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Written by Drew Redd. Mina Draskovic, B.Psy., reviewed this content for accuracy.
PTSD and addiction hit you with a double whammy. Either is plenty challenging on its own, but the combination can feel like you’re facing an invincible foe.
Hopeless as it seems, you can rise above both issues to have a meaningful life. Ardu’s dual diagnosis treatment program is the ally you need to overcome PTSD and substance use disorder.
Our team of experts is dedicated to your sobriety and well-being, so you don’t have to choose between real recovery or staying stuck in the difficult cycle of trauma and addiction.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing an emotionally scarring traumatic event. PTSD typically develops as the person struggles to cope with the harrowing memories and emotions stemming from profound trauma such as:
These distressing events can leave lasting psychological wounds and emotional damage.
The symptoms of PTSD can be different for everyone. People with PTSD experience a combination of the following symptoms:
According to the Cleveland Clinic, roughly fifty percent of individuals in the United States have encountered a traumatic event at some point in their lives—around 10% of men and 20% of women.
PTSD often coexists with other mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, and substance abuse. This pile-up of interconnected mental health issues is referred to as a dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorder.
With empathy and expertise, Ardu’s co-occurring treatment program helps you take on PTSD while overcoming addiction at the very same time.
People with PTSD may abuse substances as a form of self-medication, attempting to alleviate the distressing symptoms of their condition. They seek temporary relief in alcohol and drugs, which can develop into substance use disorder (SUD).
Canadian researchers reveal that “self-medication is a common behavior among people with PTSD in the community, yet has potentially hazardous consequences” such as an increased risk of suicide attempts. Flanagan, et. al. propose the so-called self-medication theory in which “PTSD symptom management is a primary rationale for substance use among individuals with co-occurring SUD and PTSD.”
Co-occurring PTSD and substance use often have overlapping neural circuitry that underlies both disorders. This shared neurobiology involves brain regions such as the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex which regulate emotional processing, memory, decision-making, and impulse control.
A 2021 study found that dysfunctions in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (PFC), a brain area responsible for fear extinction recall and inhibiting drug craving and seeking behaviors, may contribute to higher rates of comorbidity.
At Ardu, we address mental health disorders and substance abuse simultaneously through integrated treatment programs. Our rehab programs tackle the underlying causes of PTSD and SUD and provide comprehensive support for people to achieve recovery and live healthier lives.
With dual diagnosis, the key is to provide integrated care that treats addiction and mental health issues at the same time. This starts with thoroughly assessing both disorders to come up with a tailored treatment plan because not all individuals and dual diagnoses are equal.
Cross-trained clinicians then work together to deliver specific therapies targeting addiction as well as underlying psychiatric conditions such as PTSD. The focus stays on managing both issues through coordinated counseling, medications, group work, and discharge planning.
Don’t worry, Ardu’s not done with you once you’re discharged. Our aftercare plan involves ongoing support and care. The goal is to equip you with lasting tools to maintain sobriety and prevent relapses.
Relapse is understandably sometimes part of the addiction recovery process. Given substance addiction’s complex psychological and biological components, it’s common for people to return to substance misuse despite their efforts to remain sober.
Relapse prevention is important because addiction is considered a chronic relapsing brain disorder. According to this model of addiction, people who struggle with addiction are at a high risk of returning to substance use even after periods of abstinence.
For those with co-occurring mental health issues such as PTSD, relapse prevention is critical. Here’s why:
Our relapse prevention services equip you with science-backed strategies to sustain remission from both trauma and addiction. We teach you how to anticipate triggers, deploy coping mechanisms, and access support systems to reinforce recovery.
No one says it’s easy to battle mental health issues alongside addiction. We address both issues simultaneously in a safe and supportive environment.
Love this place so much. Such wonderful staff that work here that truly do care about the people they are helping.
We recognize addiction and mental health issues are often deeply intertwined. That’s why our dual diagnosis programs take an in-depth approach to long-term recovery.
Here’s what you can expect at our drug and alcohol rehab center in Provo, Utah.
The first step is detox. Whether you’re addicted to alcohol or drugs, you need professional support to safely clear substances from your system. At our detox center, we provide you with medications and around-the-clock care to alleviate difficult withdrawal reactions so you can begin trauma processing with a stable foundation.
Our program includes medication-assisted treatment (MAT), a proven approach to managing cravings and withdrawal symptoms. MAT is administered by our medical staff under careful supervision to make your detoxification process more manageable. This approach significantly increases your chances of a successful recovery.
Some people don’t want meds during detox. That’s fine—our holistic detox therapies can help you find balance, reduce stress, and rediscover your inner strength as your body adjusts to a life without substances. The holistic approach includes mindfulness practices, acupuncture, yoga, and art therapy.
We offer specialized dual-diagnosis rehab services that address both your substance abuse and any underlying mental health issues. You don’t have to face this journey alone—our alcohol treatment center and drug rehab programs are here to support you every step of the way.
We offer:
Contact Ardu to learn more.
We understand that people with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse issues require comprehensive and tailored therapies to address their unique challenges.
Some of the services we offer include:
Behavioral therapy, including trauma-focused CBT (cognitive-behavioral therapy), rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT), and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), is particularly beneficial for people with co-occurring mental health issues—such as PTSD—and substance use disorders.
