Why Treatment Not Trauma is Essential for Mental Health Recovery
Anyone who has experienced trauma knows all too well the lasting impact it can have on a person’s mental health. Yet, despite this knowledge, many mental health treatment programs today continue to focus on the trauma itself, rather than emphasizing treatment as the key to recovery. This approach can be harmful and ultimately ineffective.
The Problem with Trauma-Focused Treatment
The problem with trauma-focused treatment is that it can actually retraumatize individuals rather than aiding in their recovery. When someone is made to repeatedly relive a traumatic experience, they may become stuck in that moment and feel as though it is happening all over again. In such cases, what is supposed to be helpful and cathartic trauma therapy can actually be harmful.
Another issue with trauma-focused treatment is that it can distract from more effective treatments for underlying mental health conditions. Mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse can be caused or exacerbated by trauma, but treating the trauma alone doesn’t necessarily address these issues. People may continue to struggle with these underlying conditions even after undergoing extensive trauma treatment.
Why Treatment is Key to Recovery
Treating mental health conditions and underlying issues concurrently with trauma can result in a better outcome in the long run. Building a foundation of mental health treatment first, before addressing the trauma, allows individuals to be in a more stable emotional state when they begin to process and work through their trauma in therapy.
When treatment is prioritized in mental health recovery, individuals can develop a set of coping mechanisms before beginning trauma therapy. This can provide them with a foundation on which to build and reinforce positive mental health habits.
Real-Life Examples
To understand the importance of prioritizing treatment over trauma, it’s useful to consider real-life examples. For instance, a woman who is struggling with depression, anxiety, and substance abuse may also have experienced sexual trauma. Trauma-focused treatment alone won’t necessarily cure her depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. Instead, she should begin treatment for those conditions before beginning to work through her trauma in therapy.
Another example comes from a group of veterans who had experienced combat trauma. Through a program which emphasized treatment over trauma, the veterans engaging in a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) achieved significant improvement in their mental health.
Conclusion
It’s time for a shift in the way we approach mental health treatment. Professional resources and support should emphasize treatment first and foremost. Only then can individuals be properly equipped to work through their trauma in a healthy and constructive manner. With the right prioritization of treatment in mental health programs, individuals can more effectively work towards not only recovering from trauma but building a foundation of positive mental health and well-being.
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