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For Many Survivors, Pain of Trauma Exacerbated by Devastation of Addiction
By Hugh C. McBride
When one hears the word "trauma" or reads the term "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder" (or its acronym, PTSD), one is likely to think of military members who have been exposed to the ravages of combat.
But although armed combat can certainly be a particularly traumatic experience, trauma is hardly limited to the men and women who wear their nation's uniform. From the survivors of natural disasters to the victims of violent crime to the sons and daughters of abusive parents, literally millions of American men, women and children are trauma survivors.
And in addition to treating the grievous physical harm and debilitating psychological ramifications that often result from traumatic experiences, experts continue to gain a greater understanding of the role that trauma and PTSD play in the development of substance abuse disorders, drug addictions and alcoholism.
The Unfortunate Prevalence of Trauma
The sad truth of the matter is that trauma is a relatively common experience in the United States. The following statistics were included in a Sept. 1 Huffington Post article by author and PTSD expert Michelle Renee:
- In 2007, more than three million child abuse reports and allegations (involving about 5.8 million children) were made in the United States.
- According to information provided by the U.S. Department of Justice, more than 1.4 million violent crimes are committed in the United States each year.
- The crimes that comprise the preceding violent crime statistic include murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.
- These statistics do not include unreported acts of violence, nor do they incorporate other traumatic events such as automobile accidents, plane crashes and natural disasters.
"There are millions of people living in a state of post trauma," Renee wrote. "PTSD is real, scary, serious and can be emotionally devastating, especially if left untreated or misdiagnosed."
For many of the men, women and children who are living with PTSD or other emotional after-effects of trauma, their suffering is exacerbated by their abuse of (and, in many cases, addictions to) alcohol and other drugs.
Trauma & Substance Abuse
Experiencing trauma or suffering from PTSD does not automatically mean that a person will abuse or become addicted to alcohol or other drugs. But as the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (NCPTSD), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and other organizations have noted, substance abuse is a common risk for individuals with PTSD.
The following statistics were provided in a NCPTSD/VA document titled "PTSD and Problems with Alcohol Use":
- Experts estimate that between 25 and 75 percent of individuals who have survived abuse or other types of violent trauma have problems related to alcohol abuse.
- Between 10 and 33 percent of people who have experienced trauma related to accidents, illness or natural disasters report having abused alcohol.
- Being diagnosed with PTSD increases an individual's risk of developing a disorder involving alcohol abuse.
- Women who have experienced trauma are at increased risk for an alcohol use disorder, even if they are not suffering from PTSD.
- Men and women who report having been sexually abused at any time in their lives have higher rates of alcohol and drug use disorders than do men and women who have not been abused.
From Bad to Worse
Though many trauma survivors turn to alcohol or other drugs as a means of self-medicating or numbing themselves to their psychological or physical pain, their substance abuse eventually exacerbates their symptoms, and can cause the onset of additional problems.
The NCPTSD/VA document calls attention to the following common co-occurring disorders that are experienced by people with PTSD and substance abuse problems:
- Anxiety disorders, panic attacks and phobias
- Compulsive or otherwise uncontrollable behaviors
- Depression
- Chronic conditions such as heart disease, liver problems and diabetes
- Chronic pain
- Addiction
PTSD & Addiction
Not everyone with PTSD ends up abusing alcohol or any other drug. And among those PTSD sufferers who do engage in substance abuse, many do not progress to dependence or addiction.
However, as indicated by the final bullet point in the previous section, the risk of developing an addiction is a very real possibility for trauma survivors who are drinking to excess, abusing prescription medications or experimenting with illicit substances.
The degree to which PTSD is associated with substance abuse and addiction was explored in a Feb. 20, 2007, article by Navy Times staff writer Kelly Kennedy:
The National Comorbidity Study ... found that 52 percent of people diagnosed with lifetime PTSD have also been diagnosed with alcohol abuse or dependence -- twice as much as the adult population -- and 35 percent have been diagnosed with drug abuse or dependence, or nearly three times as much as the adult population.
According to Kennedy's article, researchers Miles McFall and Jessica Cook of the Mental Illness Research Center for the Department of Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System concluded that the increased presence of substance abuse and addiction problems among PTSD sufferers may be partially due to attempts by these individuals to self-medicate.
Professional Intervention
For individuals who are suffering from both PTSD and an addiction or substance abuse disorder, effective treatment needs to address both the drug/alcohol problem and the psychological damage that resulted from the trauma.
One residential recovery program that specializes in treating clients who are suffering from trauma, chemical dependency and a host of related emotional and behavioral disorders is the Life Healing Center in Santa Fe, N.M.
Nestled in the Sangre de Cristo foothills, the Life Healing Center offers a nurturing and supportive environment in which clients can receive comprehensive treatment services for issues including trauma, PTSD, substance abuse, grief/bereavement, eating disorders, love/sex addiction, dissociative disorders and codependency.
With personalized treatment plans designed to meet the unique needs of each client, the Life Healing Center helps those who choose to heal there achieve the following goals:
- Learn to manage negative emotions without turning to self-destructive behaviors
- Create a narrative framework for recovery
- Identify repetitive, self-defeating patterns that harm their happiness
- Reconnect actions and feelings in a healthier way
- Address traumatic memories to lessen their power
- Develop new, healthy ways of connecting to others
- Continue a program of recovery into the future
To learn more about the range of treatment options available at the Life Healing Center, call (866) 806-7214.
