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Drug and alcohol addiction and dependence are very common. Many individuals get into a cycle where they are using these substances, and then the next thing they know, they’re abusing them. It can be very easy to get into this routine and much more challenging to get away from it.
You can always look into PHP for drug and alcohol addiction if you’re in this situation. You may also want to think about how and why you started using alcohol or your drug of choice, though.
It’s highly likely that trauma played a role in you starting to use drugs or alcohol. It does for so many people. We’ll talk about that connection right now.
Trauma Causes Lasting Mental and Psychological Damage
There are all kinds of traumas that a person can experience. They might suffer abuse at the hands of a loved one. Someone they know might die. They may lose a beloved pet.
No matter what trauma they experience, getting past it is not easy. They might have a healthy support network, such as friends and family members to whom they can talk. They may be able to meditate or speak to a therapist. However, it’s just as likely they will not have these healthy outlets.
You Might Feel the Urge to Bury that Pain
If you don’t have a healthy way to get past trauma, then it’s probable that you’ll resort to using alcohol or drugs as a way of moving beyond it. However, as just about any therapist will tell you, if you don’t confront what happened and explore your feelings about it in a healthy way, your negative emotions involving what took place will stagnate.
Instead of moving beyond what happened, you will wallow in it. You will be unable to go on to the next stage, a healthy and thriving life where you’ll have processed all of your emotions.
Not Confronting What Happened Can Wreak Havoc on Your Life
Alcohol and drugs are a way to bury what took place. If you’re high or drunk, you likely won’t be able to think clearly about the trauma you endured, whatever that was. Not thinking about it clearly is probably exactly what you want.
This might work for a while. If any time you start thinking about the traumatic event or series of incidents, you pop a few pills or drink some beers, you may be able to continue in that way for quite some time. However, a time will almost always come when the drugs and alcohol will not be enough for you to forget about the pain of what took place.
That’s why most people who try to bury trauma with substances can only do it for so long before they reach a breaking point. That’s when they need to find a different way of doing things.
Only some of them can replace the drugs and alcohol with genuine healing, though. Doctors and mental health professionals have the tools to help you do it.
