Women & Trauma in Recovery
Trauma is defined as an event or situation that causes great distress and disruption. It creates substantial, lasting damage to the psychological development of a person and eventually affects their ability to derive pleasure from life. Traumatic experiences can serve as the catalyst into substance abuse as natural coping abilities become overwhelmed and the individual begins to use drugs or alcohol (or food, sex, gambling, etc.) as alternative coping mechanisms. Trauma can also be the direct result of the lifestyle and painful experiences associated with drug or alcohol abuse. In any case, it is imperative that trauma and addiction be treated simultaneously. The impact of trauma will often worsen in early recovery, as the individual is separated from the substances they have relied on to cope with emotional pain. The trauma must be immediately identified and processed in order to develop new and effective coping methods. If the trauma is not addressed, sobriety will remain unstable and problems with chronic relapsing are common.
At Balboa Horizons, we understand that women in recovery have specific issues related to trauma. Our clinical staff is highly experienced in dealing with PTSD and various forms of trauma in women, whether they are sudden, one-time occurrences or long-term situations. Some examples of traumatic events include assault, rape, accidents, death, or natural disasters. Examples of reoccurring trauma may include physical or sexual abuse, criminal activities, war, or life in religious cults. However, this list is in no way exhaustive, as everyone experiences varying degrees of trauma and its effects.
Through individual and group therapy, we make every effort to build trust and open the door to healing. We understand that traumatic experiences may be difficult to share, as they often include feelings of shame, guilt and remorse. We believe that women in recovery are only truly free to explore these issues in a consistent setting of other women on a similar journey. Although individual therapy is necessary to identify trauma and become comfortable discussing it, women in recovery will truly find their inner strength through sharing their experiences with other women.
Our gender specific program provides the opportunity for women to build mutual trust while validating and empowering each other. By identifying with other women suffering from addiction, feelings of isolation and loneliness are transformed into hope and strength. In recovery, the experiences of our past, no matter how traumatic, become our biggest assets and we encourage our clients to share their individual assets with the group. Our clinical staff employs a variety of treatment modalities to help women process trauma and make the connection between trauma and addiction. Through identifying, processing and utilizing our experiences, Balboa Horizons creates a community of support as we heal ourselves as well as each other.
