Trauma & Substance Use
Today we will be talking about the relationship between trauma and substance use. Trauma can significantly impact your relationship to different substances, and the holidays can trigger substance use to cope with situations and surroundings. Since many people create intentions or goals at the beginning of the year, we want to provide you with some information about the connection between trauma and substance use in case you are thinking about your relationship with substance use.
Trauma and Substance use
Research shows that there is a connection between trauma and increased substance use. Relias shares several statistics on the relationship between trauma and substance use, one being “One-quarter to three-quarters of people who have survived abusive or violent traumatic experiences report problematic alcohol use.” They highlight a few hypotheses on why this might be and state that research supports the self-medication hypothesis. Relias describes this hypothesis as “using substances in an attempt to cope with or counteract their symptoms.”
You can read their full article here.
Many people who have experienced trauma (especially at a young age) are not taught constructive coping strategies to deal with symptoms that they experience as a result of trauma. You can read more about the symptoms of trauma here. It makes sense that trauma survivors might turn to substance use to numb their symptoms, drown out their social anxiety, or make themselves feel good for a couple of hours. Unfortunately, heavy substance use can make you feel worse in the long term.
Symptoms of substance abuse might be specific to the substance you’re using, but some general long-term effects can be:
Money issues
Compromised immune system
Self-sabotaging actions (relationships, work, well-being)
Long-term health issues
Dependence on a substance
Increased negative mental health symptoms
Taking time to assess your relationship to substance use can help you identify the role that it is playing in your life.
Mindful Consumption & Relationships to Substance Use
There are no blanket statements for which substances to use and how much. You will have to think through and decide on your values and boundaries for substance use. Maybe those things already feel clear to you. You might have made a decision not to drink alcohol ever because of a history of substance abuse in your family, or you only drink on Fridays and Saturdays so that your work performance isn’t impacted. You are the expert on yourself, and you know what you need.
University of Colorado Boulder Health and Wellness Services created a super helpful resource for this reflection. They ask questions like “how do I feel when I use?” and “how do I feel when I don’t use?” “How often do I want to use substances in the future?” These are great prompts for you to start thinking about what you want and need.
In season 5 of The Bold Type, Sutton Brady goes to therapy to examine her relationship to alcohol after a few people that she trusts suggest that her alcohol consumption might be at a concerning level. In therapy, Sutton explores the reasons why she drinks and starts to build new coping skills. She realizes that she drinks to protect herself from painful things, and that realization helps her understand that drinking is only numbing the issues, not creating change in her life.
Making Changes
If you come to a realization that you want to make some changes in the way you use substances, that are many things you can try!
Reduce or cut out substance use for a period of time. Dry January is a well-known tradition for this, but you could use these principles and habits at any time of the year.
Work with a mental health clinician to work through the issues that are prompting your substance use. These could be trauma, social anxiety, or undiagnosed mental health concerns!
If you suspect that you might need additional support or that you are dealing with an addiction, specialized resources can be helpful. Some of these resources, like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, are available for free. There are many types of mental health and substance use treatments as well. Some treatment programs are designed to be inpatient or residential, but some programs are online or designed so that you can continue working while you complete treatment. If you are already working with a therapist, they can likely help you find referrals for specialized treatment.
Want to work through some of your triggers or your trauma? We have several therapists who specialize in trauma and are taking on new clients.
Support groups can help you connect with others and remind you that you aren’t alone!
Interested in learning more about our unique approach to trauma therapy?
These blogs talk more about the basics of EMDR:
You can read more about Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy here: