Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) & Addiction

Key Takeaways

• C-PTSD Overview: Combines PTSD symptoms with additional emotional and relational challenges.
• Link to Addiction: Untreated C-PTSD can lead to substance abuse as a coping mechanism.
• Prevalence: High correlation between PTSD and substance use disorders, particularly in women.
• Symptoms: C-PTSD includes emotional control issues, hopelessness, anger, distrust, and physical symptoms.
• Trauma Impact on Brain: Chronic trauma affects the brain’s regulation of stress and reward systems.
• Diagnosis: Requires careful assessment for both trauma and substance use disorders.
• Treatment: Integrated therapies like CBT and EMDR are effective for dual diagnoses.
• Trauma-Informed Care: Essential for effective treatment and preventing re-traumatization.
• Dual Diagnosis at The Recovery Village Salem: Provides specialized, evidence-based treatment for co-occurring C-PTSD and addiction.

Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, often referred to as C-PTSD or CPTSD, encompasses the traditional symptoms of PTSD along with additional challenges. These extra symptoms include difficulties in regulating emotions, persistent anger, and a pervasive sense of distrust toward the world and those around you.

When C-PTSD remains untreated, it can lead to further complications such as substance abuse. A dual-diagnosis treatment center addresses both the underlying mental health issues like complex PTSD and the addiction itself. Dual diagnosis programs are typically more effective than those that treat either addiction or mental illness in isolation.

What Is Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD)?

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental health condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. This event can be directly experienced or observed, and it often involves significant physical or emotional harm. Examples include sexual assault, intimate partner violence, severe accidents, natural disasters, and combat situations.

Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder shares the core symptoms of PTSD but includes additional ones such as:

• Emotional Dysregulation: Difficulty managing emotions effectively.
• Hopelessness and Emptiness: Persistent feelings of despair and lack of purpose.
• Anger Towards the World: Intense anger directed at the world or others.
• Distrust: A fundamental mistrust of people and institutions.
• Sense of Isolation: Feeling different from others and avoiding relationships.
• Dissociative Symptoms: Experiences like depersonalization.
• Physical Complaints: Issues such as headaches or stomach pain.
• Suicidal Ideation: Thoughts of self-harm or suicide.

How Prevalent are C-PTSD and Substance Use Disorders in the U.S.?

While specific data on C-PTSD is limited, PTSD is closely linked to substance use disorders. For instance, women diagnosed with PTSD are 2.48 times more likely to struggle with alcohol misuse, and men with PTSD are 2.06 times more likely to face similar issues.

Over 46% of individuals with lifetime PTSD also meet the criteria for substance use disorders. In some studies, nearly 52% of men with lifetime PTSD and approximately 28% of women have co-occurring substance use disorders.

PTSD Symptoms

Individuals with PTSD experience symptoms that persist long after the traumatic event has ended. These symptoms can include reliving the event through nightmares and flashbacks, feeling disconnected from others, experiencing deep sadness and fear, and having intense reactions to seemingly benign triggers like specific noises.

In addition to these, Complex PTSD includes:

• Emotional Control Issues: Struggling to manage emotions.
• Hopelessness and Emptiness: Continual feelings of despair.
• Anger Towards the World: Persistent anger directed outward.
• Distrust in Others: Lack of trust in people around them.
• Isolation: Feeling different and avoiding relationships.
• Dissociative Symptoms: Such as depersonalization.
• Physical Symptoms: Including stomach aches or headaches.
• Suicidal Thoughts: Thoughts of self-harm or suicide.

How Is Complex Trauma Different From Simple Trauma?

Although the term Complex PTSD is relatively recent, it has long been recognized that certain types of trauma can intensify the effects of PTSD. C-PTSD is more likely to develop in individuals who have experienced repeated trauma, leading to changes in self-perception and stress responses.

Complex PTSD is often seen in individuals who have endured prolonged traumatic experiences such as child abuse, domestic violence, imprisonment during wartime, or sex trafficking. These individuals have survived not only a single traumatic event but often prolonged periods of trauma.

C-PTSD can also result in:

• Belief Changes: Losing faith or altering moral beliefs.
• Disturbing Thoughts: Desiring revenge or having troubling thoughts about abusers.
• Self-Concept Alterations: Feeling guilty, different, or helpless.
• Emotional Shifts: Experiencing depression, sadness, suicidal ideation, or anger.

C-PTSD is more enduring and severe, with a higher likelihood of developing mental health issues when traumatic exposure occurs early in life.

The Brain, Trauma, and Substance Use Disorder (SUD)

Trauma can significantly impact the brain. In response to danger, the amygdala, the brain’s fear center, is activated, releasing hormones like cortisol. This leads to heightened alertness and vigilance. Physical responses include increased heart rate, rapid breathing, elevated blood pressure, and a general sense of threat. Normally, the body’s response ceases once the danger is gone, but repeated activation can lead to a dysregulated fight-or-flight system.

Chronic trauma can cause the brain to remain hypervigilant even when no immediate threat exists, affecting neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. Individuals with PTSD or chronic trauma may turn to substances like drugs or alcohol to calm themselves or reduce anxiety. However, substance use exacerbates the situation by flooding the brain’s reward system with dopamine, reinforcing the behavior and increasing the likelihood of continued use despite negative consequences.

How Trauma and SUD Are Diagnosed

When someone exhibits symptoms of a substance use disorder, it’s important to also assess for underlying trauma symptoms. Dual diagnosis specialists thoroughly investigate a person’s history, including childhood and life experiences, to identify PTSD or complex PTSD alongside the substance use disorder.

If PTSD is suspected, clinicians may use detailed tools like the Trauma History Questionnaire, which includes 24 items about potential traumatic events such as natural disasters or sexual assault. Accurate diagnosis of both trauma and SUD requires skilled and compassionate clinicians to avoid triggering stress responses and to prevent re-victimization of clients.

Treatment Options for Trauma and Addiction

Most PTSD treatments are also effective for complex PTSD and addiction. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) helps individuals manage triggers and improve relationships. Medications for depression can be beneficial when combined with therapy.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a treatment for PTSD that helps integrate traumatic memories, reducing their emotional impact. These therapies are frequently included in addiction treatment programs to address both trauma and substance use simultaneously.

The Importance of Trauma-Informed Care

Trauma-informed care involves understanding and integrating a person’s life experiences into their treatment. This approach improves health outcomes, patient engagement, and adherence to treatment plans.

A trauma-informed care model includes:

• Client Involvement: Actively involving patients in their treatment process.
• Proper Screening: Ensuring thorough trauma assessments.
• Staff Training: Training staff in trauma-specific treatment methods.
• Recognition of Trauma Effects: Understanding the wide-ranging impacts of trauma and recognizing related signs and symptoms.
• Experienced Clinicians: Employing clinicians who are skilled in handling trauma to avoid re-traumatization.

Dual-Diagnosis Treatment at The Recovery Village Salem

Understanding and addressing Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder alongside addiction is crucial for effective recovery. The Recovery Village Salem offers specialized dual diagnosis treatment that integrates trauma-informed care with evidence-based addiction therapies. By addressing both mental health and substance use disorders concurrently, we provide a comprehensive pathway to healing and long-term sobriety. Reach out to our dedicated team today to begin your journey toward recovery and a healthier, substance-free life.