PTSD and Addiction: A Breakable Cycle
Do your PTSD and addiction go hand in hand? You may have reached a point where you want to make a change and find a healthier way to cope with your painful experiences.
Is it possible to overcome addiction while suffering from PTSD?
Yes, it is, and you’re not alone in your struggle. The good news is, you can break the cycle. Substance use may be your way of coping with your trauma, but it doesn’t need to be. There are healthier ways to work through and change your response to trauma without relying on substances.
In this article, we will cover the connection between post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction. We will provide 3 treatment options that can help you manage PTSD and overcome addiction.
Table of Contents
- What Is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
- What Is the Connection Between PTSD and Addiction?
- 3 Treatment Options for Co-Occurring PTSD and Addiction
- PTSD and Addiction Feed Off Each Other: Kill Two Birds With One Stone at Dove Recovery
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that develops after experiencing a traumatic event or repeated trauma. It’s common to have PTSD symptoms in the days after an incident, but for many people, these do not last. 70% of the world's population will experience a traumatic event, but only 5.6% of those will develop PTSD.
For PTSD to be diagnosed, symptoms must last longer than a month and detrimentally disrupt your everyday life.
Experiences that may cause PTSD include:
- Death of a loved one
- Emotional, physical, or sexual abuse
- Natural disaster
- Combat exposure
- Terrorist attack
- Medical illness
- Serious accidents or injury
Many who are diagnosed with PTSD use substances to cope with their symptoms. An estimation of 46% of individuals who suffer from PTSD also have substance use disorder (SUD).
If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction and PTSD, reach out to your local rehabilitation center to receive help. Dove Recovery offers help for those who need co-occurring disorder treatment. Our caring and experienced staff are here to guide you towards a happier, healthier life, free from the grip of past traumas and addiction.
Symptoms
Intrusive Thoughts
A person with intrusive thoughts is unable to control threatening thoughts from occurring. These thoughts often trigger a person’s “fight or flight” reaction, even when there is no immediate danger.
Intrusive thoughts symptoms include:
- Recurring thoughts about the incident
- Nightmares
- Repeatedly replaying the distressful memories
- Body sensations
Individuals who have stronger cognitive response skills are able to control or manage their response to these intrusive thoughts. Therapy teaches strategies to help you handle intrusive thoughts and regain control over your mind.
Cognitive or Mood Changes
Due to significant fluctuations in emotional state, one who is suffering from PTSD can experience mood swings. Your past trauma may be affecting how your body responds to daily interactions, leading to anger, numbness, or difficulty managing emotions.
Cognitive and mood-related symptoms of PTSD include:
- Irritability
- Angry outbursts
- Being easily startled
- Detachment
- Depression
- Crying uncontrollably
Emotional Reactivity
PTSD can make you more emotionally reactive to cues that remind you of your trauma. Your response to these triggers can cause symptoms such as:
- Constantly on edge
- Angry outbursts
- Irritable
- Difficulty concentrating
- Trouble sleeping
Avoidance
Avoidant behaviors are when someone avoids thoughts, feelings, or discussions about their trauma. A study revealed that those with PTSD tend to develop avoidance behaviors not only to trauma triggers, but also to general situations. The game used in this study showed that females have more avoidance tendencies than males.
Types of avoidance include:
- Cognitive avoidance
- Behavioral avoidance
- Emotional avoidance
Addiction is a coping mechanism that those with PTSD are more susceptible to. Data indicate that individuals with PTSD are 2 to 4 times more likely to develop SUD. Substances can be used to self-medicate to temporarily relieve symptoms such as anxiety, intrusive thoughts, or create numbness to avoid trauma.
Experiencing severe trauma can alter brain function, affecting parts of your brain by:
- Increasing activity in the amygdala in response to a threat or fear.
- Decreasing activity in the prefrontal cortex when suppression or regulation of fear should be present.
- Reducing the size of the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory and emotion. This reduction makes it harder for the brain to recognize traumatic events as part of the past, causing them to feel present, and it also weakens the brain’s ability to regulate stress effectively.
How Do PTSD and Substance Use Affect One Another?
Substance use is a way for one with PTSD to cope with their symptoms. Unfortunately, substance misuse can exacerbate symptoms, leading to an increase in substance use and creating a cycle that is hard to break.
PTSD can reduce your body’s endorphin production, which is responsible for happy emotions. Due to the decrease in endorphins, some may begin to drink alcohol or use other endorphine-increasing substances to compensate and avoid emotional distress. An Australian survey states that among those who were diagnosed with PTSD, alcohol use disorder (AUD) was the most common (24.1%).
PTSD can lead to SUD, but on the other hand, those who have a SUD or AUD have an increased likelihood of encountering traumatic situations that lead to PTSD. Going through trauma while under the influence can increase reliance on that substance afterward, reinforcing a cycle of use.
#1: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is an approach used to treat PTSD and SUD by helping patients manage their symptoms through learning coping mechanisms, retraining their thinking patterns, and controlling their reactions.
The two components of CBT include:
- Cognitive – The approach focuses on understanding your own thoughts and feelings and recognizing when they are negative and false. The goal is to replace the harmful thoughts with a more realistic and positive way of thinking.
- Behavioral – Based on the idea that behavior is learned, this approach identifies the behavioral patterns that are causing problems in your life and then focuses on changing them.
In a study of PTSD patients, 61% to 82.4% of participants treated with CBT lost their PTSD diagnosis. No longer experiencing post-traumatic stress may reduce the need to rely on substances to cope.
#2: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy is an effective treatment that involves the patient recalling the traumatic event while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation. EMDR therapy doesn’t require in-depth discussions about your trauma. Instead, it helps your brain process traumatic memories so you can recover from the distress they’ve caused.
#3: Support Groups
Attending peer support groups is beneficial to those with PTSD and SUD.
Support groups can benefit you by:
- Meeting others who are going through the same thing as you
- Meeting others who understand you
- Learning how to trust others
- Hearing other perspectives and experiences
- Learning coping strategies
- Increasing self-awareness
- Reducing isolation
At Dove Recovery, group therapy and counseling are a safe space for you to work through and learn more about the relationship between PTSD and addiction. Receiving sober support from and forming connections with your peers can help you on your recovery journey.
At Dove Recovery, we provide compassionate care to help individuals recover from both PTSD and addiction. Our staff is experienced in co-occurring diagnoses and will create a treatment plan that will benefit you on your road to recovery.
Our programs include:
- Outpatient Program
- Counseling and Therapy
- Detox
- Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
- Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
If you or a loved one is ready to begin your healing journey, contact our admissions staff, and we will help you every step of the way.