The Impact of Trauma on Substance Use
Updated on 3/7/2023 People may start to use alcohol and other drugs for a variety of different reasons. Some people may be curious about the effects of drugs and experiment with them, while others may turn to drugs in an attempt to self-medicate physical, mental or emotional distress. Often, untreated mental health problems contribute to […]
Trauma-Informed Care for First Responders
Updated on 07/03/23 Content reviewed by Nicholas G. Glines First-responders are individuals with specialized training who arrive as quickly as possible at the scene of an emergency to provide assistance and support to others. Some well-known first responders include police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics. As these individuals often face challenging and […]
How Childhood Trauma Can Contribute to the Development of Addiction
Updated on 07/03/23 Content reviewed by Nicholas G. Glines Childhood is the most formative stage for development and learning. These early years create the foundation for how individuals approach and respond to experiences throughout their lives. A strong nourishing foundation helps young children develop the skills needed to transform into well-functioning adults. When a child […]
How Does Trauma Relate to Substance Abuse?
Updated 4/29/25 Content reviewed by Karen Rubenstein, LMFT Research indicates that people who experience childhood trauma and traumatic life events are at a higher risk for the development of substance use disorder (SUD). The opposite is also true: those with SUD are more likely to experience traumatic events. Why are trauma and substance abuse so closely […]
Anti-Addiction Film “The First Day” with Chris Herren on ESPN
“The First Day” with Chris Herren According to Creighton Drury, the CEO of Center on Addiction, “The First Day” was created by former professional basketball player and wellness advocate, Chris Herren, and presented by Center on Addiction and Cigna. “The First Day” takes an innovative approach to address teen substance use, while helping to refocus […]
5 Underlying Reasons for Addiction
What Contributes to Addiction? Exploring 5 Root Causes Addiction always stems from a root cause, also known as one of the reasons for addiction. It is extremely important to treat both the root cause of the addiction in addition to treating the physical addiction itself. Staying sober involves much more than just detoxing from drugs […]
Trauma and Addiction
Are Trauma and Addiction Related? According to SAMHSA, trauma results from an event, series of events, or set of circumstances experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or life-threatening with lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being. In the United States, 61 percent of men […]
Suicide and Addiction
Are Suicide and Addiction Linked? When someone is suffering from an issue with addiction, there are many complications that can come along with that. These can include legal issues, family problems, declining health and even suicide. Suicide and addiction are absolutely linked. Addiction not only exponentially increases the likelihood that someone will commit suicide, but […]
Underlying Causes of Addiction
What Causes Addiction? When someone is suffering from addiction, it is a very dark and lonely time. Not only because of the addiction they are suffering, but because of the pain of the underlying causes. All addiction stems from a root cause, making the addiction impossible to overcome unless that cause is treated as well. […]
Trauma Informed Care
How trauma affects addiction Trauma comes in many shapes, sizes and forms. The most important part about dealing with trauma is understanding it and how it can affect your life in ways you might not have realized. This is why we take great care in focusing on giving our clients psychoeducation about trauma. Learning about […]