Why Do People with PTSD Develop Addiction?

Trauma can have a profound impact on the mind and body. Even a single traumatic event might cause stress reactions like anxiety, becoming physically and emotionally empty, feeling sad, fearful, angry, jumpy, or having trouble coping and moving on. These reactions are normal, and most people begin to feel better within a few weeks. But when they worsen and subsist, it may be a sign of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. 

“At first, it may be hard to do daily activities you are used to doing. Going to work or school, even spending time with people you care about, can feel difficult right after a traumatic event,” notes the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.  

Sometimes, people with PTSD turn to substances to numb their pain or search for some semblance of control. But this reliance can eventually lead to dependency. Why do people with PTSD develop addiction, and how does the relationship between PTSD and substance abuse intersect and affect each other?  

Understanding Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental health condition that stems from experiencing or witnessing a traumatic, stressful, or terrifying event or from a series of long-term experiences that may be threatening to one’s physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being one’s own life. It might be surviving a natural disaster, a violent act, or a car accident, or being victim to abuse over a period, whether it’s physical, verbal, sexual, or emotional. 

While everyone processes trauma differently, for some, the emotional and psychological impact becomes so overwhelming that it disrupts their ability to function in daily life. PTSD can affect different people in different ways; some experience constant intrusive memories, reliving the traumatic event, heightened anxiety, emotional distress, and difficulty coping with everyday life. 

PTSD alters the brain and how it responds to stress — namely, the size of the hippocampus shrinks, and the amygdala (which regulates emotions and fear) becomes acutely reactive. The medial prefrontal cortex (which controls, in part, the amygdala’s emotional regulation) also becomes less productive, notes the Cleveland Clinic. 

Studies show that people suffering from it have irregular levels of different neurotransmitters and hormones, which is just one explanation of why the condition leaves people who haven’t undergone trauma treatment at a Spokane rehab center in a constant state of hypervigilance. This can, unfortunately, make even regular, everyday activities feel threatening, creating a cycle of fear, avoidance, and emotional instability. 

According to the American Psychiatric Association, PTSD affects nearly 3.5% of people each year. 

Who Does PTSD Happen To? 

PTSD can happen at any age. But “most people who go through a traumatic event will not develop PTSD,” notes the National Center for PTSD. It can happen to anyone who lives with significant trauma, but certain people are more vulnerable due to the nature of their experiences.  

The World Health Organization says that about 70% of people around the world will experience a potential trauma during their lives, and 5.6% will eventually develop PTSD. 

Nearly six of every 10 men and five of every 10 women will experience at least one trauma in their lifetimes. That’s because, according to the center, men and women may experience trauma differently, with women more likely to be victims of sexual assault and men more likely to experience physical assault, accidents, wartime fighting, or to witness death or serious injury. 

Here are some of the common groups of people at a higher risk of developing PTSD: 

Military Veterans and First Responders 

The first group of people that most often comes to mind for trauma-related mental health issues is PTSD veterans. The visceral, horrific carnage of combat exposure, being at risk of injury or death, witnessing death, and worse, fighting and possibly needing to kill others, plus other factors, leave many veterans with addiction grappling with overwhelming memories long after their military service ends.  

National Center for PTSD research shows that one or two out of every 10 U.S. Armed Forces troops who fought in the Iraq or Afghanistan conflicts are likely to have combat stress PTSD after returning from war. PTSD and substance abuse in veterans are common within this group — according to the center, excessive drinking and use of tobacco among them may be problematic. 

Moreover, first responders — firefighters, police officers, rs, and paramedics — also face repeated exposure to traumatic events, making them prone to PTSD and substance abuse as they attempt to manage the emotional toll of their work. According to a 2022 study, nearly 10% of first responders report symptoms of PTSD. 

Victims of Domestic Violence or Sexual Assault   

Survivors of sexual or domestic violence with PTSD may grapple with various feelings and behaviors.  

According to the National Center for PTSD, avoiding people who resemble their perpetrator, remaining fearful of relationships or sexual intimacy, failing to trust others, blaming themselves or feeling shame for being domestic violence or rape victim, and even considering suicide are common PTSD symptoms that may lead to other problems.  

“Although survivors of sexual assault are remarkably resilient, research suggests that survivors are at increased risk of developing mental and physical health difficulties after the assault, including (PTSD),” notes the center. 

Accident Survivors  

Surviving a serious accident, whether it’s a car crash, workplace injury, or other life-threatening event, can leave anyone with lasting psychological scars. Even when emerging physically unscathed, the experience of living through such a traumatic event can trigger the development of PTSD — for instance, surviving a car crash. 

According to one study, the symptoms of PTS after a major motor vehicle accident may include “psychologically re-experiencing the trauma (e.g., intrusive thoughts about the accident, distressing dreams about the accident), persistent avoidance of thoughts or situations associated with the accident (e.g., reluctance or refusal to drive actively avoiding thoughts about the MVA),” and a number of emotional responsiveness. 

Even still, recovering from significant physical injuries sustained from an accident can potentially compound someone’s emotional distress and lead some people to turn to drugs and alcohol as a means of coping. 

Natural Disasters  

Living through the devastation of an earthquake, wildfire, hurricane, or other major storm or natural disaster can be deeply traumatic. The loss of one’s home, loved ones, items of sentimental value, or just the sense of safety and security in what may seem like a blink of an eye can serve to haunt survivors long after the event has come to pass — even when rebuilding and restoration efforts have been completed, creating a fertile ground for PTSD and addiction to take root. 

Advocacy group PTSD UK says that direct victims of disasters are 30% to 40% more likely to have post-traumatic stress disorder, compared with 5% to 19% of the general population. Factors noted on the site include “the degree of physical injury they incurred, the immediate risk it posed to their life, the severity of destruction to their property, their distance from the epicenter, and whether they experienced the loss of family members.”