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.
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:
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.
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.
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:
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.
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 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 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.
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 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.
Some people use stimulants to manage fatigue, depression, or emotional numbness related to PTSD. However, stimulants can worsen anxiety, sleep issues, irritability, and hyperarousal.
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:
Spring Grove Recovery provides trauma-informed care throughout treatment, helping clients address substance use and the trauma symptoms that may be driving it.
Lindsay Dean currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Spring Grove Recovery. With more than 10 years of experience in behavioral health, Lindsay is deeply committed to expanding access to ethical, high-quality treatment and building systems of care that support long-term, sustainable recovery through compassionate, trauma-informed practices.
Lindsay began her career in direct patient care, where early experience as a mental health technician, crisis intervention specialist, and group/ individual counselor shaped her understanding of how trauma impacts engagement, trust, and openness to treatment. This clinical foundation continues to inform her leadership philosophy, reinforcing the belief that effective treatment systems must be grounded in safety, dignity, and respect.
As Lindsay progressed into senior leadership, her focus shifted toward building and strengthening treatment programs that balance clinical excellence with operational and regulatory integrity. She served as Program Director at one of the largest Opioid Treatment Programs (OTP) in Colorado Springs, where she led multidisciplinary teams, expanded access to evidence-based services for priority populations via increased grant funding, and ensured adherence to state and federal regulations.
Most recently, Lindsay served as Assistant Executive Director of Spring Grove Recovery, where she aligned clinical, operational, and administrative teams to strengthen continuity between inpatient and outpatient levels of care. Her leadership emphasized collaboration, sustainability, and the reduction of barriers to treatment access.
Lindsay’s leadership is grounded in operational excellence, regulatory integrity, and trauma-informed systems of care that prioritize patient safety and engagement. She has successfully guided organizations through extensive state and federal oversight, managed and expanded state grant funding, and strengthened services for underserved and vulnerable populations.
Lindsay holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Personal Health and is a Certified Addiction Specialist. As CEO, she leads Spring Grove Recovery with a clear mission: to cultivate a trauma-informed, collaborative, and compassionate treatment environment where individuals are empowered to heal, engage meaningfully in their own care, and sustain recovery long after residential treatment ends.
