Drug Addiction and PTSD
More than half of all people dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder also have drug or alcohol problems. The high percentage of war veterans dealing with PTSD makes treatment of related drug and alcohol problems vital.
People dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) see their mental health issue manifest itself into other problems. One of the most common issues that people who suffer from PTSD deal with is drug and alcohol addiction. Many people who wind up in a drug addiction center have suffered from a significant trauma at some point in their lives and use drugs and alcohol to dull the pain and mask their memories.
Recent research into PTSD and drug addiction supports the belief that there is a connection between the two disorders. A 2006 study suggested that more than half of all people with PTSD have an alcohol problem while 35 percent of all PTSD sufferers also abuse drugs. This research has been supported by other studies which have uncovered data which points to a similar connection between PTSD and addiction.
Unfortunately, the number of patients who show signs of PTSD while entering a rehab center is growing. A major reason for this is the high number of veterans returning from active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan who have witnessed traumatic events and are dealing with PTSD. For some patients, this can be combined with physical injuries to lead to prescription drug abuse - a doctor at the VA Hospital in San Diego recently said that one in 50 recent war veterans are addiction to prescription pills.
Even for returning war veterans without physical wounds, the emotional scars of war can be too much and push them to the type of substance abuse that ends with them in drug rehab. Of course, PTSD doesn’t just impact returning soldiers — any person who has gone through a traumatic, life-changing event can experience PTSD. People dealing with PTSD can often be detached from their friends and family and deal with bouts of irrational rage and distress. This can lead to them using drugs or abusing alcohol as a way to “numb the pain” they have dealt with and lead them to a dangerous addiction which requires a visit in drug and alcohol treatment.
When people with PTSD are in an addiction program, it’s important for them to receive treatment for all of their issues. However, this does not mean that the treatment has to take place independently of each other. Many therapists and drug treatment counselors are turning to a more holistic approach which encourages dealing with all of the related issues at the same time in order to bring more rapid and long-lasting closure to PTSD symptoms and related drug and alcohol addiction problems.
