As the month of June has come to a close and the July 4th holiday is almost here, we felt it would be a good idea to focus on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition that affects many Americans. The National Center for PTSD (NCPTSD) reports that about 8 million adults have PTSD during any given year.
Left untreated, those afflicted by PTSD will often turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with their feelings. As you might expect, mind altering substances while they may provide some temporary relief—only serve to exacerbate the problem. Posttraumatic stress victims, sadly, will often make the choice to find permanent relief by way of suicide.
PTSD Awareness Month
In the United States, the Senate designated June 27th as National PTSD Awareness Day. The NCPTSD chose the month of June as PTSD Awareness Month; however, we should always be aware of PTSD and how it might impact us and our loved ones. While posttraumatic stress is often considered to be a problem that affects those who have served in combat, it is in fact a condition that can develop from a serious trauma, such as domestic violence or sexual assault.
PTSD symptoms include:
- Reliving the event (also called re-experiencing symptoms).
- Avoiding situations that remind you of the event.
- Negative changes in beliefs and feelings.
- Feeling keyed up (also called hyperarousal).
Treatment Works
Please take a moment to watch the short video below:
If you are having trouble watching the video, please click here.
Traumatic Childhood
Researchers from the University of Toronto have published a study which showed that children who experience traumatic events, are at a much greater risk of developing a substance use disorder. The research team found that one in five drug-dependent adults and one in six alcohol-dependent adults had experienced sexual abuse as child, PsychCentral reports. One in seven adults with a substance use disorder had been exposed to chronic parental domestic violence. The findings were published in Substance Use & Misuse.
“Our findings underline the importance of preventing childhood abuse and domestic violence,” said study co-author Jessica Roane in a news release. “In addition, social workers and other health professionals must continue to support survivors of these childhood adversities across the lifespan, with particular attention to substance abuse and dependence issues.”
Recovery
It was mentioned earlier that using drugs and alcohol to cope with PTSD is a slippery slope that more often than not leads to addiction. It is paramount that both the PTSD and substance use disorder be treated simultaneously for recovery to be achieved. At PACE Recovery Center we specialize in the treatment of co-occurring disorders (dual diagnosis). Please contact us to begin the journey of recovery.
Wishing you all a peaceful, safe and sober July 4th Holiday.
