Mental health specialists long suspected there were links between trauma and addiction. Just as traumatic experiences have an impact on other avenues of mental health, addiction can arise as a response to trauma symptoms.  In this article, Cottonwood Tucson examines the connections between trauma and addiction and how trauma-informed substance use disorder treatment is making...Read More

Trauma affects the brain in many ways, perhaps the most important longer term effect is the creation of triggers and associations towards other stimuli in life that cause a person to unnecessarily experience a fight or flight response. Trauma is an integral part of the human experience. Every one of us has experienced trauma in...Read More

Trauma is a strong catalyst in women’s addiction issues. Traumatic events such as domestic violence, sexual abuse, divorce, and grief are common factors in substance use disorders (SUD) for women. While this shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone trying to understand a person’s progression into drug or alcohol use, it shockingly is. The National Institute...Read More

What Is the Connection Between Spirituality and Recovery?   Many people begin recovery and do not know what spirituality is even though those in 12-step meetings talk about it and others talk openly about their relationship with their higher power. What does this mean for you? If you are not a religious person, an understanding...Read More

Family of origin is a term that refers to each person’s original family unit and family experience, meaning the experience with one’s mother and father. Dysfunctional childhoods can lead to a series of maladaptive behaviors and coping mechanisms which cause problems later in life. Children are remarkably resilient. Their young, malleable, developing brains are capable...Read More

Trauma lives in the body as much as it does the mind. Physical triggers can start off a series of traumatic response mechanisms due to physical abuse and physical experiences of trauma. Additionally, trauma is thought to live in the body because it does not complete the cycle of experience. In the brain’s effort to...Read More