themselves.”

Fawns intrinsically believe they’ll need to forfeit their desires, boundaries, and rights1 to earn a relationship with someone. Childhood trauma/c-PTSD often causes the fawning response2, though later-life traumas can too. Psychoeducation and therapy can help fawns, and treatment providers, understand and overcome this response.  

Defining Fawning as a Trauma Response

Fawning was recognized fairly recently as a trauma response, adding to the better-known Fight, Flight, and Freeze responses. Fawns often grow up in an abusive home environment3 or with narcissistic parents. Fawns adapt to trauma by adhering to others’ needs. The usual narrative goes:

“If I just do what they want, am always useful, exceed their expectations, and never cause conflict, I’ll be okay.”

While that tactic may have worked when they needed it to, fawning also puts many “fawns” in the paths of narcissists, abusers, and manipulative people. Since they feel unable or scared to say no, a fawn may fall victim to these domineering personalities. 

How Fawning Differs from Other Trauma Responses

You could also react to trauma with fight, flight, or freeze responses3.

  • Fight: When something triggers you, you’ll face the threat with yelling, physical or emotional aggression, crying, or attacking the source of the danger.
  • Flight: You’ll physically or emotionally flee from the perceived threat. If you can’t do either, you may feel extremely anxious, fidgety, and hyperarousal.
  • Freeze: Perceived danger could make you freeze up and lose control of your body. You may even black out as a way to completely avoid the danger.

Fawning, in contrast, has few or no physical signs. The person fawning may seem completely fine, not triggered at all. They might think they’re fine, too. But that emotional disconnect can become another way to deal with past and ongoing trauma. 

Early Triggers Leading to Fawning

Children may adapt to emotional, physical, or sexual abuse by submitting to their abuser and aiming to please4. As children, fawns also ignore their own needs, feelings, and boundaries to appease people of authority—usually their parents. This pattern often continues into adulthood.

For example, a hungry child may hold their tongue for fear their mother will lash out if they communicate their hunger. Or, a child may push down the anger of being ignored by their parents for fear of being ridiculed. Staying quiet and outwardly unbothered then becomes the safest course of action. 

Psychological Mechanisms of Fawning

To the fawn, fawning is their only means of staying safe. They consistently sacrifice their needs and boundaries for safety, which can lead them to believe the two can’t intertwine. That belief can lead to codependency in adulthood2 and a personality change. For example, a headstrong child may grow into a demure, people-pleasing adult. 

How Fawning Changes Attachment Styles

Instead of having a secure attachment style5, a fawn will likely gravitate towards fearful-avoidant styles. These styles describe someone who has a negative model of self and others. A fawn may crave intimate relationships but feel too afraid of pain and ridicule to maintain or initiate relationships. 

Pandering and people-pleasing can prevent fawns from forming secure, mutually beneficial friendships. Others who value the fawn’s thoughts and opinions may struggle to connect with someone who “mindlessly” agrees to their every whim. In contrast, a narcissistic person would enjoy a fawn’s ongoing agreeability. 

Fawning And c-PTSD

Childhood trauma is one of the forms of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD). Someone with c-PTSD will have distorted beliefs2 about themself: that they’re worthless, unimportant, small, and unworthy. So, they may fawn as an outward show of their unimportance compared to the importance of their abuser—hoping this juxtaposition will spare them harm.

A fawn may continue this long enough that it becomes part of who they are. 

Effects of Fawning on Individuals

Even if you’re no longer fawning as a trauma response, it can become part of your adult personality. Fawning can make you feel unheard, used, and unimportant. You may also feel confused since you don’t have a reason to fawn or want to stand your ground, but it keeps happening anyway.  

Chronic fawning could dissolve your boundaries, identity, and self-esteem over time. You may feel only as important as you can be to someone else. Or, you may find yourself caught up with emotional abusers who exploit your people-pleasing. Neither has a positive effect on your model of self.

Fawning can also disconnect you from genuinely good people who want to satisfy your needs and make you feel seen. Someone who desires a mutual friendship or romantic relationship may feel confused by a fawn’s behavior. This could then rob you of healthy relationships throughout your life. But it doesn’t need to stay that way.

Healing And Recovery

Therapy can help you process your trauma and recognize the effects of your fawning response. You may decide on rehab for trauma, outpatient treatment, or sessions with a trauma-informed therapist. Discuss your options with your doctor or therapist to find the best fit for you.

Therapies for Trauma And The Fawn Response

Your therapist may use a combination of therapies, including eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to address your trauma. 

EMDR therapists have you briefly recall your trauma while you track an object6 (like a pen) back and forth with your eyes. Some therapists use touch. Tracking the object desensitizes you to the strong emotions brought up by retelling your trauma. This can help you process the event without such painful emotions attached to it. 

