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A square of four graphics with white icon shapes on color backgrounds: a cranberry red fire truck,a pink double helix, a tangerine lightbulb, a blue squad car.Individuals may turn to substance abuse to help dull the symptoms they are experiencing that may be associated with PTSD, anxiety, and/or depression.

However, while alcohol and/or drugs may provide a short-term solution in initially helping to manage these symptoms, the abuse of substances can and often does lead into a pattern of addiction. This addiction can be both psychological and physical. The addiction then inhibits individuals from healing from the trauma and confronting and overcoming their symptoms from the trauma event(s).

Over time, the substance abuse that provided short-term relief leads to long-term harm by becoming physically and emotionally damaging just like the traumatic event.

It’s treatable!

Remember, mental health conditions are treatable. See the Therapeutic Response section to learn more.

Development and course of symptoms

Substance-related disorders consist of a number of categories, including alcohol, cannabis, hallucinogens, inhalants, opioids, sedatives, hypnotics, anxiolytics, stimulants, and other (or unknown) substances. The essential feature of a substance use disorder is a cluster of cognitive, behavioral, and physiological symptoms indicating that the individual continues using the substance despite significant substance-related problems.

Substance use disorders occur in a broad range of severity, from mild to severe, with severity based on the number of symptom criteria endorsed.

Co-occurring disorders

The most commonly occurring disorders with substance abuse are bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, and antisocial personality disorder, especially in the context of an alcohol use disorder, as well as several anxiety and depressive disorders. It is noted that the longer the substance abuse continues, the higher the risk of exacerbating mood and anxiety symptoms, including PTSD.

In the case of PTSD, symptoms may no longer be attributable to a traumatic event, but many of the symptoms can be aggravated or even substance-induced, clouding what symptoms are attributable to which disorder.

For depression, at least a part of the reported association between depression and moderate to severe alcohol use disorder is thought to be a result of the depressive symptoms of intoxication or withdrawal.