Substance Use Disorder and Trauma:
Find Healing and Recovery Today

Discover how New Life Recovery uses a variety of informed treatments to help those with substance use disorder and trauma find hope and healing.

June 18, 2025

Written and reviewed by the clinical team at New Life Recovery in Fresno, California, including licensed therapists, medical professionals, and recovery specialists committed to helping individuals build healthier futures.

What This Page Covers

Here’s a brief overview of the following page:

The Link Between Substance Use Disorder and Trauma: Many people turn to substances to cope with deep emotional pain caused by trauma. Healing requires addressing both the substance use and the trauma underneath it.

How Trauma Manifests in Daily Life: Trauma affects the brain, body, and behavior, often leading to anxiety, chronic pain, and unhealthy coping patterns like substance use.

New Life Recovery’s Trauma-Informed Approach: Our California-based center offers holistic, personalized care that includes evidence-based and holistic care to support healing at every level.

The Role of Community and Connection: Safe peer support and group therapy help rebuild trust and reduce isolation, encouraging vulnerability and emotional processing in a supportive setting.

Ongoing Support for Long-Term Recovery: Recovery doesn’t stop after treatment. We provide personalized aftercare planning, continued therapy, and real-life tools to maintain lasting healing.

Reach out to our team today to receive the care and support you deserve for substance use disorder and trauma.

Healing from Substance Use Disorder and Trauma

For many, substance use disorder (SUD) isn’t about seeking a high; instead, it’s about escaping deeper pain.¹

Trauma, whether from neglect, abuse, loss, or violence, can leave wounds that substances temporarily numb. However, true healing goes beyond merely stopping the behavior; it requires understanding and addressing the root cause.

What is Trauma?

At its core, trauma occurs when something overwhelming happens – either emotionally, mentally, or physically. Trauma reshapes how we function, and healing requires addressing its emotional, physical, and behavioral effects.

Trauma can take different forms, including:²

Acute trauma: This typically results from a single event, like an accident, a violent attack, or a natural disaster. While it might happen instantly, the emotional and mental impact can last for a long time.
Chronic trauma: This occurs when someone experiences repeated events over time. This might look like living in an abusive environment, facing ongoing discrimination, or enduring prolonged hardship.
Complex trauma: This refers to multiple traumatic events, often happening within interpersonal relationships, such as long-term abuse or neglect. This type of trauma can be more complicated to heal from, as the experiences are layered and deeply personal.
Developmental trauma: This happens during childhood and can affect a person’s development. Neglect or abuse during these early years can impact a child’s ability to trust and feel safe, shaping their emotional responses as they grow older.

How Trauma Manifests Over Time

Trauma doesn’t just go away; it affects us differently over time, even if we don’t always recognize it. Emotionally, trauma can lead to feelings of anxiety, depression, or anger. It can cause people to doubt themselves or feel disconnected from others.

Physically, trauma can show up as chronic pain, fatigue, or trouble sleeping. Our bodies carry the weight of the emotional pain, often without us even realizing it.

Behaviorally, trauma might cause someone to turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms or lead to avoidance behaviors, where a person withdraws from situations or people that might trigger memories of the traumatic event.

Link Between Substance Use Disorder and Trauma

Trauma and substance use disorders are closely connected. Many individuals turn to substances to cope with emotional pain, which can create a cycle that makes recovery more difficult.

The Brain’s Stress Response in Trauma and SUD

The brain plays a central role in both substance use disorder and trauma. When we experience trauma, our brain’s stress response system is activated, which triggers the release of chemicals like cortisol and adrenaline.

These chemicals are responsible for the “fight or flight” response, which helps us survive in dangerous situations. However, when trauma is ongoing or unresolved, this system becomes chronically activated, creating a heightened state of stress and anxiety.

Research on Substance Use Disorder and Trauma

Research shows a strong link between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), nearly 50% of people with PTSD also experience SUD. Veterans are particularly affected, with about 1 in 5 veterans with PTSD also having a co-occurring substance use disorder.³

These findings highlight the importance of treating both conditions together for adequate recovery.

The Importance of Trauma-Informed SUD Treatment

At New Life Recovery, healing from substance use disorder and trauma begins with understanding. Our trauma-aware approach creates a space where people feel safe, respected, and supported.

At our Fresno drug and alcohol rehab, we follow five essential principles during our treatment process, including:

Safety: Ensuring emotional and physical security.
Trust: Building honest, transparent relationships.
Empowerment: Encouraging active involvement in recovery.
Choice: Respecting personal decisions in the healing process.
Humility: Honoring each person’s unique background.

Integrative Therapies That Address Both Trauma and SUD

At New Life Recovery, each person’s journey is unique, so we make sure their care plan is, too. We tailor our holistic approach to fit each individual’s needs, combining evidence-based therapies with personalized support.

This integration of mind, body, and spirit ensures a comprehensive recovery process that empowers clients to heal fully and sustainably.

Some evidence-based and holistic therapies we utilize at our campus in Fresno, CA, include:⁴

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is a powerful therapeutic modality that helps clients gently process and reframe traumatic memories that may contribute to substance use disorder and trauma symptoms.

By guiding the brain through a structured process involving bilateral stimulation, EMDR helps to reduce the emotional weight and intensity of past disturbing events, fostering a sense of peace, self-trust, and clarity.

At New Life Recovery, this approach is integrated to help individuals move beyond past hurts, creating mental space for profound healing.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy offers highly practical tools that empower individuals to identify and challenge harmful thought patterns that drive unhealthy behaviors, including substance use.

Especially for those managing both substance use disorder and trauma, CBT provides actionable strategies to shift from impulsive reactions to thoughtful reflection, enabling the development of healthier coping mechanisms and a more balanced perspective on life’s challenges.

