A drink takes the edge off. It quiets the memories for a few hours and might be the only way you can fall asleep. If you're living with trauma and you've noticed you're drinking more, you're far from alone, and it doesn't make you weak or bad. So why do people with PTSD drink? This post explains why alcohol can feel like relief, why it tends to backfire, an important safety note about cutting back and how counselling can help with both.
This post is general information, not medical advice.
Why people with PTSD may reach for a drink
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can leave the body and mind on high alert. The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) describes symptoms like flashbacks, being easily startled, feeling tense or on edge, trouble sleeping and avoiding reminders of the trauma.
Living with that every day is exhausting. Alcohol can briefly dull those feelings. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' National Center for PTSD notes that people may use alcohol or drugs to try to manage PTSD symptoms. Many people describe it as a way to switch off, numb out or finally sleep.
Why do people with trauma drink, even without a PTSD diagnosis? For many of the same reasons. The urge to escape painful feelings is very human.
PTSD and alcohol, what the research shows
PTSD and alcohol use problems often show up together. A 2014 systematic review by Debell and colleagues in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology looked at 42 studies and found that the two commonly occur together. The strongest links were with two kinds of PTSD symptoms: avoidance and numbing, and feeling on edge.
Can PTSD cause alcoholism? Research shows a strong link, but it doesn't show that one simply causes the other. The National Center for PTSD notes that the link runs both ways: people may drink to manage symptoms, and drinking can also put people in risky situations where more trauma can happen.
Does alcohol help PTSD?
In the short term, it can feel like it does. In the long term, it usually makes things harder. The National Center for PTSD explains that using alcohol or drugs can make PTSD symptoms worse. For example, although some people drink to help them sleep, alcohol can make sleep less restful.
Alcohol can also:
leave you more anxious or on edge the next day
keep you avoiding memories and feelings, which can keep PTSD going
make it harder to remember what helps
lead to arguments or distance in relationships
So does alcohol help PTSD? It may bring short-term relief, but it often deepens the cycle it's trying to escape.
Signs drinking has become part of the pattern
You don't need a label to notice that something has changed. Some things to gently notice:
you drink mainly to sleep, calm down or face reminders
you've been drinking more than you used to
you feel worse, not better, the next day
drinking is how you cope with nightmares or anniversaries
people close to you have mentioned it
If some of these sound familiar, that's useful information, not a judgment. It may be a sign it's time for more support.
Letting go of the shame
Many people who drink to cope with trauma feel deeply ashamed, and shame can make it harder to reach out. It may help to see the drinking as a sign of how much pain you've been carrying, not as a flaw in your character. You found a way to get through something hard. Now you can look for ways that cost you less. Talking about it with someone who won't judge you is often the first real step.
Should people with PTSD drink alcohol?
There isn't one answer for everyone. But if you notice you're drinking to cope with trauma symptoms, it's worth looking at more closely. Ask yourself what the drink is doing for you. Is it helping you sleep, calming panic or keeping memories away? Those are needs, and counselling can help you meet them in ways that don't backfire.
A safety note before cutting back
If you've been drinking heavily every day for a long time, please don't stop suddenly on your own. The U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) explains that stopping suddenly after prolonged heavy drinking can lead to withdrawal that can be painful or even life-threatening.
If someone has severe withdrawal symptoms, such as seizures, is very confused or is in danger, call 911. If you're thinking about suicide, call or text 9-8-8 any time. Our crisis lines page lists both.
Why working on PTSD and alcohol use together helps
Drinking is often a way of coping with trauma. If you only focus on cutting back, the PTSD symptoms that drove the drinking are still there. The National Center for PTSD notes that PTSD and substance use can be successfully treated at the same time.
Counselling can work on both together. A therapist can help you understand what's behind the drinking, build other ways to calm your body and work through trauma at a pace that feels manageable. Approaches like EMDR and CBT-based trauma therapy are among the options our therapists use.
Small steps you can try this week
Change usually starts small. You might try:
Notice your triggers. Write down when you reach for a drink and what you were feeling just before.
Plan your evenings. Have something else ready for the hardest time of day, like a walk, a shower, a call with a friend or a show.
Build a wind-down routine. A regular bedtime and a calm hour before sleep can help, even if nights are still hard.
Tell one person. Saying "I've been drinking more to cope" out loud can ease the shame.
Be kind to yourself. Setbacks happen. They don't erase progress.
If you love someone with PTSD who drinks
Watching someone you love numb their pain can be frightening and frustrating. Some things that help:
Talk when they're sober and calm, not in the middle of a hard night.
Use "I" statements: "I've noticed you're drinking more, and I'm worried about you."
Avoid ultimatums and shaming, which often push people further away.
Look after yourself, too. You don't have to carry this alone.
PTSD can also lead people to pull away. Our post on why people with PTSD isolate themselves explains more.
How counselling can help
Our trauma and PTSD counselling offers a non-judgmental space to work on trauma and drinking together, at your own pace. We offer counselling at our Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge and Ottawa offices, and online counselling anywhere in Ontario.
Sessions with our therapists range from $130 to $200, depending on the clinician.
Depending on your plan, insurance may cover up to 100% of the cost. Coverage varies, so check your plan.
We accept Health Spending Accounts (HSAs).
We can direct bill many insurers, including for sessions with a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying). Desjardins is the exception: through TELUS eClaims, we can direct bill Desjardins for sessions with an RSW, RP or psychologist, but not for an RP (Qualifying).
Book a free 15-minute consultation with our admin team. "I've been drinking to cope with something that happened" is enough.
If you're in crisis: if you or anyone else is in immediate danger, call 911. If you're having thoughts of suicide, call or text 9-8-8 any time, day or night. Our crisis lines page lists both.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Sources
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD, PTSD and substance use
U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Treatment for alcohol problems: finding and getting help
U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Post-traumatic stress disorder
Debell F, et al. A systematic review of the comorbidity between PTSD and alcohol misuse. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 2014 (PubMed ID 24643298)