CBT works by identifying and adjusting the potentially distorted thoughts7 leading to your behaviors. Using CBT, your therapist can help you identify the thoughts and emotions causing you to fawn. Then, you’ll work on adjusting your behaviors with the truth of your thoughts revealed.

ACT helps you accept painful emotions and traumas8 as an inevitable part of life and respond with flexibility and adaptability—rather than suppression. Using ACT, your therapist can help you find more productive ways to adapt to trauma by committing to the pursuit of your values and desires. For example, you may accept your fear of saying no to someone but commit to setting the boundaries that would protect your valued energy, well-being, and time. 

In therapy, you can also learn coping strategies to recognize fawning and protect yourself from its effects. 

Coping Strategies for Fawning

First, you can learn to recognize fawning. Keep these questions in mind as you determine what is/isn’t a fawning response:

  • Did saying yes or doing what the other person wanted make you angry?
  • Did saying no feel unsafe? (If you need to talk with someone, call the domestic violence hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE, or text START to 88788.)
  • Did you feel responsible for how someone reacted to something?
  • Did you adopt or agree with the values of a friend, even though you don’t actually feel that way?
  • Did you act like you agree with someone just to get them to favor you and do what you want?

How you answer those questions can queue you into your tendency to fawn. If you recognize your behaviors as fawning, you can fill a toolbox with coping strategies on your own or with your therapist. Here’s a few examples of responses to use when you feel tempted to fawn:

  1. “No, I don’t feel comfortable doing that.”
  2. “I don’t have time to take that on for you.”
  3. “I don’t have the mental space to fix this problem for you.”
  4. “No, I can’t.”
  5. “No, I can’t do that, but here’s how I can help….”
  6. “I disagree but value your opinion.”
  7. “I’m not able to do that now.”
  8. “I want to help, but I’m not the person to help you with this.”
  9. “No, I need to put my time elsewhere.”
  10. “No.”

They may feel scripted at first, but keep practicing responses like these to get better at expressing your genuine desires and opinions. 

Practical Solutions for Fawning

As part of AAA (Acknowledge your feelings, Acknowledge what you want to happen next, Action), you first need to acknowledge your tendency to fawn. With the help of a therapist, you can delve into what caused this response. If it’s a way to garner acceptance from others, you may discuss why you desperately need their acceptance and how you can feel just as validated and accepted without people-pleasing. 

Then, you can take responsibility for your emotions. You can do this by journaling your emotions and how you express them in the moment. Once you take responsibility for those emotions, you can move into problem-solving. 

You and your therapist can think of practical ways to address and respond to the emotions causing you to fawn, like journaling, writing out new responses, and brainstorming what you could say/do to feel safe and validated. Together, you can also learn how to validate yourself and grow your self-acceptance without needing the approval of others.  

Supportive Resources And Communities

You can attend support groups for trauma online and in person. The c-PTSD Foundation, for example, offers online support on their website. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has a tool for locating mental health support groups in your area. You can also search for the support groups in your area via an internet search or by contacting a mental health institute in your community. 

Or, if you want to deepen your knowledge and introspection, you can read these books about trauma and the fawning response:

You can browse Amazon, your local library, and other online bookstores for more books on trauma and the fawning response. 

Advocacy And Raising Awareness

You can advocate for yourself or someone else by learning more about the fawning response. Education can pave the way for greater understanding in both yourself and someone with limited background knowledge on trauma (and how people respond to it).

Continued awareness for fawning and other trauma responses also promotes trauma-informed care throughout different treatment settings. Your understanding of this trauma response can help others–and yourself–feel understood, valued, and validated.

Posted on

The Link Between Substance Abuse and Domestic Violence: Understanding and Breaking the Cycle

There’s a strong relationship between substance abuse and domestic violence. Abuse is traumatic, and its effects can follow you even after you end the relationship. Many people use drugs or alcohol to cope with that trauma, which can quickly lead to addiction. But addiction is traumatic, too. What starts as a coping mechanism might eventually compound the problem. When you’re ready to end this cycle, a rehab that treats trauma and addiction can help you move forward.

If you or someone in your life is experiencing domestic violence, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) to get immediate support. 

What Is Domestic Violence?

Domestic violence is the intentional use of force by a family member, romantic partner, roommate, close friend, or other loved one. There’s a common myth that all abuse is physical assault. In reality, domestic violence can be much more subtle and complex. You don’t have to wait for it to escalate. Instead, you can get help as soon as you notice any of these types of abuse, no matter how minor they may seem:

  • Intimidation
  • Destroying property 
  • Physical assault
  • Verbal insults
  • Social isolation
  • Forced sex
  • Harming pets
  • Financial, physical, or emotional control
  • Coercion to have sex, drink, or take drugs

Domestic violence can happen to anyone, regardless of their age, gender, or social standing. There’s also a complex relationship between substance use and domestic violence.1 These 2 issues often go hand in hand, and each one makes the other more likely. 

