Addiction affects millions of Americans each year, with about 46.3 million people aged 12 or older suffering from a substance use disorder in 2021.[1] While a multitude of factors can cause addiction, trauma seems to be heavily connected to substance abuse.
When someone experiences a traumatic event, they are left with a variety of uncomfortable emotions, and intrusive memories, and might even begin engaging in negative patterns of behavior. Sometimes, the lasting effects of trauma cause people to start self-medicating their symptoms with drugs or alcohol. Over time, this can lead to the development of addiction.
Treatment for trauma and addiction in New Jersey incorporates trauma-informed care with evidence-based addiction treatment methods like medical detox, individual therapy, group counseling, and more. Because everyone is different, a variety of programs are available with varying levels of care, including inpatient rehab, partial hospitalization programs, intensive outpatient programs, and outpatient treatment.
How is Trauma Connected to Addiction?
Trauma can leave lasting effects on the people whom it touches. While not everyone who experiences trauma develops post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the condition can result when one does not receive treatment. Studies have found that up to 59% of young people with PTSD subsequently develop substance abuse problems.[2]
Other statistics that display the connection between trauma and addiction include:[3]
- One to three-quarters of people who experience abuse or trauma that involves violence engage in problematic alcohol abuse
- Up to 80% of Vietnam veterans who receive treatment for PTSD struggle with alcoholism
- Women exposed to traumatic events are more likely to develop alcohol use disorder
- In comparison to other youth, adolescents who have been sexually assaulted are 4.5 times more likely to abuse alcohol, 4 times more likely to abuse marijuana, and 9 times more likely to abuse hard drugs
The main reason that people who experience trauma are more likely to abuse substances is because they are self-medicating their symptoms. Trauma can cause you to experience emotional exhaustion, sadness, feelings of numbness, social isolation, and more. The initial effects of drugs and alcohol can blunt distressing emotions, causing individuals with trauma to develop an addiction.
Do Addiction Treatment Centers in New Jersey Treat Trauma?
Since trauma is prevalent among individuals with substance use disorders, addiction treatment centers in New Jersey often use a trauma-informed approach to recovery. This means that they use techniques and therapies that are designed to help people with trauma feel comfortable opening up, allowing them to address situations from their past that might have contributed to the development of their addiction.
Treatment programs in New Jersey may use several therapies to address trauma and addiction:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
- Exposure therapy
- Mindfulness-based therapies
- Trauma-informed group counseling
These therapies are used in combination with traditional addiction treatment methods, like medical detox, psychoeducational support groups, individual therapy, group counseling, and relapse prevention planning. By doing so, clients can recover from their trauma and addiction at the same time.
What Types of Addiction and Trauma Treatment Programs are Available in New Jersey?
The highest level of care offered is known as an inpatient or residential treatment, which requires patients to live at the facility throughout the program. Inpatient rehab for trauma and addiction offers 24/7 care and support, medical detox, individualized treatment planning, and evidence-based behavioral therapies. These programs offer a comprehensive approach to trauma and addiction recovery.
If you are not interested in living at your treatment facility, you might want to consider an outpatient program. There are several different levels of care offered and you can either use them as standalone treatments or in succession of one another.
The types of outpatient programs in New Jersey from most intensive to least include:
- Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) – includes all of the same services as inpatient without the 24/7 care, as you are allowed to live at home or in a sober living housing program.
- Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) – still offers intensive trauma and addiction treatment services but is less rigorous than PHP, making it more suited for people who can keep themselves accountable for their own sobriety.
- Outpatient Program (OP) – the lowest level of care offered, including services like individual therapy, group counseling, and relapse prevention planning. Best used in combination with inpatient treatment or among individuals with mild substance use disorders.
Find Help for Trauma and Addiction in New Jersey
If you or a loved one requires treatment for trauma and addiction in New Jersey, you’ve come to the right place. Living Room New Jersey combines trauma-informed care with clinically proven addiction recovery services, allowing our clients to build a strong foundation of sobriety.
To learn more about our treatment programs for trauma and addiction in New Jersey, contact us today.
References:
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): SAMHSA Announces National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) Results Detailing Mental Illness and Substance Use Levels in 2021, Retrieved December 2023 From https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/01/04/samhsa-announces-national-survey-drug-use-health-results-detailing-mental-illness-substance-use-levels-2021.html
- The National Library of Medicine (NLM): Substance use, childhood traumatic experience, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in an urban civilian population, Retrieved December 2023 From https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3051362/
- The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS): Traumatic Stress and Substance Abuse Problems, Retrieved December 2023 From https://istss.org/ISTSS_Main/media/Documents/ISTSS_TraumaStressandSubstanceAbuseProb_English_FNL.pdf