Fort Worth PTSD Addiction Treatment

How Can Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Lead to Addiction?

Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, can often lead to addiction. PTSD is a psychiatric diagnosis given to individuals who have gone through a traumatic event or multiple traumatic experiences. Many people are traumatized by childhood abuse, sexual abuse, acts of violence, ongoing abuse, military deployment, prolonged illness, or sudden injury.

Each person is unique and their trauma responses may be different. Some have had angry outbursts or can’t sleep, while others with PTSD suffer from severe anxiety or depression.

When a person is dealing with PTSD symptoms, they often look for ways to cope. Without the proper therapy, they often turn to abusing drugs or alcohol to help deal with the trauma of the past. Alcohol, for example, may help them sleep or calm their anxiety, but continued use of alcohol or drugs can lead to dependency and the inability to stop.

Once a substance use disorder has begun, individuals often need professional intervention to help them stop and to teach them the needed skills to overcome the trauma. At The Fullbrook Center, we focus on resolving the trauma through intensive therapy.

Relapse can be common when there is trauma underlying drug use. Relapse happens because the trauma is not properly resolved or treated. The addiction treatment was implemented, but part of why a person is drinking or using was not addressed.

Entering a program, like The Fullbrook Center, we are centered around trauma-focused treatment, giving you or your loved one a chance to resolve the trauma and achieve long-term sobriety.

Trauma Treatment and Addiction Recovery

Finding the right trauma and drug abuse treatment for individuals can feel like a difficult task. At The Fullbrook Center, we have combined innovative trauma therapy and addiction recovery modalities to help people heal from substance abuse.

When treating a co-occurring disorder, like PTSD and substance use, it is important to treat the disorders in conjunction with one another. For an individual to recover from drug or alcohol abuse, the underlying trauma has to be treated. We often see people return to old habits and coping mechanisms when the root of the issue hasn’t been addressed.

Another factor in PTSD treatment and addiction recovery is medication management. PTSD is a psychiatric diagnosis and often needs specific medication management to help alleviate some of the symptoms. While not everyone that enters our facility needs mental health medications, some do. It can be the difference between achieving sobriety and not. Our psychiatrist works closely with our medical director and clinical team to ensure that every client is assessed and appropriate medication management is discussed.

The right setting for healing is important too. We are located in the Texas Hill Country, offering a charming facility on 10 acres, this allows the individuals we treat to get outside and not only connect with nature but reconnect with themselves. Here, they can remove the distractions from the outside world and take a deep dive into their trauma and addiction through equine therapy.

Equine therapy is an integral part of our treatment program at The Fullbrook Center. Through interactions with horses, individuals can develop emotional resilience, improve self-awareness, and foster personal growth. This therapeutic approach has been proven effective in helping individuals overcome trauma and addiction.