Blog

Understanding the Connection Between Trauma and Addiction

by Tracey L. Kelley
April 18, 2025

There’s a strong misconception that people misuse alcohol or drugs because of poor choices or a lack of willpower. In reality, many individuals are trying to cope with deeper, often unseen pain that’s often induced by trauma—a powerful, life-altering force that shapes the way a person thinks, feels, and copes.

What Is Trauma?

According to the Trauma-Informed Care Implementation Resource Center (TICIRC), trauma is “a pervasive problem [that] results from exposure to an incident or series of events that are emotionally disturbing or life-threatening with lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, and/or spiritual well-being.”

Traumatic events include:

Abuse (emotional, physical, or sexual)
Neglect or abandonment
Losing a loved one suddenly
Growing up in poverty or homelessness
Being exposed to domestic violence or community violence
Living with a family member struggling with mental illness or addiction
Bullying, discrimination, or racism
Experiences of war, terrorism, or historical oppression

TICIRC indicates trauma affects anyone, regardless of age, race, background, or socio-economic status.

Broader Categories of Trauma

Mental Health America provides a more detailed perspective on how we experience trauma, such as:

Acute: A single, intense event
Chronic: Ongoing abuse or neglect
Historical: Collective trauma experienced over generations (e.g., genocide, slavery)
Insidious: Daily discrimination faced by marginalized groups, such as members of the LGBTQAI2S+ community
Intergenerational: Passed down through families, sometimes even altering gene expression
Secondary: Witnessing or hearing about trauma experienced by others
Mass: Events like natural disasters or terrorist attacks
Medical: Related to serious illness or invasive procedures
War-induced: Often experienced by Veterans and civilians in conflict zones
Grief-related: The deep distress of losing a loved one

Understanding trauma in all its forms allows us to better empathize with people who are affected by it and provide appropriate support if they develop substance use disorder (SUD) or alcohol use disorder (AUD).

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Long-Term Risks

Trauma endured before age 18 has particularly lasting effects. A CDC-Kaiser Permanente study on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) reveals just how significant early trauma can be. TICIRC notes that adults who had four or more ACEs, like the ones described above, are:

“7 times more likely to consider themselves alcoholics.”
“10 times more likely to have injected drugs.”
“12 times more likely to have attempted suicide.”

Additionally, the CDC-Kaiser Permanente study reports that nearly 65 percent of adults have at least one ACE, and more than 17 percent have four or more.

Veterans, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Addiction

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reports the following statistics, which we provide verbatim:

Over 20% of Veterans with PTSD also have SUD.

Nearly 1 in 3 Veterans seeking addiction treatment also have PTSD.

Many Veterans with PTSD engage in binge drinking to numb feelings of anger, numbness, or hyper-vigilance.

Trauma and the Brain

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “Someone who has been through trauma or has experienced chronic stress might use substances like drugs and alcohol as a form of self-medication. They may use substances to temporarily cope with the distress they feel or with symptoms of related mental illnesses.”

While these behaviors might offer temporary relief, they come at a steep cost. Unfortunately, substances don’t solve the problem—they just mask it. Over time, reliance on drugs or alcohol can lead to chemical dependency, isolation, and worsened mental health, creating a cycle that’s hard to break.

“Severe or chronic stress can also affect brain circuits that are involved in reward, motivation, and learning; stress can also increase someone’s craving and decrease their ability to control how they respond to impulses,” NIDA explains. “Addiction affects these same brain processes, which is another reason why researchers think stress increases vulnerability to addiction or relapse. Research also shows that having addiction makes stress symptoms worse.”

Ivory Plains: Promoting Trauma Healing to Break the Cycle

The good news is that recovery is possible—and it often begins by acknowledging trauma rather than avoiding it. TICIRC states that trauma-informed care “can potentially improve patient engagement, treatment adherence, and health outcomes.”

At our residential rehabilitation program in Adair, Iowa, we have board-certified professionals who specialize in trauma-informed AUD and SUD treatment, which prioritizes safety, trust, and empowerment. We also offer many types of therapy, group support, and family counseling to give you or a loved one a strong foundation on which to build a better life.

Healing from trauma doesn’t happen overnight, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. But when you start with hope and quality care, there are endless opportunities. Ask our admissions team about all the ways we can help.

If you or someone you love needs immediate assistance, please contact one of the following hotlines: