A single traumatic event in one’s life can have a lasting impact that influences their health in a variety of ways. Society does not always properly recognize the fact that a traumatic event can have long-lasting impacts on the life of any individual. The side-effects as they were of a traumatic event can be worse than the event itself for some people. The truth is, even one traumatic event in someone’s life can lead them down the path of addiction.
Traumatic Events Are Complex And Difficult
Understanding the full scope of traumatic events and the impacts that they have on the lives of people over the long-term is difficult to do. We are probably many years or even decades away from showing many of the facts that come into play in a scientifically sound way. However, we already do know some things from science about how traumatic events work.
Traumatic events can be a lot of different things. Some examples of what people experience as a traumatic event may include the following:
- Sexual And/Or Physical Abuse
- Military Service In Combat
- Parental Divorce
- The Loss Of A Loved One
- A Car Accident
- A Job Loss
This is obviously not a comprehensive list. People experience life events differently and what is traumatic to one person may barely even register as an important event in life to another. The point is, anyone can begin to develop an addiction to something as a result of a traumatic event that they have been through.
Never Minimize An Event Or Experience
It is important not to minimize the impact of an event or experience in someone’s life. This is true both for the person who has experienced the event as well as for those who are hearing about it. Some people find that they have an urge to minimize an event either because they want to pretend that it has not had an impact on them, because they don’t believe that it should be having as much of an impact as it is, or because they want to simply pretend that they are not going through what they are really going through.
Society teaches people that they should be embarrassed or ashamed of some of the dramatic events in life that they have experienced. This is a terrible message to send to people, and this is also one of the reasons some people seek comfort in an addictive substance. They begin to believe that other people cannot possibly understand what they are going through. The substance gives them an escape that feels good at least in that moment. Of course, addictive substances do not really work in the long run, and the individual is left with more problems than they had before they began to use any substances. It is because of this that no one should ever minimize someone else’s experiences. That may be exactly the thing that leads them to begin to get addicted to something that they otherwise would not have.
Seeking Help For Someone With Traumatic Experiences
There are resources available to those who have experienced traumatic events in their life. Professional counselors are the best option here. They have specific training relevant to the work that needs to be done to help the patient deal with their traumas in a more productive and healthy way.
It is great to have family and/or friends around to support the individual going through a trauma, but the help should not stop there. Providing support makes all the sense in the world, but follow that up with the assistance needed from a trained professional as well. That one-two punch of assistance is truthfully what someone needs to get themselves up off the mat and moving towards a more productive outcome. That kind of help comes from those who truly care and want what is best for that individual.
We implore you to contact us if you know someone who is having difficulty with a traumatic event from their past. We have trained professionals here to help get that person into the programs that they need to have the most successful and productive life that they possibly can. We know that it is extremely difficult to confront these issues head-on, but we also know that this is the way that people actually get better. Contacting us can be the greatest gift that you provide to someone out there who needs the boost. They may or may not recognize what you are doing for the kind work that it is, but you should rest assured that you are doing what is right by them, and you are making a difference that will have a lasting impact on their life. Call us at 833-610-1174.