Behind every addiction story, there is often another story about pain, fear, or loss that came long before the first use. ReVIDA® Recovery’s new article, "The Role of Trauma in Opioid Addiction", explores how those early experiences can shape the way people cope and why trauma-informed care is essential to true recovery.

The article opens with a stark statistic: in 2023, more than 60,000 cases of domestic violence were reported in Tennessee. Numbers like these, it explains, reveal just how common trauma has become. For many, experiences such as abuse, neglect, or violence leave lasting marks on both the body and mind. When those feelings become too heavy to manage, opioids can seem like an escape.

“Opioids numb both emotional and physical pain,” the article notes. “For someone carrying years of fear or grief, that relief can feel like the only way to breathe again.”

At ReVIDA® Recovery’s Abingdon clinic, this link between trauma and substance use is a daily reality. Many clients arrive with histories of loss, abuse, or instability — experiences that shaped how they respond to stress. The team works to address not only the addiction itself but also the wounds that helped create it.

Research supports this approach. Studies on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) show that the more trauma a person faces early in life, the higher their risk for depression, anxiety, and substance use later on. But the article is careful to point out that trauma doesn’t guarantee addiction — it simply increases vulnerability, especially when healthy coping skills were never learned or modeled.

Unresolved trauma doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it appears as restlessness, emotional distance, or an inability to trust others. For some, it’s sleepless nights or a constant sense of alertness, waiting for something bad to happen. Opioids quiet those reactions for a while, reinforcing a pattern that can quickly become dependence.

The blog highlights the need for trauma-informed care, an approach that sees addiction through a lens of compassion rather than punishment. Instead of asking “What’s wrong with this person?”, trauma-informed clinicians ask, “What happened to this person?” That shift, the article explains, changes everything.

Treatment at ReVIDA® Recovery Abingdon combines medication-assisted treatment (MAT) with counseling, mindfulness, and body-centered therapies. MAT options such as Suboxone® and Sublocade® reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms, allowing space to focus on emotional healing. Once the body stabilizes, patients can safely begin to explore the memories and patterns driving their pain.

“Medication doesn’t replace recovery — it supports it,” the article explains. “When the body is no longer fighting to survive withdrawal, the mind can finally begin to heal.”

Trauma-informed care also means giving patients time and choice in their recovery. Healing isn’t linear, and the article reminds readers that progress can include setbacks. What matters is staying connected to care, leaning on support, and rebuilding trust, both in others and in oneself.

At ReVIDA® Recovery in Abingdon, clients have access to individual and group therapy, case management, and community resources that help them rebuild stability. Care coordinators assist with housing, employment, and family support, ensuring that recovery doesn’t happen in isolation.

“Trauma can make people believe they’re broken beyond repair,” the article says. “But healing is possible. With the right support, it’s not about forgetting what happened — it’s about learning to live beyond it.”

ReVIDA® Recovery offers outpatient MAT programs across Tennessee and Virginia, including its Abingdon center. The clinic provides same-day appointments, accepts Medicaid, and creates a safe, understanding space for those ready to take the next step toward recovery.

For more information about trauma-informed addiction treatment or to begin care in Abingdon, call 423-631-0432.

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For more information about ReVIDA® Recovery Abingdon, contact the company here:

ReVIDA® Recovery Abingdon
Alesia Huffman
(276) 206-8197
generalinfo@revidarecovery.com
300 Valley Street Northeast
Abingdon VA 24210