Behavioral therapy uses science-backed techniques to change unhelpful thought and behavior patterns. For PTSD patients, methods like cognitive processing and exposure therapies can modify traumatic associations so symptoms feel more manageable long-term.
Addiction and mental health problems can have a lasting impact on the individual and their families. Our family program plays a crucial role in supporting individuals with co-occurring issues. Family therapy sessions help repair relationships, enhance communication, and educate families on how to support their loved one’s recovery.
Motivational interviewing is conducted through individual therapy. This therapy focuses on enhancing intrinsic motivation to change and helps you explore your goals, values, and aspirations. Motivational interviewing encourages honest self-reflection on your trauma so you feel empowered to make positive life changes necessary to move forward.
Experiential therapy involves engaging in hands-on activities and experiences to promote self-awareness and healing from negative emotions. Through experiential therapy, you can process trauma, improve self-esteem, and learn healthy coping mechanisms, addressing both addiction and underlying trauma.
Proper nutrition plays a vital role in mental and physical well-being. Our nutrition counseling services provide education on the importance of a balanced diet and how it can positively impact your mental health treatment and recovery. Nutritional support can help stabilize mood, boost energy levels, and improve overall health, complementing your journey to recovery.
All our clients are connected to 12-step programming such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous and peer support groups. This way, we help you enhance motivation, build social support among those with shared experiences, and maintain sobriety post-treatment.
Following completion of primary treatment, clients are offered an aftercare plan through continued participation in outpatient treatment, sober living housing, and recovery coaching to help provide ongoing support and reduce the risk of relapse.
Anyone struggling with drug or alcohol abuse or addiction can be eligible to enroll in our dual diagnosis facility. To enroll in an Ardu program, contact us online or via phone (801-872-8480). We will work with you to find a recovery path that works for you during the detox process and beyond.
You can pay for treatment with your insurance at Ardu if your health insurance providers cover our treatment services (we accept most insurance companies). If you want to verify your insurance coverage and gather more payment information, visit our insurance verification page.
Drew Redd is the executive director of Ardu Recovery Center and is dedicated to empowering people on their journey to sobriety.
While there’s no universal cure for dual diagnosis conditions, each person’s pathway out of darkness is unique. The right integrated treatment approach can effectively manage symptoms long-term. At Ardu Recovery Center, we walk this complex path to wellness with you every step of the way.
We use evidence-based modalities—such as cognitive processing therapy, medications, and peer support—to empower lasting trauma recovery and sobriety. With customized comprehensive care, those struggling with this complex dual diagnosis can achieve full, stable remission.
Medications that may help treat co-occurring PTSD and addiction include antidepressants like Zoloft and Paxil to relieve depressive symptoms, prazosin or propranolol for better sleep and hyperarousal, and drugs like naltrexone or acamprosate to reduce alcohol and opioid cravings. Careful medication management is crucial for dual-diagnosis patients to alleviate substance abuse and traumatic stress simultaneously.
PTSD often involves getting “stuck” in a state of chronic stress hyperarousal where the body’s fight-or-flight response continues firing long after actual danger passes. This post-trauma alteration leaves patients on constant high alert with heightened anxiety, insomnia, anger, and reactive emotional swings. Evidence-based talk therapy techniques help process trauma so the nervous system can return to baseline functioning.
While PTSD triggers may decrease in intensity with effective treatment methods like exposure therapy, they don’t simply “go away” for most long-term trauma survivors. Skills like recognizing triggers, exercising distress tolerance, and actively self-soothing make traumatic memories more manageable so they’re less prone to triggering destabilizing episodes. It’s an ongoing process.
Grounding strategies can help mitigate acute PTSD episodes when traumatic, intrusive memories or ‘triggers’ spark distress. Tactics such as focused breathing, naming surrounding objects, gentle movement, listening to calming music, or holding ice reshape thought patterns. Over time, repeated coping skills retrain the mind away from destructive reactive loops. Supportive contacts also help ‘talk down’.
Among various co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders, PTSD and alcohol or drug addiction occur most frequently together. Up to half of those seeking PTSD treatment battle addiction concurrently. Trauma changes brain circuitry and neurochemistry in ways that increase addiction risk over time as substance use becomes an unhealthy coping mechanism.
For dual-diagnosis patients, integrated care addressing both disorders simultaneously yields the best outcomes. Thorough assessment and stabilization of imminent safety risks or detox come first. Then evidence-based therapies, medications, and support systems work in tandem to promote trauma recovery and addiction management at once instead of sequentially.
Professional, C. C. M. (n.d.). PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9545-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd
Leeies M, Pagura J, Sareen J, Bolton JM. The use of alcohol and drugs to self-medicate symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. Depress Anxiety. 2010 Aug;27(8):731-6. doi: 10.1002/da.20677. PMID: 20186981.
Flanagan, J. C., Korte, K. J., Killeen, T. K., & Back, S. E. (2016). Concurrent Treatment of Substance Use and PTSD. Current Psychiatry Reports, 18(8), 70. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-016-0709-y
Michaels, T. I., Stone, E., Singal, S., Novakovic, V., Barkin, R. L., & Barkin, S. (2021). Brain reward circuitry: The overlapping neurobiology of trauma and substance use disorders. World Journal of Psychiatry, 11(6), 222-231. https://doi.org/10.5498/wjp.v11.i6.222
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