Both perpetrators and survivors of abuse have high rates of addiction.2

The Impact of Addiction on Domestic Violence

Addiction is common among perpetrators of domestic violence.3 25-50% of intimate partner abusers have substance use disorders. And as an abuser’s addiction grows more severe, both the frequency and severity of their abuse increases.4 

It’s important to note that most people experiencing addiction are not violent5 towards others. However, the influence of drugs or alcohol can make people with violent tendencies more likely to act on them.

By definition, being drunk or high changes your brain chemistry.6 As a result, drinking or using drugs can change the way you think, feel, and react to stress. You might be less capable of controlling your anger, making violence more likely. Ongoing drug use increases your risk of violent behavior7 over time. 

Social norms can also contribute to higher rates of violence. In some cultures, “I was drunk” is an acceptable excuse for a wide range of negative behavior, from telling secrets to picking fights. When people feel like they can blame their actions on substances, they may drink or use drugs to justify ongoing violence.8 This mindset can also prevent them from getting the help they need.

Women experiencing alcohol or drug addiction are also more likely to become victims of domestic violence.9 However, studies show that this often relates to their partners’ substance abuse issues even more than their own.

Substance use doesn’t cause domestic violence. And blaming violence on a person’s addiction—whether they’re the survivor or the perpetrator—removes the abuser’s responsibility.

Facts on Substance Abuse and Domestic Violence

Data shows a strong connection between correlate substance use and domestic violence: 

  • Domestic violence survivors are nearly 6 times more likely to develop alcohol addiction. 
  • Nearly 50% of women who enter addiction treatment are domestic violence survivors. The rates are much higher for women in opioid addiction treatment. 
  • When both people in a relationship use substances, their risk of interpersonal violence goes up.
  • 39% of incarcerated abusers have a history of alcohol addiction.
  • 22% of incarcerated abusers have a history of drug addiction.
  • Substance use is involved in up to 80% of child abuse cases.
  • Teens and young adults who were abused in childhood have a higher risk of addiction.
  • Serious physical violence occurs in 8-13% of all marriages.
  • Women who abuse substances are at a higher risk of domestic violence.

How Domestic Violence Can Lead to Addiction

Domestic violence survivors are at a high risk of addiction.12 That’s partly because it’s so common for survivors to self-medicate13 the symptoms of trauma. Survivors are also more likely to experience mental health issues.14 So they may use drugs or alcohol to cope with the symptoms of another diagnosis, like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Addiction in Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

Many people cope with the trauma of intimate partner violence (IPV) by using drugs or alcohol.19 For many survivors, this occasional coping method quickly turns into addiction—especially if you lack other coping strategies. Survivors of IPV also tend to have more severe addiction symptoms. 

Physical injuries from IPV can also lead to addiction. For example, it’s common for IPV to result in chronic pain or traumatic brain injury. Both of these conditions increase your risk of addiction. But developing an addiction also increases your risk of experiencing IPV again, and this can quickly become a cycle. Seeking treatment can keep you safe from further violence. 

Special Considerations for Men Who Have Survived Domestic Violence 

Although most research focuses on women survivors, 25-50% of people who survive IPV each year are men.20 And like women, studies show that male survivors of domestic violence are more likely to develop addiction. But the cultural stigma that male survivors face can be a barrier to treatment and recovery. 

Treatment for Addiction and Domestic Violence-Related Trauma

When you’re recovering from abuse and addiction, it’s ideal to find treatment that addresses both at the same time. Studies show that comprehensive treatment is more effective21 than seeking help for trauma and addiction separately. 

How Does Comprehensive Treatment Work?

Most rehabs that address both addiction and domestic violence offer trauma-informed care. Trauma affects everyone differently, and its impacts can be surprising. A trauma-informed approach accounts for your unique needs during recovery, even as those needs change.

Recognizing your triggers and respecting your boundaries is a huge part of this. For example, you’ll be able to say “stop” at any point in therapy, and take a break or change the subject. The physical environment will also be conducive to healing with well-lit common areas, no loud noises, and safety features like security personnel at entrances and exits. 

Integrated treatment also accounts for the role of trauma in addiction.22 For example, if you’re in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), you might learn how to cope with trauma triggers without using drugs or alcohol. These skills can help you navigate long-term recovery from both conditions. 

Aftercare Planning for Survivors of Domestic Violence

For survivors, aftercare includes more than ongoing mental health support. While that’s important, it’s just one part of your safety. In most programs, you can start planning for aftercare as soon as you enter treatment.

