Experiencing multiple traumas in childhood doesn’t just raise the risk of one addiction; new research shows it can create a dense, interconnected web of substance and behavioral addictions that reinforce each other in adulthood. This article explains what the latest science reveals about trauma-linked addictive behaviors and offers compassionate, practical strategies for healing and breaking the cycle.

Early emotional pain can echo into adulthood, shaping how we cope, connect, and sometimes become vulnerable to addictions.

When childhood pain shows up later as a tangle of addictions

If you’ve ever wondered why you—or someone you love—seem to bounce from one addictive behavior to another, you’re not alone. Many adults don’t just struggle with one addiction. They find themselves stuck in a pattern of alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, gambling, compulsive shopping, or problematic internet and gaming use that seem to “link together” in ways that are hard to untangle.

A recent study in the journal Addictive Behaviors, summarized by PsyPost in 2024, suggests that this pattern is especially common among people who experienced multiple traumatic events in childhood. Instead of a single addiction, trauma is associated with a dense, interconnected network of substance and behavioral addictions that can reinforce one another over time.


What the new research actually found about childhood trauma and addictions

The PsyPost report highlights a study where researchers examined adults with varying histories of childhood traumatic events—things like emotional abuse, physical violence, sexual abuse, neglect, or exposure to severe conflict or chaos at home.

Instead of just counting how many people had a specific addiction, the scientists used a network analysis approach. They looked at how different addictive behaviors—such as:

  • Alcohol use problems
  • Nicotine dependence or heavy smoking/vaping
  • Cannabis or other substance misuse
  • Gambling-related problems
  • Compulsive internet use, gaming, or social media
  • Problematic shopping or other behavioral addictions

—clustered together and influenced one another.

“Individuals with multiple childhood traumas didn’t just have a higher risk of any single addiction. They showed a more densely connected web of addictive behaviors, meaning one addiction was more likely to co-occur with and reinforce others.” — Summary of findings reported by PsyPost, 2024

In plain language: the more types of trauma someone experienced in childhood, the more intertwined and mutually reinforcing their adult addictions tended to be. Instead of “an alcohol problem” or “a gambling issue,” there was a network of vulnerabilities.


Why multiple childhood traumas can create a web of addictions

Childhood is when the brain is rapidly wiring itself. Repeated or severe trauma can shape key systems involved in:

  • Stress regulation (how your body calms down after threat)
  • Reward processing (how you experience pleasure and motivation)
  • Emotion regulation (how you cope with fear, shame, sadness, anger)
  • Attachment and trust (how safe you feel with other people)
  • Impulse control and planning (frontal lobe functions)

When these systems are shaped by chronic fear, neglect, or chaos, the brain may become especially sensitive to anything that:

  1. Provides rapid relief from emotional pain or numbness.
  2. Offers predictable pleasure or control when life feels unsafe.
  3. Distracts from intrusive memories, loneliness, or shame.

Addictive substances and behaviors are extremely good at all three, at least in the short term. Over time, the brain can learn that many different things—alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, gambling, gaming, shopping—are “paths” to the same temporary relief.

Abstract network of connected nodes illustrating how addictions can be interconnected
For many trauma survivors, different addictions are not isolated problems but parts of a single, interconnected coping network.

This is why someone might quit drinking, only to find themselves smoking more, gaming late into the night, or overspending online. The underlying system—trauma-shaped stress and reward pathways—hasn’t yet healed.


How to recognize a network of interconnected addictions in your own life

You don’t need a formal diagnosis to notice patterns. Here are some common signs that addictions may be interlinked rather than isolated:

  • Substitution patterns: You cut down one behavior (like alcohol) and another ramps up (like vaping, gaming, or shopping).
  • Chained behaviors: Certain addictions almost always occur together—drinking and smoking, gambling and alcohol, gaming and energy drinks.
  • Shared emotional triggers: The same feelings (loneliness, shame, boredom, anxiety) push you toward several different addictive behaviors.
  • Difficulty feeling “okay” without at least one crutch: If you remove every addictive behavior, you feel unbearably restless, empty, or distressed.
  • History of early adversity: You experienced multiple forms of trauma or instability growing up.

