Substance abuse patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Identifying specific triggers of substance use and their associations with PTSD symptoms

Although individuals with comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use diagnoses are at heightened risk for relapse after substance abuse treatment, little is known about the specific situations in which these individuals are likely to relapse. The present study was designed to test whether a PTSD diagnosis related to substance use in specific situations in which PTSD symptoms were likely to be present. Data were gathered from inpatients (n = 86) in a substance-abuse-treatment program, and relationships between PTSD diagnosis and frequency of substance use in high-risk situations were examined. As predicted, PTSD diagnosis was related to substance use in situations involving unpleasant emotions, physical discomfort, and interpersonal conflict, but not to substance use in other situations.