THERAPIES

Trauma-Informed Group Therapy

Q: Difference between trauma-aware and trauma-informed?

Trauma-aware is simply being sensitive to and aware of trauma. This could be like a relative who knows you’ve been through trauma and wants to be polite but doesn’t do any further personal research. Trauma-informed is having received formal training about how to engage with traumatized people without re-traumatizing them. Even if you haven’t been told, you are looking for the symptoms of trauma in new patients.

Q: What are trauma-informed group interventions?

Interventions are strategies used to meet a specific goal or address a specific behavior, usually in a single person. Group interventions are the same, except they are directed at several people at once. These several people have usually been traumatized by the same thing or the same type of thing and are there to both be supported and to be supported. A group setting has the benefits of learning from others, sharing difficulties, and practicing coping skills in a safe environment.

Trauma is dangerous to leave unattended. Oftentimes, trauma can be experienced in response to addiction or even as a precursor to addiction. It’s a vicious cycle that is difficult to escape. Trauma-informed group therapy is a compassionate alternative to non-informed therapy. Here, you are a person to be helped rather than a problem to be solved.

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What is Trauma-informed care for Substance Abuse?

Trauma is a past event or events that were physically or emotionally harmful or threatening, resulting in lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being.[1]

As it relates to substance abuse, many addiction patients have experienced trauma either in response to their addiction or an addiction of a family member. Sometimes trauma was a precursor to personally abusing substances.

When dealing with substance abuse, trauma-informed clinicians and group leaders ask, “What happened to this person?” rather than “What is wrong with this person?”[2] Instead of assigning moral guilt to a person they barely know, a healthcare provider trained in trauma-informed care therapy looks at the patient from a “How can I help?” perspective.

Could you or someone you know need Trauma-Informed Group Therapy? Reach out today.

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The Relationship Between Substance Use and Trauma

Trauma is difficult to process. That’s why many people cover up their own trauma with substance abuse. Substances like opioids dull the pain victims of trauma carry with them every day.

Even if it is only for a few hours–or a few minutes–drugs help people ignore the weight of the trauma holding them down. They can feel euphoric and happy for once. But, as the drug wears off, they are faced yet again with the magnitude of their unhappiness.

The only solution, or so they think, is to repeat the cycle again. Trauma and addiction recovery need to work together rather than against each other. Trauma can feed you, or it can consume you. It can feed your determination to stay sober, or it can overwhelm you with guilt.

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How (and Why) Trauma-Focused Group Therapy Works

Roughly 61% of men and 51% of women report experiencing at least one trauma in their lifetime.[3] It’s nearly certain the percentage of reported trauma is higher for all men and women undergoing addiction therapy. This means that any care they receive will be filtered through the lens of their own trauma. It’s imperative that healthcare providers practice key steps:[4]

Meeting client needs in a respectful manner.
Avoid retraumatizing prospective patients.
Adapting the values, beliefs, and practices of the client’s family and community as strengths that can focus care rather than weaknesses that distract from it.
Training staff in trauma-informed principles through support, consultation, and supervision.

Trauma-specific therapies are especially effective in the context of a sober-living house. Nobody understands trauma better than people who themselves have been traumatized. When the supportive community around you understands your trauma and is compassionate to you, you will be in the best place possible to pursue sobriety.

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What’s the Best Way to Find Trauma Informed Group Therapy in Connecticut?

The best way to find trauma-informed therapy in Connecticut is to reach out to any prospective addiction treatment centers for more information and listen closely to whether they dignify you as a patient.

Do they treat you like a problem to be solved or a person in need of help? If you feel seen, heard, and valued, the odds are they have been trained in trauma-informed therapy.

If you are struggling with trauma and addiction treatment or trauma and substance abuse treatment, you can call the national hotline for SAMHSA at 1-800-662-4357. It’s a free, confidential referral service that is open 24 hours/day for people experiencing mental or substance use disorders.

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Cost of Trauma Informed Group Therapy for Substance Abuse

Whether you’re participating in medical detox and inpatient care or looking to get involved in a 12-step program, there are trauma-informed options available for you. The cost for trauma-informed group therapy varies depending on your length of stay, intensity of care, and desired therapies. It is also possible that insurance will cover some or all of your treatment.

Your health is priceless. Do not let cost deter you from seeking quality medical help or let substance abuse control your life. Get help today.

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