The Connection Between Trauma and Substance Abuse

A man covers his face in distress because he is dealing with both trauma and substance abuse issues.

About six out of every 100 people struggle with PTSD at some point in their lives. Left untreated, trauma can significantly hurt your health and quality of life. Many people with trauma may end up turning to drugs and alcohol to help relieve their trauma symptoms. While using substances may temporarily relieve your trauma symptoms, drug abuse can quickly turn into drug dependency and addiction. Keep reading to learn more about the connection between trauma and substance abuse below. 

Outpatient LA is a leading outpatient drug rehab in Los Angeles that helps clients overcome addiction and achieve life-long sobriety. Our compassionate team is here to help you every step on your road to recovery. We offer a comprehensive range of addiction treatment in Beverly Hills so you can receive the tailored support you need to lead a healthier, happier life.

Contact us today to learn how we can best support your road to recovery. 

Signs You May Be Struggling with Trauma

Before diving into the connection between trauma and substance abuse, it’s important to understand what trauma is and why many people may turn to drugs to relieve their trauma symptoms. Sometimes, trauma can be difficult to spot, because each person responds differently to traumatic events. However, if you suspect you may be struggling with trauma, below are several signs to watch out for:

  • Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
  • Constantly feeling on edge
  • Constantly feeling sad or hopeless
  • Uncontrollable flashbacks or nightmares of the traumatic event
  • Difficulty trusting others
  • Decline in work of school performance

The Link Between Trauma and Substance Use Disorders

Many people grappling with trauma also struggle with mental illness because they may turn to drugs or alcohol to relieve their trauma symptoms. While drug abuse may temporarily ease your trauma symptoms, drugs do not heal your trauma. Not to mention, consistently abusing drugs to mask your trauma symptoms can easily lead to drug dependency and addiction. This is why it’s so critical to seek professional support if you suspect you may be struggling with trauma.

Untreated trauma can not only increase your risk of abusing drugs, but it can overall have a negative impact on your health and quality of life. From hurting relationships with others to impeding your ability to live your life to the fullest, trauma can keep you chained to the past.

How You Can Heal from Trauma and Addiction

Now that you know more about the connection between trauma and substance abuse, it’s critical to understand that there is hope and healing available if you are struggling with either, or both, conditions. There are a wide range of drug rehabs and mental health treatment centers that offer services to effectively manage your addiction and trauma symptoms so you can live a healthier, happier life.

It’s important to note that if you suspect you are struggling with both conditions (trauma and drug addiction), it’s critical you seek treatment for both at the same time. Otherwise, failure to treat one condition but not the other can increase your risk of relapse. Therefore, if you are struggling with trauma and drug addiction, it’s essential to seek professional dual diagnosis treatment to effectively treat both conditions at the same time. 

Break Free of Addiction For Good 

There is a significant connection between trauma and substance abuse. Despite people using substances to ease their trauma symptoms, drug abuse does not effectively heal trauma. So, if you suspect you may be struggling with untreated trauma, addiction, or both conditions, it’s critical you seek professional support so you can lead a healthier, happier life. 

At Outpatient LA, we provide leading outpatient treatment to help you safely overcome addiction and lead a healthier life. Our treatment options include a partial hospitalization program, intensive outpatient program, and sober living home in Los Angeles.

Contact us today to learn how our team can best support your recovery journey. 

Is It Addiction or a Mental Health Disorder?

Many times, addiction and mental illness go hand-in-hand. Unfortunately, many people who struggle with an untreated mental health disorder may turn to drugs to cope. Likewise, many people struggling with addiction may develop a mental health disorder because of the debilitating effects of addiction. If you are unsure if you are struggling with an addiction or a mental health disorder, keep reading.

Outpatient LA is a leading outpatient drug rehab in Los Angeles that is here to help as many clients as possible overcome addiction and achieve lasting sobriety. We understand that no two recovery journeys are ever the same. That’s why we offer a comprehensive range of California drug and alcohol rehab programs so you can receive the right care for your unique recovery needs. Contact us today!

Signs You Are Struggling with Addiction

Addiction is a debilitating disease that can harm your health and quality of life for the worse. Addiction impacts your brain chemistry and causes you to develop a dependency on the substance or behavior you are addicted to. Unfortunately, many people who abuse addictive substances are inevitably at a heightened risk of developing a drug addiction.

If you are unsure of whether or not you are struggling with a drug addiction, below are several common signs to look out for:

  • Being unable to quit abusing a drug or alcohol
  • Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you don’t consume the drug
  • Developing a tolerance such that you need to consume more to achieve the desired effect
  • Engaging in riskier behavior than usual 
  • Being in denial or defensive of your drug or alcohol abuse
  • Obsessing over the next time you’ll be able to use the drug

Along with the above signs, you’ll also likely be struggling with general physical and mental health decline, from a lack of motivation and energy to an overall decline in work or school performance.

Signs You Are Struggling with a Mental Health Disorder

There is a wide variety of mental health disorders. It’s critical to first understand that each type of mental health disorder has its own set of unique signs and symptoms. In general, if you suspect you may be struggling with a mental health disorder, below are several signs and symptoms you should look out for:

  • Mood changes
  • Significant sleep changes
  • Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed 
  • Lack of energy or motivation
  • Decline in work or school performance

Are You Struggling with a Co-Occurring Disorder?

If you are struggling to know if you are suffering from an addiction or a mental health disorder, you may have a co-occurring disorder. This means that you may be struggling with a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder at the same time.

Many people who struggle with an addiction are also at risk for suffering from a mental health disorder (and vice versa). In fact, according to SAMHSA, around 21.5 million adults in the United States have a co-occurring disorder. If you suspect you are struggling with a co-occurring disorder, it’s critical you seek a professional diagnosis so you can receive the right support for your exact recovery needs. This is because people diagnosed with a co-occurring disorder need to seek treatment for both their conditions at the same time. Otherwise, failure to treat one condition but not the other can increase their risk of relapsing. 

Help Is Available 

Millions of people struggle with addiction and mental illness each year. Whether you are struggling with a substance use disorder, mental illness, or co-occurring disorder, it’s critical you seek the professional support you need to safely and effectively recover and lead a healthier, happier life. You should never feel alone when it comes to receiving the help you need to treat your addiction or a mental health disorder.

At Outpatient LA, our team of addiction specialists are here to help you every step of the way on your road to recovery. We offer a wide variety of addiction treatment options and programs to meet you right where you are on your recovery journey. Contact us today to learn more about how we can best support your recovery journey.