New Life Recovery utilizes CBT to build a strong foundation for resilient decision-making.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical behavioral therapy is a cornerstone of our approach, supporting clients in effectively managing overwhelming emotions without resorting to substances.

Through a comprehensive curriculum of skills, including mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness, clients learn how to stay grounded, navigate intense feelings, and build resilience.

New Life Recovery’s integration of DBT equips individuals with the vital skills needed to face substance use disorder and trauma complexities with greater stability and grace.

Art Therapy

At New Life Recovery, art therapy provides a unique and powerful avenue for self-expression and healing, especially for those who find words insufficient.

Through creative mediums like painting, sculpting, or drawing, individuals can process complex emotions, externalize traumatic experiences, and gain new insights into their recovery journey in a safe and non-verbal way.

This therapeutic creativity fosters emotional release and promotes self-discovery, helping those struggling with substance use disorder and trauma simultaneously.

Experiential Therapy

Experiential therapy moves beyond traditional talk therapy, engaging clients in dynamic, hands-on activities that foster profound personal growth.

Through carefully designed experiences such as adventure-based activities that our team walks you through, you can explore behavioral patterns, practice new coping skills, and address underlying issues in real-time.

This active engagement facilitates deeper self-awareness for those healing from substance use disorder and trauma.

Meditation and Yoga

Embracing the mind-body connection, New Life Recovery incorporates meditation and yoga into our holistic treatment plans. These ancient practices offer powerful tools for stress reduction, emotional regulation, and mindfulness.

Through guided meditation, clients learn to quiet the mind and cultivate inner peace, while yoga gently reconnects them with their bodies, improving physical well-being and reducing anxiety. This harmonious integration supports mental clarity and spiritual growth.

Cold Plunge Therapy

Cold plunge therapy is an innovative approach to boost resilience and enhance physical and mental well-being. Immersing oneself in cold water, under careful supervision from our team, can stimulate the vagus nerve, reduce inflammation, improve circulation, and significantly elevate mood.

This challenging, yet invigorating, practice helps clients develop distress tolerance and mental fortitude, both of which are imperative for substance use disorder and trauma recovery.

Massage Therapy

Therapeutic massage helps alleviate muscle pain, reduce anxiety, improve sleep quality, and release stored emotional tension in the body.

This gentle, nurturing intervention promotes deep relaxation, fosters a sense of self-care, and aids in restoring overall physical and emotional balance, supporting comprehensive healing.

Role of Community and Connection in Recovery

Healing from substance use disorder and trauma is not a journey meant to be walked alone.

At New Life Recovery, we help clients rebuild trust, starting with themselves and extending to others. Through consistency, safety, and mutual respect, connection becomes a part of the healing process, not a threat.

To do this, we provide:

Peer Support and Group Therapy

There is strength in being seen by people who genuinely understand. Group therapy, when guided with care, offers more than shared stories – it creates a space where clients feel less alone, where healing is mirrored in the presence of others on similar paths.⁵

Our trauma-informed approach ensures every group setting is built on empathy, safety, and emotional boundaries.

Encouraging Vulnerability and Emotional Processing

Opening up is never forced. It is invited gently, with compassion and patience. In an environment where people feel safe, vulnerability becomes possible. This openness allows emotions to be processed rather than buried.

At New Life Recovery, we foster an environment where healing conversations can happen and authentic connections can grow for those looking to heal from substance use disorder and trauma.

Begin Healing Substance Use Disorder and Trauma at New Life Recovery

Taking the first step toward healing takes real courage. At New Life Recovery, we recognize the strength it takes to begin this journey. We don’t just treat symptoms; we support the person behind them.

Our trauma-informed approach combines trusted clinical therapies with restorative practices that reconnect mind and body. With every level of care offered on one welcoming campus, individuals can begin recovery in an environment that feels steady, safe, and personalized.

Every care plan is shaped by each person’s unique needs, allowing healing to unfold with dignity, clarity, and hope. All levels of care are accessible on one campus, meaning that you can heal from substance use disorder and trauma with more ease and support.

Experience Lasting Healing and Continued Growth

New Life Recovery is here to support you every step of the way on your path to recovery from substance use disorder and trauma.

Resources

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some questions we are asked about substance use disorder and trauma:

How are trauma and substance use disorder (SUD) connected?

Trauma often underlies substance use, as individuals may turn to alcohol or drugs to numb emotional pain. Without addressing the root trauma, recovery can be difficult and short-lived. That’s why treating both conditions together is critical for lasting healing.

What types of therapy are used to treat trauma and SUD at New Life Recovery?

New Life Recovery uses a blend of evidence-based and holistic therapies, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), yoga, mindfulness, and somatic practices. This integrated approach supports the healing of both emotional wounds and physical stress.

What trauma-informed services are available in Fresno, CA through New Life Recovery?

At our Fresno-based campus, we provide a full continuum of trauma-informed care – from detox to residential treatment and outpatient support – all at one location. Our team creates personalized plans focused on emotional safety, empowerment, and long-term healing for every client.

Does New Life Recovery offer long-term support for Fresno residents after treatment?

Yes. We offer ongoing therapy, peer support groups, aftercare planning, and life skills coaching tailored for clients living in or around Fresno. Our goal is to ensure sustainable recovery by equipping individuals with practical tools for real-world challenges.

What makes New Life Recovery’s approach to trauma and substance use unique?

We treat the whole person, not just their symptoms. Our care is built around compassion, connection, and science-backed methods that support emotional regulation, nervous system balance, and authentic healing – no matter where you are in your recovery journey.

Substance Use Disorders