“Just because you hit rock bottom doesn’t mean you have to stay there.”
Robert Downey Jr.
In simple terms, addiction is when you can’t stop engaging in a behavior or using a substance even though it causes harm. Addiction is serious, because it worsens over time impairing important things like relationships, careers, lifestyles, and health. Trauma-informed treatment views addiction as a strategy to cope and survive. Using becomes a way to numb, self-sooth, or avoid distressing thoughts and painful memories. Therefore, addiction seems necessary until a person finds other ways to manage their overwhelming discomfort.
This is why the first steps in therapy are establishing safety and building tools to successfully manage negative feelings, physical discomfort, and psychological distress. We know that stopping the addictions isn’t always sustainable unless you receive integrative, holistic treatment.
Addiction care begins with an individual session to gather information about the client’s personal, medical, legal, and drug use history. This is essential to understand the client’s current functioning. It’s also vital to identify the individual’s resources, supports, culture, and environment. We talk honestly about beliefs, motivations, and recovery goals. Abstinance is ideal, but often not the first step. Therefore, we also speak about harm reduction and limiting risks. The next step is to create the treatment plan which lists specific goals, appropriate interventions and measurable outcomes to help shape the treatment path. Based upon this plan, the client is offered individual, family, or group therapy.
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