Trauma and Addiction: Why Treating Both Matters

When you stop using alcohol/drugs, you may find yourself in a position where your trauma symptoms still linger. You may feel fear, shame or a constant need to stay on guard. Your body may be accustomed to having that substance to get through the day. Once you're no longer able to do that, you may feel as if you're stuck back where you started.

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When treating both you may see more success in your recovery journey. It can also be helpful to know what sober living can offer you during this time.

What you'll learn:

1. How Do Trauma and Addiction Become Linked
2. What Are the Benefits of Sober Living
3. Why Only Treating Addiction Is Not Enough
4. How Can I Treat Trauma and Addiction Together
5. Finding The Right Support
6. When You Have Triggers

How Do Trauma and Addiction Become Linked

Trauma can occur from one scary experience or many. Abuse, neglect and violence can all cause someone to experience trauma. It can cause insomnia, poor focus, difficulty trusting others and overreacting to stressful events.

Some people will experience PTSD from traumatic events and some won't. You can also become addicted to something and never experience trauma.

So how do they become linked?

Maybe someone will drink to help them sleep due to nightmares. Or someone may use drugs to ease their anxiety around other people. That relief can make repeated substance use more likely.

Substance use can also bring health, money or relationship problems that add to your stress. On top of that you have your original trauma.

It can create a cycle that's hard to break out of. Knowing this can help people better understand someone who has both trauma and addiction.

What Are the Benefits of Sober Living

Your therapist may see you for a few hours a week, but what about the rest of your week? Where will you sleep, cook, cope with emotions and learn how to live your new lifestyle?

Sober living can be beneficial for you. There are many sober living homes that are substance-free environments and allow you to meet other peers who are going through similar situations. Each sober living home may differ in their rules, meetings and access to treatment.

One example is changingtidesobx.com; it offers outpatient treatment and has a sober living house on site.

Having a consistent schedule, fewer pressures to use and others around you who are recovering can be very beneficial. This can help you stay in treatment and use the tools you've learned in therapy.

Having a recovery house isn't a cure for trauma. Some may be able to recover in a safe environment and others may need more structure.

Why Only Treating Addiction Is Not Enough

If you're only receiving treatment for your substance use you may not receive care for your trauma symptoms. That could make recovery harder.

You may not be using but you still experience panic, nightmares, or feel uncomfortable around others.

These are things that should be addressed. Many Americans have both a mental illness and a substance use disorder. SAMHSA's 2025 survey estimated 18.5 million U.S. adults had both a substance use disorder and any mental illness in the past year.

This includes mental illness, not specifically trauma or PTSD. The survey cannot show that both conditions occurred at exactly the same time.

If you have both, then you should receive treatment for both. Just like if you only received treatment for trauma and didn't treat your substance use you could run into issues.

How Can I Treat Trauma and Addiction Together

Start by getting an assessment from someone that knows how to evaluate you for substance use, trauma, medical concerns, immediate danger and what you want to achieve from treatment. Once you're evaluated they can help you come up with a plan of action to receive treatment for both.

There are many options that can be offered to someone with trauma and addiction:

• Treatment for substance use: Therapy, coping skills for cravings, medication for alcohol/opioid use disorder
• Treatment for Trauma: Therapies that have been studied to be effective for PTSD, cognitive processing therapy or prolonged exposure therapy if appropriate.
• Other support: Having housing, transportation, people you can call and ways to deal with stressful situations.

It's important to note the difference between trauma informed and trauma focused care. Someone providing trauma-informed care aims to create a safer environment, provide options and reduce unnecessary trauma. If you're looking to receive trauma focused therapy, your provider should offer that or be able to refer you to someone that does.

They both have their importance, just different aspects of your treatment plan.

There are studies that have shown that someone can receive PTSD treatment while they are working on their substance use disorder. You don't always have to wait months of sobriety before starting PTSD therapy.

Make sure you're medically safe. If you're withdrawing from heavy alcohol use or benzodiazepines, please seek a medical evaluation.

Finding The Right Support

You may find a program that claims to be trauma informed, but doesn't offer treatment for PTSD. Ask your provider what kind of care you're receiving.

You should know:

• Who is evaluating you and what are they trained in
• Will you receive PTSD treatment, or be referred out
• What will your medical team do to help you with medication, withdrawal, etc
• What can I do if I'm triggered in my session
• What can I do once my program is over

Make sure your provider can give you detailed answers to these questions. This helps you know who you're talking to, how they can help and whether you need further medical care.

Involving your family can be helpful, but not if they were part of your trauma. Make sure your care plan is one that will benefit you the most.

When You Have Triggers

During your time in recovery you may have triggers that remind you of your past trauma. It could be a scent, location, or even someone talking to you. You may experience anxiety, want to run or even want to use.

Having a plan can help you when you have a trigger. You can learn to recognize your triggers, walk away, use your coping skills and talk to someone you trust. Make sure your provider can teach you these skills and help you if you're struggling with a trigger.

If you relapse, ask yourself what happened and how you can prevent this in the future. Maybe your current support system isn't enough. You could arrange another appointment, find a safer space or ask about a higher level of care.

Shame won't solve the issue, but having a plan can.

Conclusion

There are many ways to treat your addiction, learn from your trauma and live in a safe environment. By knowing what will help you, you can better find what works best for you and your recovery journey.