When you start rehab, your therapist may ask you to sign a no-contact contract,23 where you’ll agree not to communicate with your abuser during treatment. But after rehab, it’s not always that simple. If you have children with them or share assets like a house, the legal system may require some amount of contact. 

It’s also common for survivors to be socially isolated24 and have fewer financial resources immediately after an abusive relationship. So as you approach the end of treatment, you’ll work with your therapist to create a concrete safety plan25 for after you leave. That plan might include: 

  • Intentions around if, when and how you’ll be in contact with your abuser, including information about your legal rights
  • A safe place to live
  • A new phone number, email address or other contact information your abuser won’t have access to
  • A local therapist
  • In-person support groups
  • Relevant hotlines for social services
  • Other community resources

Healing from abuse is a deeply personal process, and every survivor has unique needs. Your provider can help you find the resources you need to achieve your recovery goals.

You can start healing from abuse and addiction in treatment centers around the world. Rehabs that treat trauma will help you plan for a safer, brighter future. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Domestic Violence and Addiction

How does substance use affect domestic violence?

Substance use is common among both perpetrators and survivors of domestic violence, and it can increase the risk and severity of violent behavior. Alcohol and drugs change brain chemistry, making it harder to control anger and increasing the likelihood of violence.

How can rehab help with domestic violence and addiction?

Rehabs that specialize in treating both addiction and trauma offer a safe, supportive space where survivors can heal from the trauma of abuse while also addressing their addiction. Treatment often includes individual and group therapy, medical care, and complementary therapies. Rehab can also provide survivors with the skills and tools they need to build a healthy, substance-free life after leaving the program. It’s important to choose a rehab that’s equipped to handle both issues and has experience working with survivors of domestic violence.

Posted on

How Does Addiction Affect Women?

Women healing from addiction and mental health conditions face distinct risks and challenges. Your sex and gender can impact the way your body responds to substances. While we need more data about people of many genders, we know that women often use drugs for different reasons than men. Women also face unique cultural pressures that can make addiction more likely. Women-only rehabs offer a safe space for women to work through these challenges. 

The Relationship Between Gender and Addiction

It’s important to note that most addiction research to date focuses on men and women. We need more data about the impacts of addiction on people of all genders. However, it can still be helpful to learn about how addiction affects different genders differently. 

Physiology and Addiction

Some physiological factors uniquely impact people assigned female at birth, whatever their gender. For example, many people with bodies assigned female at birth have a lower total percentage of body water1 than those assigned male at birth. This means it takes less alcohol for them to feel just as intoxicated. 

It’s also possible that men and women respond to substances differently. Experts report, “a number of studies have suggested that, relative to men, women may have an accelerated course of substance use,2 progressing more rapidly from initiation of substance use to problems with substances, and from problems with substances to treatment-seeking.”

Societal Challenges for Women

Women face certain social pressures, whether or not they were assigned female at birth. For example, data shows that both trans and cis women have higher rates of eating disorders3 than cis men. 

People of all genders feel shame about addiction.4 But these difficult emotions are stronger in women, especially those with children. Women are also more likely to feel a sense of stigma around addiction. And that, even more than the feeling of guilt, can be a barrier to treatment.

Women’s reasons for using drugs5 are also different from men’s. Men usually drink and use drugs for fun or to take risks. Women, on the other hand, use substances to regulate their mood, reduce stress, and find relief from difficult life experiences. If you’re using drugs to cope with your life, it’s easy to develop addiction. What’s more, data shows that women become addicted more quickly than men. 

What Types of Addiction Are Women Prone To?

While men are more likely to abuse substances6 in the first place, women are more prone to some types of  addiction. Women are also at a higher risk for certain mental health conditions. 

Alcohol

Because they typically weigh less than men, it takes less alcohol for women to become intoxicated.7 Most women also have lower levels of the digestive enzymes that break down alcohol. 

This means that drinking exposes women’s bodies to higher concentrations of alcohol. And that exposure lasts longer for women than it does for men. These factors make women more vulnerable to alcohol addiction. 

Prescription Drugs

Women are more likely to experience chronic pain8 than men. This may be part of the reason why women are more likely to misuse prescription opioids. And due to their brain chemistry, women develop opioid addiction much faster than men.

Gambling

Gambling addiction is commonly a way to cope with anxiety, loneliness, or boredom.9 While men are more likely to develop an addiction to gambling than women, that gender gap is closing. They may feel more shame about their behavior, or worry about whether it’s safe to get treatment in a mixed-gender setting.

Eating Disorders

The relationship between gender and eating disorders11 is a complicated one. Many women develop these conditions due to societal pressures about their appearance. According to one study, “girls or women are more likely than boys or men to report weight dissatisfaction, dieting for weight control, and use of purging.” 

