Surviving domestic violence is a deeply emotional journey. For many, the trauma doesn’t end when the abuse stops—it lingers, often hidden beneath shame, confusion, and pain. To help numb the intense emotional fallout, many survivors turn to alcohol or drugs. This coping method, known as self-medicating, is common, but it rarely leads to healing. In fact, it often causes new problems: addiction, isolation, mental health issues, and strained relationships. Understanding what is considered domestic violence and recognizing the connection between abuse and self-medication are powerful first steps toward reclaiming your life.
In reality, substance use can worsen the emotional wounds caused by abuse, making it even harder to move forward. But there is hope. With the proper support, healing from trauma without relying on substances is possible.
Table of Contents
Why Is Self-Medicating So Common Among Trauma Survivors?
Self-medicating is often a natural but unhelpful way to cope with unresolved pain. For trauma survivors—especially those who have experienced emotional, physical, or sexual abuse—the brain can stay in a heightened state of alertness. When trauma remains untreated, the brain struggles to return to a calm state, causing feelings of constant anxiety, depression, disconnection, or exhaustion.
To ease this pain, some turn to substances like:
- Alcohol (to sleep or relax)
- Cannabis (to dissociate or forget)
- Opioids or benzodiazepines (to numb emotional pain)
- Stimulants (to function during emotional lows)
For survivors of domestic violence, substance use often becomes a survival tactic. The goal isn’t to get high—it’s to feel safe, to stop reliving the abuse, or to sleep without nightmares. Unfortunately, these temporary fixes can quickly turn into long-term struggles.
In addition to biological and emotional triggers, sociocultural factors influence why survivors resort to self-medication. Many survivors are conditioned to hide emotional pain—especially when it involves domestic violence. Survivors might have been raised in environments where mental health was stigmatized, and crying or seeking help was seen as a sign of weakness.
For women in particular, societal expectations to “keep the family together” or “not make trouble” often lead to silence, even after experiencing abuse. Others may have tried traditional therapy or medications and felt unheard or dismissed. When healing resources seem ineffective or inaccessible due to a lack of medical drug rehab insurance, alcohol or drugs can appear to offer immediate, predictable relief. This is especially true when survivors lack a safe outlet to process rage, betrayal, shame, or fear.
How Can I Tell If I’m Self-Medicating Instead of Healing?
Not everyone who uses alcohol or prescription drugs is self-medicating, but certain signs indicate your substance use might be an attempt to suppress trauma instead of processing it.
Here are some red flags to watch for:
- You’re unable to sleep, socialize, or relax without substances.
- You use substances when reminders of abuse trigger you.
- You drink or use drugs alone and in secret.
- You experience shame or guilt after using but feel unable to stop.
- You’ve stopped attending therapy, journaling, or practicing other coping skills.
- Your usage increases when you’re feeling emotionally overwhelmed.
- You’ve experienced blackouts, memory gaps, or reckless behavior while using.
Self-medicating is about avoiding pain instead of facing it. If your substance use has replaced therapy, support groups, or self-care, consider whether your relationship with drugs or alcohol is now blocking true healing.
What Are the Risks of Using Alcohol or Drugs to Cope with Trauma?
While substances may provide temporary relief, long-term self-medication can cause more serious health and emotional issues.
Emotional Risks:
- Increased depression and anxiety caused by chemical imbalances from alcohol or drug use.
- Emotional numbness that hinders genuine emotional processing or connection with others.
- Delayed trauma recovery makes it more challenging to process grief, fear, or issues with self-worth.
Physical Risks:
- Dependency and addiction—especially with alcohol, opioids, or benzodiazepines.
- Withdrawal symptoms can be dangerous and painful.
- Chronic health issues like liver disease, heart damage, or cognitive decline.
Behavioral Risks:
- There is a greater risk of experiencing repeated abuse, particularly in unsafe or impaired circumstances.
- Legal issues related to possession, DUI, or intoxicated behavior.
- Isolation from loved ones, children, or support networks is caused by shame or unpredictability.
- Instability at work or getting fired for drug addiction.
For domestic violence survivors, the use of substances also increases dissociation—the feeling of being emotionally disconnected or “outside your body.” This can make it even harder to trust your instincts, set boundaries, or engage in safe relationships again.
When you’ve lived through emotional or physical abuse, it’s common to minimize or second-guess your experiences. But understanding what is considered domestic violence—including gaslighting, manipulation, or financial control—can help you realize that your pain is real and worthy of care.
Contact Us
If you’re interested in our services please reach out to us at 218-879-6844
We look forward to working with you!
What Our Customers are Saying
Are There Rehab Programs That Understand the Impact of Abuse on Women?
Absolutely—and they’re essential. Traditional addiction treatment often overlooks the underlying trauma driving substance use. For women who have survived domestic violence, a trauma-informed, gender-responsive rehab program is critical to long-term success.
Truly effective trauma-informed rehab doesn’t just offer sobriety—it restores a sense of safety, identity, and voice. Many women enter treatment believing the abuse was their fault. Trauma-informed care challenges that belief and helps them rewrite the internal narrative that’s kept them stuck in cycles of harm.
Modern programs for women may include:
- Body-based healing, like yoga, EMDR, or somatic experiencing, processes trauma without re-traumatization.
- Creative therapies, such as art or music, facilitate the non-verbal processing of pain.
- Parenting support helps mothers regain confidence and rebuild relationships with children strained by abuse or addiction.
- Legal advocacy resources, including help with restraining orders or custody disputes.
- Gender-specific support to encourage vulnerability and reduce retraumatization by addressing issues like motherhood, body image, sexual trauma, and boundaries.
The best programs treat addiction not as a failure but as a survival tool that no longer serves. They empower women to choose something more sustainable: healing, boundaries, and freedom to break the cycle of addiction and help a loved one enter drug rehab. Programs like these recognize that survivors deserve care that honors their whole story, not just their symptoms.
Key Takeaways on What Is Considered Domestic Violence
- Some individuals may not even know that what is considered domestic violence encompasses emotional, physical, sexual, financial, and psychological abuse, not solely physical harm.
- Self-medicating with substances is common among survivors of abuse, but it can delay healing and lead to addiction.
- Warning signs of self-medication include secretive use, increasing dosage, avoiding therapy, and relying on substances to manage emotions.
- The dangers of self-medication include physical dependence, deteriorated mental health, isolation, and increased risk of future harm.
- Trauma-informed rehab programs help survivors address both substance use and the deep emotional scars left by domestic violence.
- With the proper care, healing is absolutely possible—and sobriety can be a powerful step in reclaiming safety, identity, and hope.
At Pioneer Recovery Center in Minnesota, we believe that trauma recovery and addiction treatment go hand-in-hand. If you’re a survivor of domestic violence who has turned to substances to cope, you’re not alone—and you’re not broken. You deserve compassionate care that addresses the root cause of why you use it, not just that you do.
Our trauma-informed team provides safe, supportive, and holistic addiction treatment tailored for women impacted by abuse. We offer detox, inpatient care, outpatient therapy, and aftercare services in a healing, judgment-free environment.
Let today be the first step toward a future free from pain and dependence. Call Pioneer Recovery Center today at 218-879-6844 to speak with someone who understands—and begin your journey toward healing and clarity.
Resources
- National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health – Responding to Trauma, Mental Health, and Substance Use in the Domestic Violence Field
- American Psychological Association (APA) – Understanding the Impact of Trauma
- National Library of Medicine (NIH) – Drowning the pain: Intimate partner violence, and drinking to cope prospectively predict problem drinking
