We have all experienced difficult things in life, and sometimes those painful events have a lasting effect on us, especially if we have encountered repeated, chronic, or multiple traumatic experiences. Medical, mental health, and addiction professionals can learn to support patients in a way that does not add to the trauma they have suffered. This is the premise behind trauma-informed care, a practice that we adhere to at Safe Harbor Recovery Center in Portsmouth, Virginia.
Examples of Trauma
Trauma can happen to anyone at any point in their life. Children are more likely to be traumatized by difficult events, due to their limited coping skills and ability to protect themselves. What is traumatic for one person might be only mildly upsetting for another, so it is possible that someone may have gone through one of the experiences below but not consider it trauma. On the other hand, many of the events below are traumatic for people to navigate:
- Abuse (physical, emotional, or sexual)
- Natural disasters (floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes)
- Witnessing violence (community or domestic)
- War
- Losing a loved one in a sudden or violent manner (accidents, suicides, murder)
- Medical conditions (particularly if the condition is painful and distressing)
Trauma is a Gateway Drug
If you spend some time talking to people who have struggled with substance misuse or mental illness, you will hear a lot of stories of pain and fear that exceeded their ability to cope. This is the definition of a traumatic event, and trauma is strongly linked to both mental illness and addiction. People who have experienced a substantial amount of trauma are:
- 500 percent more likely to abuse alcohol
- 7 to 10 times more likely to use illicit drugs
- 46 times more likely to use IV drugs
- More likely to develop mental illnesses, including anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, bipolar disorder, and impulse control disorders
Trauma Mitigation
Just because someone experiences an event as trauma does not mean that they cannot heal. Some of the protective factors that can help people to navigate difficult situations with minimal adverse outcomes include:
- A strong support system
- Safe, stable, nurturing relationships with family and friends
- Having basic needs met (food, shelter, health care)
- The ability to find safety after a difficult event and not be traumatized again
- Access to professional support
- Strong collaboration between the community, businesses, health care, and local government
What is Trauma-Informed Care?
Because people who have been diagnosed with mental illness and/or substance use disorder are likely to have experienced substantial, repeated trauma, it is important for treatment programs like Safe Harbor Recovery Center to implement policies and practices that ensure patients feel safe in our facilities. Some signs of a trauma-informed program include:
- All staff (including non-clinical staff members like receptionists, custodians, and drivers) being trained about trauma and helping patients to feel at ease, accepted, and safe.
- A physical environment that creates safety through:
- Lighting in parking lots, common areas, bathrooms, entrances, exits, etc.
- Preventing loitering outside entrances and exits
- Monitoring who is in and around the building
- Low noise levels
- Security in and around the building
- Using welcoming language on signs
- Ensuring that patients understand their right to refuse procedures or request that they be done in a way that feels more comfortable.
- Providing consistency and routine.
- Asking patient permission before approaching or touching them.
- Maintaining open, honest communication with clients.
Why Does Trauma-Informed Care Matter?
Trauma-informed care has many benefits, some of which include:
- Promoting healthy, open relationships between patients and providers
- Allowing patients to engage more fully in their health care
- Improving long-term health outcomes
- Greater effectiveness in treatment planning
- Improved screening and assessment processes
- Decreased risk of re-traumatization
At Safe Harbor Recovery Center, we recognize that our patients must feel and be safe in order to effectively engage in treatment and enter recovery. Our staff provide a supportive, compassionate environment where clients can begin to heal from trauma in our residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient programs.