DUI Approved

3 CEUs

As a DUI Evaluator or DUI School personnel, you encounter individuals every single day that are struggling to overcome trauma of some type or another.  For many, alcohol and drugs are the method of coping.  And while it is easy to be judgmental, understanding the trauma endured by these individuals, and the ultimate effect on their lives can make us much more understanding, much less judgmental, and much more equipped to render the help they need...and deserve.

Often, individuals who abuse substances are unaware that they are using as a coping mechanism for unresolved trauma.  They may have little or no recollection of the trauma or may not even recognize that it was that traumatic.  Those who enter treatment may end up getting stuck in a cycle of chromic relapse or may stop using drugs or alcohol but begin to self-soothe with an eating disorder, sex addiction or self-harm since the underlying trauma was never addressed.  It is up to everyone involved in the treatment referral and the subsequent intervention to recognize the prevalence of trauma among substance abusers.