Co-Occurring Disorders

When you have a mental health condition and addiction, you can look for a rehab that treats co-occurring disorders. Women are especially vulnerable to certain diagnoses. For example, almost twice as many women experience depression12 as men. People with depression are more likely to use substances,13 and people who use substances are more likely to be depressed. Without treatment, this can easily become a spiral.

Many women also use substances to cope with trauma. Data shows that as many as 59% of women with addiction also have PTSD.14 When drug use masks your mental health symptoms, it might feel like a coping strategy. But if you’re already vulnerable to addiction, that behavior can easily get out of control. 

Women and Relapse

It’s widely believed that women are more likely to relapse than men. However, there are studies with conflicting findings. Some say that women are more likely to relapse, while others have found the opposite to be true. In all, experts report “few gender differences in rates of post-treatment relapse15 to alcohol use, although the evidence is mixed in regard to relapse to drug use.”

Certain factors contribute to women’s relapse rates:

Supportive Treatment for Women With Addiction

Gender-specific treatment can make a huge difference in your healing journey. In women-only rehabs, your gender stops being a barrier to treatment. Instead, it can inform your specific goals for addiction recovery.

Women-Only Support Groups and Therapy

Some women find it difficult to share their feelings in mixed-gender groups.19 Perhaps you’ve experienced trauma that makes it hard to trust men. In addition, men tend to dominate conversations with women, even unintentionally. In rehab, women-only support groups and group therapy invite you to open up in a protected space. 

Some mixed-gender rehabs have women’s groups, and other programs only treat women. For Andrea, a client at Georgia Strait Women’s Clinic, attending women-only rehab was the key to recovery. “An all women’s program allowed for a safe environment for group work and other activities,” she explains.

Trauma-Informed Therapy for Women

Most women with addiction have a history of sexual assault,20 physical abuse, or both. Trauma-informed care helps clients explore the complex impacts of trauma. It also provides a safe, supportive environment for healing.

Kristi P., who attended the women-only rehab Awakenings by the Sea, says this of her experience: 

“I needed a safe place of refuge to escape my life and the chaos I was going through…I found women who were searching to heal from trauma the way I was searching.”

Relapse Prevention

For women, the risk of relapse is tied to societal pressures.21 Experts describe 4 themes among women who relapse: 

  1. A low sense of self-worth, especially in the context of romantic partnerships
  2. Negative feelings and conflict in relationships
  3. The inability to build a new, sober support network
  4. Little knowledge about drugs, alcohol, and relapse prevention skills

This data suggests that women can benefit from rehabs with a strong focus on relapse prevention. These programs can help you make a long term recovery plan that accounts for your specific risk factors. For example, your plan might include family therapy to help you improve close relationships.

Gender-Specific Treatment Options for Women

Women face unique risks and challenges when healing from addiction. The good news is that there are a myriad of ways to get the support you need. Gender-specific treatment can help you explore the root cause of your addiction, and empower you to start recovery.


No matter your sex or gender, you deserve care that meets your unique needs. Explore rehabs for women including centers with trauma-informed care, relapse prevention, and more.

Frequently Asked Questions About Women and Addiction

How does addiction affect women differently than men?

Addiction can affect women differently than men due to biological, psychological, and social factors. Women may experience more intense cravings and faster progression of addiction, have a higher risk of relapse, and may face greater stigma and social isolation. Women also tend to have more complex mental health needs, such as anxiety and depression, which can contribute to addiction.

What are the unique challenges women in addiction recovery face?

Women in recovery may face gender-specific issues, such as pregnancy, childcare responsibilities, or financial dependence on a partner. Women are likelier to have experienced trauma, such as sexual abuse or domestic violence, which can complicate recovery. Other challenges include lack of access to treatment, societal stigma, and shame associated with addiction.

What treatment options are available for women with addiction?

Treatment options for women with addiction include inpatient and outpatient rehab programs, behavioral therapies, medication-assisted treatment, and support groups. Treatment may also address co-occurring mental health conditions like anxiety or depression. It’s important for women to receive treatment that addresses their unique needs and challenges in recovery.
Posted on

Finding Freedom Through Gestalt Therapy

You can’t be defined as just one thing. So healing requires looking at all of the things that make you, you. Gestalt therapy shows how all the facets in your life impact you. This approach honors that both you and your environment are always shaping each other. And you can learn how to make this relationship a positive one. 

In rehab, gestalt therapy can empower you to move forward from what’s holding you back.  

What Is Gestalt Therapy?

A “gestalt” is a whole that’s greater than the sum of its parts.1 According to this approach, if you want to understand something, you have to look at its context. Gestalt therapy helps you realize how different areas of your life impact you. 

