ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses a model of addiction treatment using the expressive therapies continuum, with an emphasis on the role of trauma in the diagnosis and treatment substance use disorders. It draws on from scholarly literature of contemporary detoxification protocols relative to art therapy, input from art therapists working in the field, and features the experiences of Wendy Case, a psychotherapist, art therapist, and addiction specialist. Treatment for Substance use disorders (SUD) begins with detoxification, or the process of removing toxins from the body, readjusting normal functions in the absence of the drug and establishing a continuum of care. Addiction is a biopsychosocial phenomenon that is believed to follow a typical disease model, as evidenced by its genetic heritability and neurobiological factors. Though trauma is largely concomitant with addiction; clients entering treatment for SUD are not always adequately screened for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), even though those with SUD are three times more likely to have a PTSD co-occurring diagnosis.
