At The Refuge, we believe that recovery depends on treating the addiction or destructive behavior as well as resolving the underlying PTSD and trauma. Whether it is drugs and alcohol, sex, gambling, cutting, depression, eating disorder or any number of the other destructive behaviors and process addictions, these behaviors become the way to handle the pain associated with the PTSD and trauma. Therefore, The Refuge treats both the addiction and the trauma and PTSD, so clients can embrace recovery and leave in a healthier state of life. Please click the tabs below to view a list of process addictions and emotional disorders that The Refuge treats.

Process Addictions

Process addiction can be defined as any form of coping mechanism that allows a person to get out or avoid a traumatic experience and can be negative or positive. The Refuge recognizes and treats many different process addictions including codependency, gambling, self-harming behaviors (burning, cutting, hair pulling), internet addiction, gaming addiction, and shopping addiction. At The Refuge, our clinicians unravel the client's life story and often find that their process addiction arose from a need for meaning, control or escape from a trauma in their life. Our clinicians also connect the dots between process addiction, trauma/PTSD and substance abuse, and agree that victimization and abuse evolves into unhealthy coping behaviors, which leads to substance abuse.

Another very important factor with process addictions are that they are enmeshed with substance abuse. Process addiction and substance abuse are often triggered by the same emotions, impulse and emptiness. A person suffering with trauma or underlying issues will use substances or process addictions to numb the pain. These are very common and extremely effective ways to suppress or numb the pain. A very common pattern our therapist recognize is that a person suffering from trauma will choose either substance abuse or a process addiction, the path the person chooses is insignificant because they will quickly switch back and forth depending on which is more available. At The Refuge we believe that if you do not treat the trauma/PTSD or process addiction, then risk to substance abuse relapse is high.

For more information about our treatment program please call 1-866-473-3843 or email us with the contact form to the right.
Thank you,
Admissions Staff