Healing Hidden Wounds: Trauma-Informed Addiction Recovery

February 13, 2026

For years, his family couldn’t understand why treatment never seemed to stick. He’d complete a 30-day program, come home clear-eyed and hopeful, and within months the drinking would return, often worse than before. What nobody recognized, including the treatment team, was that beneath the addiction lived something deeper: a trauma that had never been addressed.

This is one of the most critical and most overlooked realities in addiction treatment. Over 70% of individuals entering addiction treatment in the United States report a history of trauma. When that trauma goes untreated, recovery is built on an unstable foundation. The substance was never the root problem. It was the solution to a pain that had no other outlet.

The Numbers Don’t Lie: Trauma and Addiction Are Connected

The relationship between trauma and substance use disorder is not theoretical. It is one of the most well-documented connections in clinical research.

46% of individuals with PTSD also meet the criteria for a substance use disorder
People with PTSD are more than twice as likely to develop a substance use disorder compared to those without trauma
Among patients seeking treatment for addiction, lifetime PTSD rates range between 30% and 60%
Adolescents with PTSD are 4 times more likely to develop alcohol use disorder and 6 times more likely to develop cannabis use disorder

The landmark Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study conducted by Kaiser Permanente with over 17,000 participants, established a clear dose-response relationship: the more adverse experiences in childhood, the higher the risk of addiction in adulthood. Adults with high ACE scores (five or more) are 7 to 10 times more likely to report illicit drug addiction. Over 60% of adults report at least one adverse childhood experience, and those with even one ACE have double to quadruple the likelihood of developing substance use problems.

The types of trauma most strongly linked to addiction include emotional neglect, sexual abuse, and physical abuse. Among people in treatment for substance use disorders, roughly one-third report each of these categories of childhood adversity.

Why Traditional Rehab Misses the Mark

Standard short-term rehab programs typically focus on stabilization: medical detox, psychoeducation, and introduction to 12-Step principles. These are valuable first steps, but they rarely provide the time or clinical depth to address underlying trauma.

The result is predictable. A man completes his program. He has the tools for managing cravings. But the unprocessed pain that drove the addiction in the first place – the abuse, the loss, the event he’s never spoken about, remains lodged in his nervous system. Under stress, his brain defaults to the only coping mechanism it knows.

This is precisely why longer treatment programs produce dramatically better outcomes. Ninety days provides the necessary runway: time to stabilize, time to build therapeutic trust, and time to do the deep clinical work that trauma demands.

Research confirms this approach. The VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines now recommend that patients with both PTSD and SUD receive evidence-based treatment for both conditions simultaneously. Having one disorder should never be a barrier to treating the other.

EMDR: Processing Trauma at Its Source

One of the most effective tools in trauma-informed addiction care is EMDR – Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Originally developed to treat PTSD, EMDR has shown remarkable efficacy in helping individuals with co-occurring trauma and substance use disorders.

EMDR works by having the patient recall a traumatic memory while engaging in guided bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements). This process allows the brain to reprocess the memory, reducing its emotional charge and loosening the association between the trauma and the compulsive behavior it triggers.

The research is compelling:

A 2023 meta-analysis found EMDR to be effective across multiple substance use outcomes, with a moderate-to-large effect size (d = 0.654)
A 2024 meta-analysis specifically measuring cravings found EMDR produced a large effect in reducing cravings (SMD = -0.866)
EMDR has been shown to safely reduce both PTSD severity and substance use without worsening either condition
The COPE study (Concurrent Treatment of PTSD and SUD Using Prolonged Exposure) found that integrated trauma treatment led to significantly greater PTSD reductions and 5.3 times higher rates of PTSD remission

At Augustine Recovery, our clinical team trained by Judy Crane, founder of two of the nation’s leading trauma treatment centers, incorporates EMDR as a core modality in our 90-day program. The goal is to resolve the unprocessed memories that fuel relapse, so that recovery can take root at the deepest level.

Neurofeedback: Training the Brain to Self-Regulate

Alongside EMDR, neurofeedback therapy offers another powerful tool for healing the traumatized brain. Neurofeedback uses real-time brain mapping to help individuals learn to regulate their own neural activity, calming overactive stress circuits and strengthening the pathways responsible for impulse control and emotional stability.

The evidence is growing rapidly:

A comprehensive meta-analysis found EEG neurofeedback significantly alleviated addiction symptoms with a large effect size (Hedges’ g = 0.85)
Research shows neurofeedback is particularly effective at reducing cravings, anxiety, and depressive symptoms in people with substance use disorders
The therapy works by facilitating neuroplasticity, the brain’s capacity to form new connections and rewire itself, the same fundamental process that makes lasting recovery possible

For men whose nervous systems have been shaped by years of trauma and substance use, neurofeedback provides a path to biological stability that talk therapy alone may not achieve.

What Trauma-Informed Recovery Looks Like

True trauma-informed care is more than a clinical technique. It’s a philosophy that shapes every aspect of treatment.

At Augustine Recovery, this means:

A safe environment built for vulnerability. Our men-only residential program removes the barriers that prevent men from opening up about their deepest pain. In a brotherhood setting, where every man shares a common struggle, vulnerability becomes strength – not weakness.
Specialized clinical staff. Our treatment team includes licensed therapists certified in EMDR, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, and somatic experiencing. Clinical Director Erika Weaver (LCSW, CTT) balances advanced modalities with creative expression and nature-based healing.
Family systems therapy. Trauma doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It reverberates through families. That’s why our program includes weekly case manager calls, therapeutic assignments, monthly family weekends, and structured family programming designed to rebuild communication and trust.
Somatic and experiential therapies. Trauma lives in the body as much as the mind. Our Whole Man Wellness approach – including fitness, surfing, yoga, and nature immersion, helps men release stored tension and reconnect with their physical selves in safe, structured ways.

Breaking the Cycle for Your Family

If your loved one has been through treatment before without lasting results, it’s worth asking: was the trauma ever addressed?

Many families have told us the same story. The addiction was treated, but the pain underneath was left untouched. When treatment only targets the symptom – the drinking, the drug use, without healing the wound that drives it, relapse isn’t a failure of willpower. It’s a predictable outcome of incomplete care.

SAMHSA’s research confirms that helping a person gain control over trauma-related symptoms greatly improves their chances of substance abuse recovery and lowers the possibility of relapse. People with untreated trauma histories consistently have worse treatment outcomes than those whose trauma is addressed directly.

The good news: trauma can be healed. The brain is capable of profound recovery when given the right tools and enough time.

There Is a Way Forward

Recovery from addiction and trauma isn’t about forgetting what happened. It’s about processing it so that it no longer controls the present. It’s about restoring a man’s access to himself – his clarity, his strength, his capacity to be present for the people he loves.

Augustine Recovery exists because we believe every man deserves that chance. Our 90-day residential program in St. Augustine, Florida, is designed to address addiction at its root – not just its surface.

If your family is searching for a treatment program that takes trauma seriously, contact us today or call (904) 217-0480. We’re here to answer your questions and help you take the first step toward real, lasting healing.

Sources:

National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Trauma and Stress,” NIDA Research Topics.
Felitti, V.J. et al., “Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults: The ACE Study,” American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 1998.
Bilevicius, E. et al., “EMDR for Substance Use Disorder: A Meta-Analysis,” Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 2023.
Markus, W. et al., “EMDR Craving Reduction Meta-Analysis,” Journal of Substance Use, 2024.
Mills, K.L. et al., “Concurrent Treatment of PTSD and Substance Use (COPE),” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2012.
SAMHSA, Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services, TIP 57, 2014.
VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of PTSD and SUD, 2023.