How To Address and Heal From Trauma That Contributed to Alcohol Use

As Laurell K. Hamilton writes in Mistral's Kiss, “There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds.” Trauma — any event or series of circumstances that leave us feeling unsafe, hurt, or afraid long after any immediate danger has passed — can have a profound impact on the course of our lives. Whether the cause is a physically or emotionally abusive relationship, a catastrophic event such as a war or natural disaster, an accident, or any other trouble that life threw our way, the psychological wounds can persist long after any physical ones have healed.

In the aftermath of trauma, we understandably reach for things that make us feel better. And while some are constructive, others are less so. Unfortunately, alcohol often comes into the picture — but while it might provide some temporary relief, alcohol and trauma form a devious pair. Inevitably, booze makes the situation worse. In fact, the things we do and say under the influence are likely to leave traumatic traces of their own — and leave us with a bigger problem on our hands than when we started. Let’s explore the alcohol-trauma connection in more detail and find some lasting and effective ways to cope.

Understanding Alcohol and Trauma

As trauma expert Bessel A. van der Kolk writes in The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, any trauma — even when it’s psychological — has a deeply physical dimension. The body itself becomes an “unsafe” place for us to inhabit:

“Traumatized people chronically feel unsafe inside their bodies: The past is alive in the form of gnawing interior discomfort. Their bodies are constantly bombarded by visceral warning signs, and, in an attempt to control these processes, they often become expert at ignoring their gut feelings and in numbing awareness of what is played out inside. They learn to hide from their selves.”

As a result, our brain’s survival system kicks into high gear, triggering the amygdala (the emotional center of the brain that acts as an alarm system) to signal danger even when it’s no longer present. This condition — known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) — leaves us feeling anxious and chronically stressed, haunted by the trauma throughout the day and night. In fact, science says that trauma can shrink the hippocampus — the part of the brain in charge of memory and learning. As a result, it becomes more difficult to adjust our responses to the situation after the threat is no longer present. In other words, we get stuck in “survival mode.”

This is where alcohol and other substances come in. Unfortunately, alcohol misuse often goes hand-in-hand with PTSD: research shows that 45% of those in treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD) also suffer from PTSD.

Here’s how the two are connected:

• Alcohol provides a temporary boost in mood. The rush of dopamine (the brain’s reward chemical) that we feel after the first drink can make us feel uplifted for a brief period of time. This temporary boost in confidence and well-being, however, usually peters out within about 20 minutes, giving way to drowsiness and sometimes leaving us feeling worse than before. 
• It briefly relaxes us. As a depressant, alcohol also boosts the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA while lowering glutamate, its excitatory counterpart. While these effects might leave us feeling relaxed, we’re looking at increased anxiety levels in the long term. In an attempt to rebalance itself, the brain boosts dynorphin, a neurochemical that makes us agitated and anxious. Plus, even if a few drinks might initially help us drift off to sleep, we’re in for a rude awakening: alcohol robs us of the most restorative REM phase and leads to sleep disruptions in the second half of the night. Lack of sleep or poor sleep quality also disrupts our mental health.
• Over time, our problems get worse. Needless to say, using alcohol as a coping strategy is bound to backfire in the long run. Over time, the brain and body adjust to the presence of booze, coming to expect the dopamine rush as the “new normal.” And while the brain can (thankfully!) readjust its neurotransmitter production back to natural levels, the change isn’t instantaneous. As a result, we might experience withdrawal symptoms if we try to quit suddenly.
• Trauma makes addiction recovery more difficult. At the same time, trauma’s lingering effects might make it even harder to leave booze behind. While getting out of the alcohol trap is tricky for anyone due to the neurochemical changes that take place as dependence sets in, unresolved trauma adds an extra hurdle.

As we can see, trauma and alcohol form a devious pair, trapping us in a vicious cycle that can seem well near impossible to break out of. But, rest assured, recovery is possible!

The Road to Healing From Alcoholism and Trauma

How do we go about healing from trauma that contributed to alcohol use? It’s all about understanding how trauma and alcohol use function in the brain. This knowledge, in turn, can give us the tools to tap into the healing power of neuroplasticity — the brain’s amazing ability to rewire itself.

1. Acknowledge and Validate the Painful Past

First things first: we need to acknowledge and validate our trauma as legitimate. We might be tempted to dismiss what happened to us as not “bad enough” or even blame ourselves for having trouble “getting over it.” However, this approach will only make things worse. Research shows that even “milder” forms of trauma can have profound effects on our mental health, leading to PTSD, depression, and other mental health struggles. 

For example, in addition to the classic examples of childhood trauma — abuse and neglect — other traumatic experiences (such as being bullied by a sibling, having to assume the role of a parent, or witnessing substance abuse by a member of the household) can leave deep emotional wounds.

2. Name Your Emotions

The next stop on the healing journey? Putting our pain into words. One of the most powerful ways to begin the journey of healing from trauma that may have contributed to our alcohol misuse is verbalizing what happened to us. Here’s how Fred Rogers (best known as public television’s beloved “Mr. Rogers” who sang “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”) put it:

“Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we are not alone.”