This therapy works by bringing you into the present moment to heal.2 It focuses on the here and now. You can still look at past experiences that you want to work through. But by focusing on what you’re feeling right now, you’re better able to understand and regulate your feelings. Gestalt therapy aims to help you make peace with the past, so you can move on to a brighter future.

This healing journey encourages you to reconnect with and accept buried parts of yourself. It also urges you to be accountable for how you live your life. While we can’t always control our circumstances, learning to adapt to the unpredictable can be hugely empowering.

How It Works

The key to Gestalt therapy is trust: trusting your therapist and trusting yourself. Doing so helps you develop the self-awareness to recognize patterns you want to change. 

In session, your therapist focuses on empathizing with you. By giving unconditional acceptance, they’ll provide a safe space for you to heal. They’ll do much more listening than talking. 

Gestalt Therapy Exercises 

Gestalt therapy takes a hands-on approach to healing. This experiential therapy will have you do more than just talking. In a session, you might do exercises like the following, including some that focus on analyzing body movement:

  • “I” statements: Instead of “they were mean to me,” for example, you might say: “I feel that they’re being mean to me.” Using this kind of phrasing helps you take responsibility for your thoughts and emotions instead of blaming them on others. 
  • The empty chair: You’ll face an empty chair, representing someone or something, and have an open conversation with it. Here, you’ll work through your unprocessed experiences—what Gestalt therapy refers to as “unfinished business.” The empty chair method3 releases negative feelings, making life more joyful. 
  • The reversal technique: Your therapist will encourage you to act in ways you normally wouldn’t. If you’re normally passive, for example, you might act assertively. This allows you to overcome self-imposed labels and get in touch with your full self.
  • Top dog vs. underdog: You’ll speak as both the “top dog” and “underdog” of your personality. That is, you’ll speak as your own dominant side versus your submissive side. This exercise reveals internal conflict and empowers you to work toward a middle ground. 
  • Exaggeration: Your therapist will ask you to repeat certain actions, like your leg bouncing or picking your nails, that you do while talking. By doing this action again, you’ll see what emotion it’s tied to. Understanding this mind-body connection is grounding and allows you to develop control of your emotions. 

Is Gestalt Therapy Right for You?

Gestalt therapy treats a variety of mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. And you don’t have to have a diagnosis to benefit from it. Gestalt therapy is also used for low self-esteem4 and relationship problems. 

Gestalt therapy is process-oriented,5 unlike many other therapies. This means that it follows the flow of the therapy session and does not have specific rules or a timeline. If you need more structure, Gestalt therapy may not be a fit.

Gestalt Therapy for Mental Health

When you’re in the present moment and self-aware, your mental health benefits. If you’re feeling stuck in old ruts, Gestalt therapy may be able to help you break out of them.

Gestalt Therapy for Trauma and PTSD

Your body stores trauma.6 And Gestalt therapy can help you safely explore it. Focusing on how your body is currently moving or feeling can help you process your past. As trauma expert Dr. Bessel van der Kolk explains: 

“If you have a comfortable connection with your inner sensations—if you can trust them to give you accurate information—you will feel in charge of your body, your feelings, and yourself.”7

For PTSD patients, Gestalt therapy revisits past emotions that are tied to traumatic events.8 By fully processing the effects on your mind and body, you can move beyond the hold your past has had on you. 

If you have bodily or sexual trauma, approach Gestalt therapy with caution. Trauma sits differently for everyone, so what may work for others could be triggering for you. Your treatment team can help you decide which modalities are best suited for your goals. 

Gestalt Therapy for Trauma Anxiety

Anxiety often starts from stress about your past or about the unknown future. Gestalt therapy can decrease anxiety9 by helping you focus on the now. It can also increase self-love by showing you that all parts of you are worthy. For many, recovery is a lifelong process, and this therapy can support lasting healing. 

Addiction and Gestalt Therapy

Addiction might begin as self-medication to cope with stress or other mental health concerns. Learning to accept your life in the present through Gestalt therapy could be a powerful tool for setting yourself free. 

Your therapist will look at you as a whole person, instead of just a set of addiction risk factors. Professionals at Monarch Shores explain that the biggest goal in recovery with Gestalt therapy is growth. As you grow to accept your life, you’ll also grow to embrace who you are. And in doing so, you’ll be more motivated to make positive changes. 

The fundamental skills Gestalt therapy teaches are also useful for preventing relapse.10

Healing Your Present–and Your Future

You are a collection of every experience in your life. When you learn to love and accept all of the elements that make up who you are, you become a stronger whole. Radically accepting everything you feel can help you focus on the present moment—and find freedom from the past.

Look for rehabs that offer gestalt therapy and reach out to their admissions staff directly.