A composite case study: “Sara’s” web of coping

The story below is a composite drawn from common clinical patterns (no identifying details from any real individual). It may resemble your experience, or that of someone you love.

“Sara,” 35, grew up in a home with frequent shouting, unpredictable moods, and sometimes physical violence. She often felt responsible for keeping the peace and protecting her younger sibling. As a child, she learned to push down her own needs and emotions.

In her teens, Sara discovered that smoking and drinking made social situations easier. Later, in college, online gaming became a safe “escape world” when memories and anxiety were too much. In her 20s, she rarely thought about “trauma”—she just told herself she was bad at handling stress.

By her early 30s, when work became more demanding, she noticed:

  • She smoked more on days she tried not to drink.
  • After nights of heavy gaming, she shopped online impulsively.
  • Arguments with her partner often led to either drinking alone or hours of scrolling and gaming.

In therapy, as she began to explore her childhood experiences, it became clear that the addictions were all serving the same purpose: to numb or escape deep feelings of fear, shame, and worthlessness imprinted long ago.

“Once I stopped seeing my drinking or gaming as ‘bad habits’ and started seeing them as survival strategies from a younger part of me, I could finally work with them instead of just hating myself for them.” — “Sara,” composite client story

Healing from trauma-linked addictions: core principles

While each person’s journey is unique, research and clinical experience point to several principles that tend to support recovery when multiple addictions and childhood trauma are involved.

1. Treat trauma and addiction together, not separately

Historically, some systems treated substance use first and trauma “later.” But when addictions are trauma-driven, ignoring trauma can actually fuel relapse. Approaches that integrate both include:

  • Trauma-informed addiction treatment programs
  • Seeking Safety (a widely used therapy focusing on both trauma and substance use)
  • EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) combined with addiction-focused work
  • Trauma-focused CBT, DBT, or somatic therapies within a recovery framework

2. Focus on underlying needs, not just stopping behaviors

Every addiction is doing something for you—soothing, numbing, connecting, energizing, distracting. Lasting change comes from:

  1. Identifying the function of each addiction (“What is this helping me avoid or feel?”).
  2. Finding safer alternatives that meet the same needs (connection, calm, excitement, comfort).
  3. Expanding your “window of tolerance” so uncomfortable feelings are more manageable.

3. Build a network of support as strong as the network of addictions

Because the addictive network is interconnected, your support system needs to be, too. This might include:

  • A trauma-informed therapist or counselor
  • Peer support groups (e.g., AA/NA, SMART Recovery, Refuge Recovery, CoDA, or specialized trauma and addiction groups)
  • Trusted friends or family who understand your history and boundaries
  • Online communities with clear, supportive guidelines

Practical, science-informed steps to start untangling the web

The path doesn’t have to be perfect. Think of these as experiments, not tests you can fail.

Step 1: Map your personal network of addictions

On paper, draw a circle for each behavior or substance you struggle with. Around each circle, write:

  • The feelings that typically come before it
  • Situations or people that trigger it
  • What you get from it (relief, numbness, energy, belonging)

Then draw lines between behaviors that tend to occur together. This simple exercise is a way of doing a “mini” network analysis in your own life.

Step 2: Choose one “keystone” area to focus on

Rather than trying to change everything at once, look for:

  • The behavior that causes the most harm or risk right now, or
  • The behavior that feels most realistically changeable at this moment

Research on behavior change suggests that progress in one area can “spill over” into others, especially when the underlying emotional work is being addressed at the same time.

Step 3: Practice nervous-system calming skills

Because trauma often dysregulates your stress response, learning to calm your body is foundational. Evidence-supported practices include:

  • Slow, diaphragmatic breathing (for example, inhaling for 4 seconds, exhaling for 6–8 seconds)
  • Grounding techniques, such as the “5-4-3-2-1” senses exercise
  • Gentle movement like walking, yoga, or tai chi
  • Body scans or somatic practices to notice and release tension
Person sitting cross-legged in a calm environment practicing mindful breathing
Simple nervous-system regulation skills can gradually replace some of the functions that addictive behaviors have been serving.

