Life is complicated—and sometimes we do not fully realize how our experiences in the past might influence our behavior and challenges in the present. Traumatic experiences, for example, often underpin mental health and substance use disorders that develop later.
At Bel Aire Recovery Center, we are committed to asking the right questions and finding the right approaches for working with trauma-survivors to address their mental health needs and substance use disorder in effective ways.
We have noted many times the various and complex ways that mental health disorders can be intertwined with substance use disorders. Mental health issues centered in trauma are no exception, and so it is essential that a substance use disorder treatment center be fully prepared to help individuals tackle their trauma appropriately.
Let’s take a closer look at trauma experiences, their impact on your well-being, and Bel Aire’s approach to helping.
There are Many Kinds of Traumatic Experience
It can be all too easy to think of trauma in simplistic terms. We all understand that folks who serve in the military often develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We understand that victims of violent crimes or natural disasters might also develop PTSD. But we might not think about less obvious forms of trauma.
As we said at the top of this entry, life is complicated—and so is the range of traumatic events that people might experience. Many of them are far less obvious to others than military service, crime, or natural disasters. A partial list would include:
- Family violence and/or family mental illness
- Family separation and/or divorce
- Loss of a home and/or ongoing homelessness
- Chronic illness/pain including surgical complications
- Chronic illness/pain experienced by a loved one
- Loss of a loved one
- Job loss
- Ongoing community stressors like violence or poverty
- Adverse childhood experiences including neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and/or abandonment
- Complex/chronic trauma grounded in a variety of trauma experiences
Bel Aire is Committed to Trauma-Informed Treatment
One of our primary goals at Bel Aire Recovery Center is helping those we serve overcome trauma by developing long-term goals and effective coping skills and behaviors. Addressing trauma is hard work and requires support and preparation. We are committed to helping individuals who are dealing with trauma develop those skills so that they can work toward healing—while also maintaining their newly regained sobriety.
Our highly-trained team of clinical professionals is equipped to provide care that is trauma-informed, strengths-based, and culturally relevant. Evidence-based interventions may include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), the Seeking Safety approach to treating PTSD, mindfulness-based therapy, meditation, music, art, and anger management.
Trauma Responsiveness is also Central to Bel Aire’s Approach
In addition to thinking of treatment through a trauma-informed lens, Bel Aire Recovery Center is also committed to a trauma-responsive approach to serving those who come to us for help.
What’s the difference between trauma-informed and trauma-responsive? As we put it in a previous blog entry:
Simply put, the former takes trauma into account as a treatment plan is developed. The latter seeks to anticipate the potential existence of trauma so that its aftermath can be appropriately addressed at all levels of an organization.
According to Dr. Stephanie S. Covington and Dr. Sandra L. Bloom, becoming trauma-responsive requires a complete rethinking of how services are provided. Each step of a patient’s interaction with a treatment center must be fully and carefully considered. The design of the website, the ways in which calls are answered, and even the lighting in the parking lot—all of these details and many more are foundational to a trauma-responsive approach to providing services.
Because we are dedicated to treating the whole person rather than just treating a person’s substance use disorder, the principles of trauma-responsiveness are an important part of the ways in which we think about care.
We are Ready to Help with Co-Occurring Disorders
The interconnectedness of substance use disorders and mental health disorders is undeniable—and requires approaches to treatment that are effective for both sorts of disorders. That is what we provide at Bel Aire Recovery Center.
Our medically supervised detoxification program will allow you to overcome the rigors of withdrawal to reclaim your sobriety. Our rehabilitation program—which includes individual and group therapy—includes robust treatment for mental health disorders. And our continuum of care provides ongoing support and resources as your recovery journey gets underway.
If you are ready to regain your sobriety and improve your mental health, our Kansas team is ready and able to help.
