For many people struggling with addiction, trauma is part of the story. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use can exist in a painful cycle: symptoms feel overwhelming, alcohol or drugs provide temporary relief, and substance use makes those symptoms worse over time.
PTSD is a mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. People with PTSD are more likely to develop substance use disorders than the general population, often because they are trying to manage flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, emotional pain, or trouble sleeping.
Spring Grove Recovery treats PTSD and addiction together through integrated, trauma-informed care in Colorado Springs, CO. If trauma is connected to your substance use, you do not have to treat one condition while ignoring the other.
Table Of Contents
What is PTSD? Symptoms and how it develops
PTSD is a trauma response that continues long after the traumatic event has ended. A person may know they are safe in the present, but their brain and body may still react as if danger is happening now.
Common PTSD symptoms include:
- Flashbacks
- Nightmares
- Intrusive memories
- Hypervigilance
- Emotional numbness
- Avoiding people, places, or reminders of the trauma
- Irritability or anger
- Difficulty sleeping
- Feeling detached from others
- Trouble concentrating
PTSD is often associated with veterans and first responders, but anyone can develop it. Survivors of abuse, assault, accidents, sudden loss, medical trauma, violence, neglect, or chronic childhood adversity may also experience PTSD symptoms.
PTSD is not a sign of weakness. It is a normal response to terrifying experiences. When symptoms do not improve on their own, professional support can help.
How PTSD can lead to substance use
People with PTSD may turn to substances because they are trying to manage symptoms that feel unbearable. This is often called self-medication.
Alcohol may be used to numb emotional pain, reduce social anxiety, or help with sleep. While it may seem helpful in the moment, alcohol can worsen sleep quality, anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms over time.
Self-medication is a coping strategy, not a character flaw. Many people use substances because they are trying to survive symptoms they do not yet have the right support to treat.
Same-day support is available at Spring Grove Recovery—Medicaid accepted.
The cycle of PTSD and addiction
PTSD and addiction can reinforce each other. Trauma symptoms may lead to substance use, and substance use may make trauma symptoms more intense.
The cycle often looks like this:
- Trauma symptoms become overwhelming
- The person uses alcohol or drugs to cope
- The substance temporarily numbs or suppresses symptoms
- Substance use disrupts sleep, mood, anxiety, and emotional regulation
- PTSD symptoms become worse
- The person uses more substances to manage the symptoms
Substances do not heal trauma. They may provide temporary relief, but they do not help the brain and body process traumatic memories in a safe, therapeutic way.
Over time, substance use can increase emotional reactivity, worsen depression and anxiety, interfere with sleep, and make PTSD symptoms harder to manage. This is one reason trauma and addiction often need to be treated together.
Common substances used to cope with PTSD
Different people use different substances to cope with PTSD symptoms. The substance may depend on the symptoms they are trying to manage, such as anxiety, sleep problems, emotional pain, or numbness.
Alcohol
Alcohol is one of the most common substances used to cope with PTSD. People may use it to numb distressing emotions, fall asleep, reduce anxiety, or feel more comfortable around others.
Over time, alcohol can worsen mood, sleep, impulse control, and trauma symptoms.
Opioids and pain relievers
Opioids may be used to dull emotional pain, reduce physical tension, or escape distressing memories. Because opioids carry a high risk of dependence, repeated use can quickly create a second serious health issue alongside PTSD.
Cannabis
Some people use cannabis to manage anxiety, sleep problems, or hyperarousal. However, cannabis affects people differently. For some, it may increase anxiety, worsen motivation, or interfere with trauma recovery.
Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines may be prescribed for anxiety or panic symptoms, but they carry a high risk of dependence. Long-term use may also interfere with recovery when PTSD and substance use are both present.
Stimulants
Some people use stimulants to manage fatigue, depression, or emotional numbness related to PTSD. However, stimulants can worsen anxiety, sleep issues, irritability, and hyperarousal.
Why integrated, trauma-informed treatment is essential
Integrated treatment means PTSD and addiction are treated at the same time, in the same program, by a coordinated clinical team. Instead of separating mental health and addiction care, integrated treatment recognizes that both conditions are connected.
Treating addiction without addressing trauma can leave the root cause unresolved. A person may stop using substances for a period of time, but if PTSD symptoms remain untreated, the risk of relapse can stay high.
Evidence-based therapies for co-occurring PTSD and addiction may include:
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
- Cognitive processing therapy (CPT)
- Trauma-informed cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Group therapy
- Relapse prevention planning
- Medication support, when appropriate
- Peer support and structured residential care
Spring Grove Recovery provides trauma-informed care throughout treatment, helping clients address substance use and the trauma symptoms that may be driving it.
