The Intersection of Trauma and Addiction in Women

Millions of women struggle with drug addiction in the US. Unfortunately, many women who struggle with addiction also struggle with mental health issues, like trauma. Frequently, individuals who don’t receive professional treatment for mental health concerns can end up abusing drugs or alcohol to help cope with their feelings of pain and sadness. This is especially common in women struggling with untreated trauma. Keep reading to learn more about the intersection of trauma and addiction in women and how you can receive support to take back control of your life.

Hammocks on the Edisto is a premier women’s drug rehab in South Carolina that offers individualized treatment plans for women to overcome addiction effectively. With a wide range of addiction treatment programs available, we offer varied treatment options to ensure you receive the best possible care. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you achieve sobriety. 

Why Trauma Increases Your Risk Of Addiction?

Unfortunately, there are many cases of trauma and addiction in women today. It’s important to understand that trauma, left untreated, can only continue to destroy your health and quality of life for the worse. That’s why it’s critical to seek professional treatment for trauma. Below, you’ll learn more about women’s trauma and addiction and why many women turn to drugs/alcohol to cope with their trauma. 

Abuse Drugs to Cope with Trauma

Trauma, left untreated, can cause serious harm to your mental and emotional health and well-being. This pain and discomfort from trauma can be difficult to manage, especially all on your own. That’s why many women abuse drugs to cope with trauma. While drugs or alcohol may short-term relieve your trauma symptoms, long-term drug abuse does not effectively treat your trauma symptoms. In fact, continually abusing drugs to cope with trauma can make your trauma symptoms worse and cause you to develop a drug addiction.  

Trying to Escape From Trauma

Trauma can seemingly follow you everywhere and impact your quality of life for the worse, even if the traumatic event was years ago. Because trauma can feel neverending and hurt virtually all areas of your life, many women struggling with trauma choose to escape from their trauma through drugs and alcohol. Even though drug abuse momentarily may subside your trauma symptoms, as described above, this only masks your symptoms and can put you at risk for developing a drug addiction over time. 

Trauma Increases Risk of Mental Health Issues

Inevitably, trauma left untreated can increase your risk of struggling with other mental health issues, like depression and anxiety. And, struggling with mental health issues, left untreated, can again cause you to turn to drugs or alcohol to relieve your mental illness symptoms. This is why it’s so critical you seek professional help if you are struggling with addiction and mental illness.

Failure to Seek Treatment Can Lead to a Worsening Cycle 

Failing to seek treatment for trauma can lead to a worsening cycle of both trauma symptoms and then turning to drugs or alcohol to relieve those symptoms. This can lead to a dangerous cycle as you may take more and more drugs over time because you may find what you used to take is no longer enough to relieve your trauma symptoms. This can then lead to potentially life-threatening consequences as you eventually run the risk of overdosing as your tolerance grows more and more. 

Leading Women’s Drug Rehab in South Carolina 

Now, you know more about the intersection of trauma and addiction in women. Unfortunately, many women struggling with untreated trauma turn to drugs and alcohol as a means to temporarily cope with their feelings of pain and sadness. While this may help subside your trauma symptoms short-term, long-term abusing addictive substances only leads to addiction and continued trauma. Therefore, it’s critical you seek mental health and addiction treatment if you are struggling with trauma and addiction.Hammocks on the Edisto is a leading women’s drug rehab that has helped many safely and effectively achieve sobriety. We’re here to help you every step of the way so you can lead a happier, healthier life. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you on your road to recovery.

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