A great way to start is by writing it out. Putting our thoughts and emotions on paper gives us much-needed distance to start understanding and coping with what happened to us. But let’s not stop there! Talking to a trusted friend or family member — as well as getting in touch with a trauma-informed therapist (more on that later!) — will keep the conversation going and provide us with the support we need. 

There’s also powerful neuroscience behind putting our experience into words. Doing so engages the prefrontal cortex — the rational part of the brain that tends to “go offline” when trauma or alcohol are in the picture. This higher-order thinking center can then communicate with the amygdala, calming the emotional storm set off by trauma and drinking alike. Here’s how neuroscientist Waldman Newburg put it:

“By holding a positive and optimistic [word] in your mind, you stimulate frontal lobe activity. This area includes specific language centers that connect directly to the motor cortex responsible for moving you into action. And as our research has shown, the longer you concentrate on positive words, the more you begin to affect other areas of the brain.”

And yes, even writing our thoughts down activates this powerful mechanism!

3. Tap Into the Power of Therapy for Deep Healing

These days there are lots of therapy options available for healing from alcohol misuse while addressing the trauma that might have played a role in it. As it’s a deeply personal process, we should always explore different avenues to see which one resonates the most. That said, two approaches stand out among the rest:

• CBT allows us to reframe our thought patterns. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is based on the idea that our subconscious thoughts lead to emotions, which, in turn, influence our behaviors — including habits such as alcohol misuse. By uncovering these beliefs and reframing any cognitive distortions that might be living deep within our subconscious mind, we can replace them with thoughts that are more aligned with reality. As a result, the emotions that drive us to unwanted behaviors lose their hold over us, allowing healthier patterns to take root.
• EMDR provides a way to reroute our responses. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing works by targeting the stress response induced by certain thoughts or memories. We start by focusing on the distressing thought for a brief period of time while also paying attention to an external stimulus — usually a visual cue, audio signal, or hand tapping. In time, the triggering thought loses some of its punch as our brain creates a new pathway around it. 

Research shows that EMDR therapy is especially useful in helping us recover from both AUD and PTSD at the same time. In both cases, the problem comes down to neurological wiring around certain concepts. EMDR, in turn, offers a way to realign this wiring in a healthier and more productive way by reducing the strength of the neural pathways that don’t serve us.

Want to find out more? Check out “How Can Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Help With Alcohol Misuse?” and “What Is EMDR Therapy?”

4. Build New, Healthy, Coping Mechanisms

Thanks to the amazing power of neuroplasticity, our brain can build new associations and change old patterns — including the habit of turning to alcohol as a way to cope with past trauma. That said, it requires some active effort on our part. Here are some science-backed coping strategies we can put into place to help us cope with difficult feelings in healthier ways, releasing us from the dual trap of trauma and alcohol misuse:

• Mindfulness. Trauma can make us feel stuck in the past, and mindfulness is all about bringing us back into the present moment. Plus, mindfulness works wonders for overcoming alcohol misuse! It’s a science-backed way to increase activity in the prefrontal cortex of the brain, getting us out of the “default mode network” — the home of habits, rumination, and self-referential thought. It can even increase the gray matter in the prefrontal cortex, actively healing the very part of the brain that’s most sensitive to alcohol’s effects. At the same time, it helps regulate activity in the amygdala, making us less reactive and helping rewire the pathways set in motion by trauma and alcohol use alike.
• Exercise. Another science-backed way to cope with difficult emotions and coast through cravings is exercise. Known to lower stress while boosting feel-good neurochemicals such as dopamine and endorphins naturally, movement can be a great addition to your daily routine. Pick an activity you enjoy — whether it’s running, hiking, kickboxing, or even dancing in your living room — and stick with it. Better yet, combine the healing power of nature with exercise for a double win!
• Creative activities. Tapping into our creative side can be a cathartic way to transform difficult emotions related to trauma into something meaningful and triggering the phenomenon known as “post-traumatic growth.” Plus, science shows that creativity releases dopamine, helping keep alcohol cravings at bay. Whether it’s writing, making pottery, or working on an Adobe Photoshop collage, anything that gets our creative juices flowing “counts”!

Remember, each time we choose a healthier coping mechanism, we’re actively rewiring our brain, making it easier to stick to our new healthy choices over time. And that’s something to celebrate!

5. Develop a Support Network

We’re social by nature, and healing from trauma — as well as from alcohol misuse — is much easier with a solid team behind us. Plus, there’s powerful neuroscience behind social support! Research shows that it activates feel-good neurochemicals such as oxytocin and dopamine, helping ease the pain caused by trauma and keeping alcohol cravings at bay.

Reach out to trusted friends and family members — and remember to check out Reframe’s Forum, which is full of like-minded people who’ve been where you are and know what it’s like. (For more information, check out “Types of Social Support and How They Work.”)

Summing Up

In the words of psychotraumatologist and biophysicist Peter A. Levine, “The paradox of trauma is that it has both the power to destroy and the power to transform and resurrect.” The same is true of the alcohol journey — while challenging, it has the power to transform us into a more authentic version of ourselves, leading to levels of health and happiness we never imagined. And here at Reframe we’re here to support you and cheer you on every step of the way!