One of the reasons why seeking South Florida drug rehab centers over just attending a 12-Step program is that often times a person suffering from substance use disorder has more than just the use of the substance to work through. The National Institute on Drug Abuse surveyed just under 200 people within an inpatient treatment program and found that fifty-five percent had suffered some sort of childhood trauma. Through the years, they developed symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is more commonly associated with soldiers coming back from a war zone. The traumas experienced were physical abuse, sexual abuse or both.
Trauma itself is defined as something that causes emotional, mental or physical harm and often times when witnessed or experienced can affect emotional and mental development. People that go through these events, no matter the age, often become compelled to self medicate to deal with their emotions internally, often finding it difficult to relate to others even close to them. It’s one of the main reasons why substance abuse treatment in Florida focuses on a holistic approach to treatment methods, focusing not only on the substance abuse itself, but also the underlying causes which are often contributing factors. Without healing the emotional scars and creating a social support system for a person who has experienced trauma will not effectively treat addiction in any permanent way.
Trauma can also happen to people later in life as well. Many veterans who experienced traumatic events from their service have a high risk of substance use disorders as well as suicidal tendencies, even going so far as to using their substance of preference to attempt to carry out the suicide itself through intentional overdose.
For modern treatment of substance use disorder, trauma is heavily tested for along with general mental health. Chemical dependencies are only part of the equation, even for highly addictive drugs like cocaine and heroin. With the statistical probability of trauma, along with other mental illnesses such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), chronic depression and acute anxiety disorders frequently coming along with addiction, it’s necessary to address the total health of a patient seeking treatment in Pompano drug rehab or elsewhere.
Over the years, the American healthcare system has been heavily criticized for its lack of mental health care availability. While some people who go undiagnosed have become tragic bearers of the need for this service when they become infamous mass shooters in movie theaters and other public places, most direct their damage inward through self medication. It’s believed that a large portion of the increase in addiction across America is tied to lack of mental health care and, unfortunately, some may never receive it until they’ve developed a severe substance use disorder, making the preventability of these outcomes even more tragic when they happen.
If you are suffering from substance use disorder, call First Step Behavioral Health at (855) 425-4846.