Posted on

What Happens in Residential Rehab for Trauma?

Rehab isn’t just for addiction recovery. That’s a common reason to start treatment, but it’s not the only one. You can also go to rehab to heal from trauma.

Defining Trauma

Traumatic events don’t always cause trauma symptoms.1 The same event that leaves you with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)2 could be annoying but forgettable for someone else. Certain qualities can make you more vulnerable to developing symptoms. Specifically, people who have a history of childhood trauma, mental health issues, or addiction may be at higher risk.  

Trauma Symptoms

Everyone reacts to trauma differently. But there are a few common effects you might experience after a traumatic event:3

  • Fatigue
  • Confusion
  • Anxiety
  • Emotional numbness
  • Loss of hope
  • Fear

These are often short-term reactions in the immediate aftermath of the event. But for some people, they become ongoing symptoms. If that’s the case, you can ask your doctor to evaluate you for PTSD.  

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

PTSD is a prolonged reaction4 to a finite traumatic experience. This could be a single event, like a car accident, or a period of time, like a tour of duty in the military. Symptoms of PTSD include the following:

  • Flashbacks 
  • Sleep problems like nightmares
  • Avoidance, where you stay away from reminders of your trauma
  • Feeling tense
  • Angry outbursts
  • Loss of interest in your passions

To fit the criteria for PTSD, these symptoms need to last for more than a month and interfere with your quality of life. 

Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Chronic trauma can lead to complex PTSD5 (c-PTSD), instead of PTSD. The 2 conditions are similar, but with a few key differences. Unlike PTSD, c-PTSD is the response to long-term circumstances. For example, teens or adults who survived child abuse might show signs of c-PTSD. 

In addition to the symptoms of classic PTSD, people with c-PTSD may also experience the following: 

  • Dysregulated emotions
  • A negative self-image
  • Difficulty forming and maintain healthy relationships

While treatment for these diagnoses is similar, c-PTSD can cause additional challenges. 

Co-occurring Trauma and Addiction

Studies indicate a strong link between addiction and traumatic experiences.6 There are several reasons for this. Drugs and alcohol can offer a temporary distraction from the pain of trauma. Or, you might decide to self-medicate in order to manage your symptoms. 

It’s all too easy to get caught in a cycle of trauma and addiction. That’s true for a few reasons. First, drug and alcohol use can make your mental health worse. And second, addiction itself can be traumatic. You might find yourself in dangerous situations because of the way you obtain or take drugs. Those experiences can compound your trauma. But without support, drug use might be the only way you know how to manage your symptoms.

What Happens in Rehab for Trauma?

If you’re having a hard time healing on your own, you might benefit from residential treatment. There, you’ll have the time and space to focus on healing, instead of just surviving. 

What is Trauma-Informed Care?

Trauma-informed rehab programs provide treatment in a safe and empowering way. Clinicians are sensitive to your concerns, and may have special training in trauma recovery.

Trauma symptoms can put you on high alert,7 even if there isn’t any danger. The tranquility of a trauma-informed treatment center can help you stay centered. For example, you might attend therapy in a soundproof room, so there’s a lower chance of loud noises. Or, your massage therapist might ask for consent before starting every session.

This type of care accommodates your needs, but it won’t insulate you from all your triggers. Instead, you’ll learn how to navigate them while keeping yourself safe. Rehab gives you the chance to practice new coping skills before you reenter a less curated environment. 

A Framework for Recovery

While you can heal from your trauma in an outpatient setting, going to residential treatment offers unique benefits. For example, keeping a consistent schedule helps people with PTSD feel safe.8 And when you attend inpatient treatment, your days will have a set routine. It’s common for people to feel overwhelmed after trauma,9 so taking a break from making certain decisions can be a relief. That way, you can focus on your recovery, instead of what you’re going to have for dinner.

A Calming Environment

It’s much harder to heal in the same place where you got hurt. If your trauma happened close to home, a change of scenery might be necessary for recovery. Studies even show that changing your environment can improve your mood.10 

If you travel for rehab, you can choose your ideal location. And some environments make healing even easier. Specifically, living in the midst of nature can help you process your thoughts11 and cope with stress. 

Social Support During Treatment

Trauma can be isolating.12 And when your symptoms interfere with relationships, it’s hard to ask for the help you need. Many residential rehabs offer a built-in community13 of patients with a similar experience of trauma. Some programs even cater to people with shared identities, like LGBTQ+ patients. And studies show that having robust social support can help your recovery14 from trauma. 

