Unresolved Trauma & The Risk Of Addiction

About 70% of U.S. adults have experienced a traumatic event, such as war, sexual abuse, or a natural disaster. Some of these individuals develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

When left untreated, trauma and PTSD significantly increase your risk of substance use disorder (drug addiction). You can recover from trauma and addiction by seeking dual diagnosis treatment with a trauma-informed approach.

Understanding Trauma & PTSD

Traumatic experiences trigger your body’s “fight-or-flight” response. This response causes a surge of anxiety and alertness. It also boosts your heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure. These symptoms typically fade once the traumatic experience is over.

However, some people continue to feel uneasy for months or even years afterward. These people are likely diagnosed with PTSD.

The most common symptoms of PTSD include:

• frequent thoughts or memories of the experience
• flashbacks (feeling as though the experience is happening again)
• nightmares related to the experience
• trouble sleeping
• trouble concentrating
• intense emotional or physical reactions to triggers (images, sounds, or other things that remind you of the experience)
• feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, or numbness
• mood swings
• frequent anxiety or jumpiness
• intense guilt or shame
• trouble maintaining close relationships
• loss of interest in activities once enjoyed

Trauma & Self-Medicated Drug Use

Like other mental health conditions, PTSD is treatable. Some of the most effective treatment options include psychotherapy, medication, and support groups. When left untreated, PTSD often leads people to self-medicate with drugs or alcohol.

Many people self-medicate with depressant drugs, such as alcohol, opioids, or benzodiazepines. These drugs make you feel calm and sleepy. Others self-medicate with stimulants, such as cocaine, methamphetamine, or prescription stimulants. These drugs boost your mood, energy, and concentration.

Some people also self-medicate with psychedelic drugs, such as MDMA or psilocybin mushrooms (also called “shrooms”). Studies suggest that these drugs may help ease PTSD symptoms when administered by a mental health professional.

However, when used without medical supervision, they can cause serious issues, including anxiety and psychosis (loss of connection with reality).

Risk Of Substance Use Disorder

People who self-medicate their trauma symptoms with drugs usually become addicted to them. In fact, nearly half of people diagnosed with PTSD also have addiction. Addiction is a serious disease that makes you feel unable to control your drug use.

Common symptoms include:

• frequent drug cravings
• tolerance (needing increasingly larger or more frequent amounts of a drug to feel the desired effects)
• physical dependence (experiencing unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when you don’t use drugs)
• loss of motivation
• loss of interest in activities once enjoyed
• avoidance of family and friends
• decline in personal hygiene

When left untreated, addiction poses serious risks, including fatal overdose. It also makes you more likely to experience additional traumas.

That’s because drug use often leads to dangerous behaviors, such as driving under the influence, having risky sex, or visiting unsafe areas to buy illegal drugs. These behaviors can lead to traumatic experiences that cause or worsen PTSD.

Trauma-Informed Addiction Treatment

If you or someone you love struggles with traumatic memories and addiction, seek help at a dual diagnosis treatment program. These programs address addiction and co-occurring mental health issues, including trauma and PTSD.

Some co-occurring disorder treatment programs are outpatient, meaning you live at home and regularly visit the treatment center. Others are inpatient, meaning you live at the treatment center and receive 24/7 care. Your doctor can help you determine which option is right for you.

When you first enter a dual diagnosis treatment program, a team of healthcare providers will evaluate your situation and create your personalized treatment plan. Most mental health and substance abuse treatment plans include the following services:

Medical Detox

During medical detox, doctors help you safely stop using drugs with minimal withdrawal symptoms. They may prescribe medications to ease certain symptoms, such as anti-nausea medications.

Psychotherapy

In psychotherapy, a mental health professional helps you change unhelpful beliefs and behaviors related to your trauma and addiction.

Some of the most effective forms of psychotherapy for these issues include:

• trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which can help you replace negative thoughts with more positive and realistic ones
• eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), which can help you reprocess traumatic memories so they cause less distress
• prolonged exposure (PE), which can help you slowly and safely face certain triggers so you become less sensitive to them

Support Groups

In a support group, you can discuss your experiences with other people recovering from trauma and addiction. You can also learn important coping tips that have helped your peers.

Medication

Some people with trauma benefit from medications, such as antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, and sleep aids. Also, if you misuse alcohol or opioids, your treatment team may prescribe medications to ease cravings and withdrawal symptoms.

Wellness Activities

When recovering from any mental health concern, including trauma or addiction, it’s important to take care of yourself. That’s why many dual diagnosis programs offer wellness activities such as meditation, yoga, and arts and crafts.

These activities can help you maintain your recovery long after treatment ends.

Find Treatment For Trauma And Addiction Today

To learn more about treatment for trauma and addiction, please reach out to Bedrock Recovery Center. Our trauma-informed healthcare providers offer personalized, evidence-based care to help you or your loved one thrive.