- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Anxiety disorders
- Depression
- Acute stress disorder (ASD)
- Attachment disorders
- Other mood and trauma-related disorders
Seeking Safety has become more common in recent years. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) describes it as “a present-focused treatment for clients with a history of trauma and substance abuse.” Seeking Safety avoids increasing stress and anxiety during rehabilitation by focusing on the present instead of talking about the cause of the trauma. The goal of Seeking Safety is to make it possible for you to move forward and function from day to day without feeling overwhelmed by triggers, flashbacks, or other negative aspects of trauma-related disorders. Once you feel confident in yourself and the space, you can begin to focus on getting the treatment you need for your substance use disorder.
What Is Seeking Safety?
Seeking Safety is a type of therapy that introduces mindfulness techniques and essential tools to help you cope with the effects of trauma and substance use disorder. One of the most common dual diagnoses is a combination of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and SUD. The integrative treatment we offer ensures that you receive holistic care to ensure your mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Seeking Safety encourages self-care and empathy by teaching you how to be safe in the way you think, act, and interact with others.
The primary focus of Seeking Safety is to provide you with a sense of calm and focus as you cope with symptoms related to trauma, including flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, and anxiety. We do this by educating our clients about how trauma can affect the mind and body. The more you understand about how you feel and why the easier it will be to overcome challenges related to those feelings. Your trauma and substance use disorder will need to be treated simultaneously and Seeking Safety gives you a way to build a healthy foundation for both forms of treatment by doing the following:
- Decreasing overall stress levels
- Increasing self-confidence
- Lowering anxiety and stabilizing mood