Specific Therapies for Trauma 

Everyone’s healing process is different. That’s why so many rehabs offer personalized care. During inpatient treatment for trauma, you can access several different types of therapy in the same program. This empowers patients to take control of the healing process, under the expert guidance of their care team.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a popular treatment for trauma symptoms.15 In session, patients learn to recognize and work through thought patterns that no longer serve them. This is easiest to understand with triggers. For example, after an accident, you might feel intense fear about getting into a car. CBT can help you put that feeling in context. Instead of avoiding cars altogether, you could learn how to calmly assess whether it’s safe to drive. And then, additional CBT skills can help you stay centered while you’re on the road.

Prolonged Exposure Therapy 

Prolonged exposure therapy (PE)16 is a type of CBT. In PE, you’ll confront your trauma head-on. Patients do this by recounting their most painful memories in great detail. As you tell the story of what happened, your therapist may encourage you to engage your 5 senses. What did the room smell like? What noises did you hear? How did your body feel?

PE isn’t easy. The goal is to trigger yourself, purposely causing an intense emotional response. But as you return to the same memory over and over again, you’ll become desensitized to it. Eventually, you’ll be able to think about what happened without feeling triggered at all. 

If you’re healing from complex trauma, you may need to repeat this process with a few different memories. Over time, PE helps patients regulate their feelings in and outside of sessions. 

Cognitive Processing Therapy

Cognitive processing therapy (CPT)17 helps you address the emotional fallout of trauma. With a therapist’s guidance, you’ll explore the way you feel about what happened. Early in treatment, you’ll write a trauma impact statement.18 There, you’ll describe why you think your trauma happened, and list its lasting effects on your life. Then, you’ll recount a traumatic experience and talk through the way it makes you feel. 

While this process is a lot like PE, the goal is a little different. Instead of desensitizing yourself, you’ll work to understand why you feel the way you do. For example, self-blame is a common response to trauma.19 If you feel guilty about what happened, you might practice self-compassion during CPT. You’ll also learn how to cope with the triggers you encounter in daily life. 

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)20 uses visual or audio cues to help you process your trauma. First, you’ll learn more about trauma and coping skills. Then, you’ll identify a “target” traumatic event. For about 30 seconds, you’ll focus on that target as you pay attention to an external cue. 

Studies indicate that EMDR helps patients reduce anxiety and other PTSD symptoms. But it can also be emotionally taxing to concentrate on your trauma. You might feel triggered or vulnerable after a session. But in residential treatment, you won’t have to jump right back into other tasks after EMDR.  

Holistic Therapies for Survivors

Trauma affects more than just your mental health. For example, trauma can cause physical pain,21 or interrupt your spiritual practice. Holistic therapies address all parts of your life,22 and help you heal in an integrated way. There are several different types of holistic treatment: 

These methods aren’t replacements for talk therapy, but they can work well as complementary therapies. In rehab, you can combine holistic treatments with more traditional techniques. 

What Are the Stages of Trauma Recovery?

No matter what therapy you use, it still takes time to heal from trauma. And healing is nonlinear. As you grow and change, your feelings about what happened might change, too. For example, some people have trauma from romantic relationships. They might feel completely healed—while they’re single. But then new triggers might come up when they start dating again. 

While everyone’s process is different, experts describe 5 distinct stages of trauma recovery.23 You might progress through these in order, or all at once. You might even revisit some stages more than once. But as you heal, it’s likely that you’ll touch on these different perspectives.

Trauma Processing and Reexamination

Processing your trauma is an important part of recovery. Therapies like CBT and PE help you understand the effects of what happened to you. By working through your past triggers, you can focus on the present, and start to build a meaningful future. Living on-site in a rehab program helps you focus on healing, without the distractions of daily life.

Managing Negative States

During rehab, you’ll learn more sustainable coping strategies. And when you encounter triggers, your care team will likely be on hand to help you practice them. As you develop those skills, you can let go of any behavior—like addiction—that doesn’t support your growth.

Rebuilding the Self After Trauma

Trauma can make you feel disconnected24 from yourself. During rehab, you can rebuild your confidence and self-esteem. There are several ways to work toward that goal. Holistic therapies, for instance, can help you reintegrate different parts of your identity. 

Connecting With Others

Trauma affects the way you relate to other people.25 And no one exists in a vacuum. On the contrary, healthy relationships are vital to recovery. There are countless ways to approach this part of healing. You might connect with other patients, or join a support group. But those options don’t work for everyone. Some high-profile clients, for instance, may need confidentiality during rehab. If privacy is a priority, you might consider family therapy with your closest loved ones.

Regaining Hope and Power

After you survive trauma, serious danger stops being theoretical. You know from personal experience that getting hurt is a real possibility. It’s happened before, and it might happen again. Recovery means learning to live a rich, beautiful life in the face of that uncertainty. Treatment can help you regain your power and hope for the future. 


Compare rehabs that treat trauma and reach out to them directly to learn how you can get started on your healing journey.