For many people struggling with overwhelming PTSD symptoms like flashbacks and guilt, substance use can become a coping mechanism, leading to a dangerous cycle of dependence and worsening symptoms.
Hope Lodge’s professional clinicians understand the complex relationship between PTSD and substance use and work with our clients to help them overcome both.
What Are PTSD Triggers?
Everyday experiences can quickly become overwhelming for people living with PTSD. Specific stimuli often evoke intense emotional and physical reactions, causing distressing emotional and physical responses. Identifying your triggers is essential for managing PTSD, as it enables you to recognize what makes you feel worse.
1. Sounds
Loud noises or unexpected bangs from fireworks, cars backfiring or doors slamming may remind you of gunfire or explosions. These auditory cues are particularly potent for military veterans or those who have survived violent incidents.
2. Sights
Visual stimuli can evoke a powerful emotional response in some trauma victims. For example, someone who has been through a car accident may get upset when they see a similar vehicle or drive past the crash location. These visual reminders can transport you back to the scene, intensifying your stress.
3. Smells
Since smell, memory and emotion have such a close connection, specific scents can be powerful PTSD triggers. For example, the smell of smoke can remind someone of a house fire, while the scent of a particular perfume or cologne could evoke memories of a traumatic relationship.
4. Touch
Physical sensations, including pain or other forms of touch, can also serve as triggers. For instance, survivors of physical assault may react strongly to sudden or unexpected touches. Even seemingly benign physical sensations can bring back painful memories.
5. Anniversaries
Specific dates or anniversaries marking significant traumatic events can lead to heightened anxiety and emotional distress by forcing you to remember what you went through. You may struggle with increased PTSD symptoms during these times.
6. Media
Whether it’s a war film or news coverage of a disaster, seeing or hearing TV shows, movies and news reports about others’ trauma can bring your painful memories rushing back.
The Overlap Between PTSD and Substance Use
The relationship between PTSD and substance use can create a vicious cycle. Drugs and alcohol may initially seem to provide relief by dulling emotional pain or blocking out memories of the trauma, but they ultimately exacerbate the problem.
As substance use escalates, it can worsen PTSD symptoms, making it even more challenging to manage the disorder. Without intervention, this pattern can be devastating.
- Temporary relief: Alcohol or drugs can offer temporary relief, muting emotional pain or providing an escape from intrusive thoughts. Unfortunately, these effects are only short-lived, allowing the symptoms to return even stronger as the substance wears off.
- Avoidance: Some people use substances to numb complex feelings and emotions instead of confronting them. This avoidance can lead to a physical or psychological dependence, as you increasingly rely on drugs or alcohol to function.
- Escalation of symptoms: Over time, substance use can worsen PTSD symptoms. For example, alcohol is a depressant that can increase feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Drugs may interfere with your sleep patterns, contributing to insomnia, nightmares or heightened anxiety – all common in people with PTSD.
How Hope Lodge Can Help
Hope Lodge’s treatment team understands the unique challenges of living with PTSD and a substance use disorder. We have designed programming to address these co-occurring conditions simultaneously, providing a comprehensive approach to healing. Our trauma-informed care provides the sense of safety you need to work through the root causes of your trauma and develop healthier coping mechanisms.
Living with PTSD can feel overwhelming, especially when everyday experiences trigger painful memories. Using drugs and alcohol to self-medicate will lead to more significant problems in the long run. You deserve compassionate, comprehensive dual-diagnosis treatment to regain control of your life and build a brighter future. Contact Hope Lodge today to learn more about our programs and start healing.