Step 4: Create “if–then” plans for high-risk moments

Research on implementation intentions shows that specific plans increase follow-through. For example:

  • “If I get home from work feeling overwhelmed, then I will sit on the couch and do 5 minutes of breathing before deciding what to do next.”
  • “If I feel the urge to gamble after an argument, then I will text my support person and go for a 10-minute walk.”

Step 5: Seek professional, trauma-informed help

Especially when multiple addictions and early trauma are involved, working with a professional can be transformative. Look for:

  • Licenced therapists who mention trauma-informed care, addiction counseling, or dual-diagnosis experience
  • Programs that explicitly integrate mental health and substance use treatment
  • Practitioners open to collaborating with your medical providers, if needed

Common obstacles—and kinder ways to move through them

Recovery from trauma-linked addictions isn’t linear. Expect obstacles; they’re part of the process, not proof of failure.

“I feel ashamed even thinking about my past.”

Shame is one of the strongest predictors of relapse. Ironically, the very feelings that fuel addiction can also keep you from seeking help.

A more helpful reframe: Your addictions are understandable responses to extraordinary stress, not evidence that you’re broken. The fact that you’re reading about this is already a sign of strength.

“When I stop one behavior, another gets worse.”

This is exactly what the network model predicts. Instead of viewing this as backsliding, see it as valuable information: your system is seeking regulation. With support, you can:

  • Anticipate “substitution” and plan skills or support in advance.
  • Share this pattern with a therapist or group to brainstorm alternatives.

“I’m afraid of who I’ll be without my coping strategies.”

Many survivors feel this way. It can help to focus on adding things to your life (connection, creativity, rest, safe pleasure) rather than only subtracting addictions. Over time, these additions form a new, healthier network of behaviors.

Support group of people sitting in a circle and talking
Supportive relationships can gently challenge shame and isolation, which are core drivers of both trauma distress and addiction.

A realistic “before and after”: What change often looks like

Transformation is rarely a dramatic overnight shift. It’s more like turning a tangled, painful web into a more flexible, supportive one.

Person sitting alone in a dim room appearing overwhelmed and stressed
Before: Life feels chaotic, with multiple addictions used to manage overwhelming emotions and unprocessed trauma.
Person walking outside on a sunny day, looking calmer and more hopeful
After (over time): Not a perfect life, but more stability, self-compassion, healthier coping tools, and fewer crises driven by addictive behaviors.

Many people report shifts such as:

  • Shorter and less intense relapses
  • More days where cravings are manageable
  • Greater ability to talk about the past without becoming overwhelmed
  • Growing trust in at least a few safe people
  • A quieter inner critic and more moments of genuine self-care

Where to learn more and find support

If this topic resonates with you, these evidence-based resources may be helpful starting points:

Wherever you are in your journey—just noticing patterns, in early recovery, or years into healing—remember that your reactions make sense given what you’ve lived through. You are not the sum of your coping strategies.


Moving forward: You’re allowed to rewrite the story

The new research highlighted by PsyPost adds scientific weight to something many survivors already know in their bones: when you’ve lived through multiple childhood traumas, your adult struggles with addiction are not random “bad choices.” They’re part of a complex, interconnected survival system that once helped you endure the unbearable.

Understanding this network is not about letting addiction run your life. It’s about seeing the full picture so you can change it more effectively and gently. With the right support, skills, and compassion—for your younger self and your present self—it is possible to loosen the web, one strand at a time.

A gentle call to action:

  • Pick one small step from this article to try this week: a breathing exercise, a journal prompt, or mapping your patterns.
  • Consider sharing what you learn with a trusted friend, support group, or professional.
  • Remind yourself daily: “I’m learning new ways to care for a nervous system that has survived a lot.”

You’re not starting from zero. You’re starting from experience—and that includes the resilience that got you this far.