Our Addiction, Trauma & PTSD Treatment Center

What Is Trauma or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?

Trauma is a natural, emotional response to a significant or harmful event, either as a child or more recently. This could have been something experienced first-hand, witnessed, threatened but not realized, or something on a large scale, like a natural disaster or catastrophic weather event.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition triggered by traumatic events. Not everyone who experiences a serious or traumatic event will develop PTSD, as the response may vary based on past experiences, severity, and access to immediate support.

The Mayo Clinic categorizes the common symptoms of PTSD into these four primary categories:[3]

• Intrusive Memories: These could present as distressing memories, flashbacks, nightmares, and general emotional distress.
• Avoidance: Intentionally avoiding thoughts, discussions, places, and people related to the negative event.
• Thinking and Mood Changes: This could present as negative thoughts and feelings about yourself, the world around you, or others. Common changes could present as hopelessness, memory issues, relationship trouble, detachment, losing interest in former activities, emotional numbness, or an inability to feel happy.
• Physical and Emotional Challenges: Someone who has experienced a traumatic event may be easily frightened and in a state of heightened alertness. They may exhibit self-destructive behavior and suffer from insomnia. Also common is difficulty concentrating, irritability, aggression, outbursts, and excessive guilt or shame.

Types of Traumatic Events That Can Trigger PTSD

There is not one singular type of event that is associated with PTSD, and everyone’s experience will be unique, but some common traumatic event examples include:[4]

• Any type of severe accident
• Criminal activity
• Violence (physical or sexual assault)
• Natural Disaster (earthquake, tornado, hurricane, avalanche, etc.)
• Physical or Emotional Abuse
• Neglect
• Grief or loss of a loved one
• War, torture, and military conflict
• Remote exposure
• Severe or chronic health conditions

Trauma and Addiction Statistics

Research suggests that approximately 30% of American people experience substance use disorder at some point in their lives, and 8% of that population will also experience PTSD.[5] Of those who pursue treatment for PTSD, patients are 14 times more likely to also suffer from substance use disorder.[6]

Sadly, military veterans are at increased risk of developing both PTSD and SUD. With some of the more recent conflicts to measure, 27% reported alcohol misuse on their return home, and 21-27% presented with both PTSD and SUD.[7]

Childhood trauma and addiction are another common pair. Medical studies reveal that those with a history of childhood trauma consistently show lifetime substance dependence across a range of substances (39% reported alcohol dependence, 34.1% reported cocaine dependence, 6.2% reported heroin or opiate dependence, and 44.8% reported marijuana dependence.)[8] Like with any other co-occurring mental health disorder, childhood trauma and addiction must be treated together.

How Trauma and Substance Use Disorder Affect The Brain and The Body

Trauma and substance use have some amount of overlapping neurobiology in how and where they impact the brain. They both negatively impact neurotransmitters and result in increased stress hormones, high cortisol, and structural brain changes.[9]

The physical impact of both trauma and substance use is also evident. You may experience heightened alertness and elevated stress response, and urine samples may reveal increased stress hormones.[10] Over time, this is taxing on your central nervous system.

Untreated comorbid SUD and PTSD or unresolved trauma and addiction are linked to chronic health issues, reduced social functioning, higher risk of suicide attempts, increased risk of violence and legal trouble, and a difficult treatment experience.[11] It’s critical that trauma treatment and addiction treatment services be fully integrated and customized to each individual’s unique needs.

What Does Recovery At An Addiction, Trauma & PTSD Treatment Center Look Like?

At Wellbridge, our mission is to help every person affected by addiction and the people who care for them achieve long-lasting recovery. To accomplish our mission, we’ve curated several treatment options and levels of care to effectively treat addiction, trauma, and PTSD.

Substance Use and Trauma Treatment Modalities at Wellbridge

There are a number of shared components to trauma-informed PTSD and addiction treatment. At Wellbridge, these are some of the modalities you may participate in at our 96-acre campus and 10,000-square-foot Wellness Center:

• Trauma Therapy: Specifically designed to identify and address underlying trauma so you can find healing.
• Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT): Medication interventions are ideal for withdrawal symptom relief.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): The industry-leading modality to address both disorders.
• Yoga Therapy: Guided yoga reduces stress, promotes mindfulness, and helps you develop positive coping skills.
• Creative Arts Therapies: Work with a clinician as you participate in hands-on, artistic pursuits to process things in a new light.
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): This therapy enhances emotional regulation and acceptance of your experiences.
• Motivational Interviewing (MI): A targeted approach to help you cultivate motivation and ignite change.
• Recreational Therapy: Building healthy patterns, creating new habits, and activating good hormones.
• Family Therapy: An opportunity to get family members involved in treatment, both for you and for themselves.
• Group Therapies: A safe environment to practice coping skills, learn from the perspective and experiences of others, and build community in the treatment process.
• Vocational Support: Practical training to support or restore your life after treatment.
• Psychoeducation: Education around trauma and addiction that enhances your personal development and safety.
• Pilates: A fitness approach to help promote physical resilience and reduce stress.
• Personal Training: Setting healthy new patterns for fitness that support a safe and sober lifestyle.
• Outdoor Cycling: Combining healthy cardiac exercise with exploration and reflection.
• Indoor Serenity Pools: Here, you can rest, reflect, and be renewed.