Trauma and Addiction

Is your addiction covering up something deeper?
Trauma and substance use are often connected—and real healing means addressing both.
Start your recovery with care that understands your story.

Beating The Root: How Trauma Fuels Addiction

Struggling with substance abuse is no easy feat, and several people also have underlying, buried, or significant present trauma. Having both an addiction and a mental health condition is called dual diagnosis and sometimes termed “co-occurring disorder.” Many people do not fully understand how trauma can affect and sometimes cause addictions. A person living with both can find life extremely challenging, as it often feels like there’s no relief. The outcomes are often negative, and having a dual diagnosis can lead to despair.

After conducting a complete evaluation of each of our clients, we help identify the root cause of their addiction. Our drug and alcohol rehab in Astoria, Oregon, is ready to serve people who suffer from a dual diagnosis of addiction and trauma to prepare them to be fully functional at work, in school, and in their personal lives. If you’d like to learn more about how we treat trauma and the types of therapies we offer at Virtue Recovery Center in Astoria, please contact us.

Treating The Root: How Trauma Fuels Addiction

Types of Trauma Therapy

There are several interventions used to treat trauma during a stay at our inpatient drug rehab in Astoria. At Virtue Recovery Center, we use evidence-based therapies in the treatment and care of our clients—many of whom have lived with the effects of traumatic incidents. Once a client shares their experience with a clinician, trauma-focused therapies are integrated into their treatment plan. This may include:

EMDR
CBT
DBT
Seeking Safety
Medication Assistance

We understand that every client is unique, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. We strive to “meet the client where they are,” never pressuring anyone to talk about things they’re not ready to. Through individual therapy at Virtue Recovery Center, we believe healing begins by sharing what feels safe, in an environment designed to equip clients with the tools to confront addiction and underlying trauma. We match each client’s needs with tailored treatment, because we believe people can recover.

Upon arriving at our inpatient drug and alcohol rehab in Oregon, you’ll find a team committed to helping you recover from addiction and trauma—while reducing behaviors and emotions like rage, sadness, and confusion, and bringing people into happier, healthier lives.

Trauma Disorder Signs

Trauma is defined as psychological distress and disorder that can occur directly after an event (Acute Traumatic Stress Disorder) or even years later (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). Examples include war and combat, witnessing or experiencing violence, childhood abuse or neglect, sudden loss, accidents, natural disasters, or extreme life changes.

Trauma can affect people in many ways: anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, insomnia, chronic pain, low self-esteem, financial hardship, survivor’s guilt—and, often, substance abuse.

At our Astoria drug and alcohol treatment center, we understand trauma manifests differently in each person. Though everyone is unique, trauma often presents with similar signs and symptoms. It may show up as a dual diagnosis, with mental health disorders and emotional dysregulation, and can impact the subconscious through nightmares and night terrors. Flashbacks, emotional triggers, hopelessness, and feelings of inferiority are just a few of the symptoms individuals with trauma live with.

Trauma Symptoms Also Include:

Difficulty concentrating
Anger and rage
Irritability
Hypervigilance
Disproportionate emotional reactions
Startle response
Sleep disorders
Memory issues
Moodiness

Trauma may also cause individuals to shut down, avoid situations, or dissociate. Talking about feelings can be hard. Some people develop agoraphobia and struggle to leave their home or room. At our dual diagnosis treatment center in Astoria, we provide compassionate care for trauma survivors. If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction and trauma, please don’t hesitate to contact Virtue At The Pointe.

Our Oregon Addiction Treatment Locations

Our Astoria Inpatient Addiction Treatment Center

At Virtue At The Pointe’s inpatient center in Astoria, Oregon, we offer specialized trauma-informed addiction treatment in a calm and structured environment. Many individuals facing substance use are also silently battling the effects of unresolved trauma. Our residential program is designed to treat both conditions simultaneously through integrated, evidence-based care.

Each client receives a personalized plan that may include detox, trauma-focused therapy, medication management, and support for co-occurring mental health disorders like PTSD, anxiety, or depression. By combining addiction treatment with trauma resolution, we provide a comprehensive path toward lasting recovery.

Our 24/7 residential setting allows clients to focus on healing without external stressors. In this safe space, healing becomes possible—and sustainable.

Our Milwaukie Outpatient Addiction Treatment Center

You’ve done the hard part—now keep going. Our outpatient trauma and addiction treatment in Milwaukie is designed to help you hold on to your progress while building something stronger. You’ll still have responsibilities—but now, you’ll have support too.

In PHP and IOP, you’ll work with therapists trained in trauma care and addiction recovery. We’ll help you stay grounded, manage triggers, and gain tools to stay sober without sacrificing your real-world commitments.

You don’t need to pause your life to change it. You just need the right team beside you—and we’re ready when you are.

Veterans PTSD and Addiction Treatment

Military trauma leaves deep marks—sometimes visible, sometimes invisible. For many Veterans, those memories don’t fade with time. They show up in nightmares, isolation, anger, or the quiet pull toward drugs or alcohol. At Virtue At The Pointe, we treat both PTSD and addiction through a trauma-informed lens.

We recognize the pain beneath the substance use and help you process it safely. Through individual therapy, group support, and integrated treatment plans, we address both your emotional wounds and your recovery goals. There is no judgment here—only understanding, experience, and care.

If you’ve been carrying this pain for too long, know this: healing is possible. And you don’t have to do it alone.

Trauma-Informed Care at VATP

Trauma doesn’t look the same for everyone. It could be a single life-altering event, years of emotional neglect, or the quiet damage of constant stress. No matter what it looks like, we believe it matters—and it deserves to be treated with care, not judgment.

Trauma-informed care creates an environment where clients can heal safely, without being pushed too hard or retraumatized. We focus on choice, collaboration, and trust—so that every person feels empowered in their recovery journey.

At Virtue At The Pointe, your story is honored. And your healing happens at your pace, in a place where you are respected and believed.

Ready to Take Your Life Back—For Real This Time?

You’ve survived more than most people ever will. The chaos, the cravings, the guilt—it’s been a long fight. But the fact that you’re reading this means you haven’t given up. That’s strength. That’s grit. That’s the part of you we help build on.

At Virtue At The Pointe, we don’t just help you get clean—we help you get strong. We work with you to heal the root causes of addiction, from trauma and mental health challenges to the emotional habits that keep you stuck. Our team sees your potential, not your past.

Recovery is possible—and not just the kind where you stay sober but still feel lost. The kind where you rebuild your life from the inside out. Ready to take your life back? Let’s do it.