Why Trauma-Informed Addiction Treatment Matters

Addiction is a complex situation, often resulting from a multitude of factors that play out in one’s life. For this reason, many issues, including trauma, need to be addressed at the same time as your misuse of alcohol and drugs.

At Revolution Psychiatric and Addiction Treatment, we focus on trauma-informed treatment strategies to uncover the root connections that lead to addiction.

Board-certified psychiatric and addiction medicine specialist Richard E. Repass, MD, can address the underlying trauma that contributes to alcohol addiction, opioid addiction, and other substance use disorders to support your long-term recovery.

Trauma’s connection to addiction

Trauma occurs when an event or circumstance threatens your sense of safety or overwhelms your ability to cope in a healthy way. There are many types of trauma that can negatively affect your life, including:

• Abuse
• Neglect
• Illness
• Violence
• Death of a loved one
• Divorce or other family conflict

Because everyone responds differently to life’s circumstances, what may seem like a forgettable experience to some can be highly traumatic to others.

Unmanaged trauma from an isolated incident or ongoing circumstances can affect you physically, mentally, and emotionally. Some people may turn to alcohol or drugs to numb the pain of trauma, which can quickly spiral into addiction.

Understanding the trauma-informed approach

Being trauma-informed means having an understanding of how the overwhelm and stress of trauma impacts the quality of life of individuals. 

Dr. Repass takes into account all of the factors that contribute to your use of alcohol or drugs to create the most effective treatment plan. By addressing both your addiction and your trauma at the same time, you can learn the tools you need to better cope with life challenges in a healthy manner.

Using a trauma-informed approach, Dr. Repass helps you focus on healing the pain of past or current trauma, so you can put a plan in place to achieve long-term recovery. He meets you where you are and provides the support you need as you uncover and address traumatic experiences from your childhood or other stages of life without alcohol or drugs.

In addition to offering medication-assisted treatment to help you safely detox from alcohol, opioids, and other substances, we also provide general psychiatry services, including trauma-informed therapy to guide you through emotional and mental health issues in a safe, judgment-free space.

How trauma-formed therapy makes a difference in recovery

Without addressing the traumas that led to addiction, your recovery may be more challenging to maintain. By participating in trauma-informed therapy at the same time as addiction treatment, you’ll be better prepared to handle your life circumstances while sober.

Dr. Repass understands that you are a human being facing immense challenges that affect your personal life, physical health, and relationships. He helps you understand the negative thought patterns you have that contribute to addiction, so you can improve your mindset and achieve lasting recovery.

Participating in trauma-informed therapy even after stopping drugs and alcohol can help you stay on track with your sobriety. Therapy also gives you back your self-confidence and self-esteem, so you can mend relationships and pursue the goals you set for yourself.

Call us at Revolution Psychiatric and Addiction Treatment in Mercer Island, Washington, to learn more about the benefits of trauma-informed recovery or to book an appointment with Dr. Repass today.