The Trauma-Addiction Cycle: Why Healing One Requires Addressing Both.
65% of people in addiction treatment report childhood trauma (SAMHSA). Here’s how trauma rewires the brain—and why dual diagnosis treatment is essential.
Key Sections:
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The Brain Connection
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Trauma floods the body with stress hormones, making substances a “quick fix” for numbness.
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Example:
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PTSD sufferers are 4x more likely to abuse opioids (NIH).
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Common Trauma Responses Linked to Addiction
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Hypervigilance → Alcohol to “slow down”
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Emotional Numbness → Stimulants to “feel alive”
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Breaking the Cycle
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Phase 1: Safety & Stabilization (Inpatient care)
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Phase 2: Trauma Processing (EMDR, somatic therapy)
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Phase 3: Reconnection (Life skills, community)
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Patient Story (Michael Billowgh):
“I drank to forget my abuse—until therapy helped me realize I wasn’t running from the past, but from my fear of the future.”
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