If you have been struggling with trauma for a long time, you might have learned coping and defense mechanisms as early back as your childhood. Often, these coping and defense mechanisms translate into adulthood. However, when introducing alcohol or drugs, many of these mechanisms are masked by the substances’ escape and relief. This behavior creates damaging effects on your mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing, which often prohibits you from working through your trauma, causing a cognitive block.
Understand that it is necessary to dive into that area of your memory and correct your negative behaviors that have developed, such as drinking, using drugs, and negative thinking patterns. Among many therapies used to treat trauma is a therapy referred to as Adventure Therapy. It may be the therapy that is best to help you toward beginning to heal from your trauma.
Some Therapies to Treat Trauma Might Not Be For You
Trauma is uncomfortable, and processing it can become challenging and frightening. Perhaps specific therapies that you have tried before might have pushed you too far or not far enough, which may have caused you to act out. Today, more therapists are suggesting alternatives to talk therapy, such as Adventure Therapy.
Adventure Treatment Therapy
Adventure Therapy is an alternative learning and healing technique that promotes you to being consumed in the present. It combines nature, community, and daring exercises to help you along your healing process.
Being in the Present
Being in the present while still struggling with thoughts from the past could cause a forced reconciliation. It promotes a sense of responsibility, self-awareness, and self-confidence.
New Coping Skills
Being in the present, coupled with being in nature, will help you acquire positive social skills such as communication and conflict resolution. It will also help you build positive relationships through needing to cooperate with others.
Sometimes to get to the underlying cause of trauma, you need to challenge other areas of your life, including mentally, physically, socially, and spiritually. Learning what you can control and what you cannot control is also a powerful tool for helping you recover from trauma and substance use that accompanies it. At Guest House, we promote the power of using nature as a healing ground for breakthroughs mentally, physically, and spiritually. Recovery is about nourishing all facets of your life to become a confident, empowered, and fulfilled human being. If you are struggling with trauma and substance abuse, or any other form of harmful coping methods – it is time to get help. To learn more, call us today at (855) 483-7800.