Methods for Treating Trauma

      Trauma can come in many forms. It can be the result of childhood abuse, witnessing a disaster or an extraordinarily stressful event. It can stem from something as seemingly harmless as the end of a relationship or something more serious, such as the death of a family member.

Whatever form it takes, dealing with trauma can often be difficult. A traumatic experience can lead to severe emotional and psychological damage that is hard to undo. It can also lead to a dangerous addiction to drugs or alcohol as a method of coping with emotions associated with that trauma.

But no matter how disabling a traumatic experience is, the right type of treatment can help a person who experienced trauma face their emotions head on and learn healthy ways to cope.

When to Seek Treatment for Trauma

Traumatic experiences are not always easy to cope with, but some people may have figured out better ways to do so than others. For those people who have turned to drugs or alcohol or other unhealthy coping mechanism, treatment may be necessary to help them process their trauma and move on.

Seeking treatment for trauma is a good idea if any of the following are being experienced:

•    Severe and disabling fear, depression or anxiety

•    Feeling emotionally numb and disconnected from family and friends

•    Trouble functioning in daily life

•    Experiencing flashbacks, nightmares or terrifying memories of the trauma

•    Avoiding any reminders of the trauma

•    Coping through drugs or alcohol, an eating disorder or self-mutilating behaviors

Types of Trauma Treatment

The type of treatment that will work best to treat trauma depends on the person, the type of trauma experienced and any co-occurring disorders. Trauma can be treated through the help of a trauma treatment specialist, group therapy or a residential treatment center that specializes in trauma.

For people experiencing co-occurring disorders, such as a drug or alcohol addiction, a residential treatment center for trauma and addiction can help to address both issues at once for a more successful recovery.

Trauma can be treated using one of several therapeutic methods:

•    Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: This type of therapy helps patients to process and evaluate their feelings about a trauma and reframe how they cope with it.

•    Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): EMDR uses eye movements or other forms of rhythmic, left-right stimulation to address negative emotions and beliefs associated with trauma. This type of therapy helps to unlock traumatic memories to allow a patient to process trauma.

•    Somatic Experiencing: This type of therapy focuses on bodily sensations instead of memories about the trauma. Somatic experiencing allows patients to get in touch with how their bodies reacted to the trauma and learn to release any associated tension or energy so that the body heals itself.

When seeking treatment for trauma, it’s important to remember that changes won’t happen overnight. It may take a considerable investment of time and energy to fully address the affect of the trauma and any co-occurring addictions. But with the right type of trauma treatment, recovery is possible.