For many, trauma manifests as hypervigilance, re-experiencing the trauma, and other symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although substance use is not an official symptom of PTSD, about 59% of people diagnosed with PTSD develop issues with substance use and dependence. In the next section, two studies focus on the prevalence and correlates of AUD and PTSD in racial and ethnic minority communities. Werner and colleagues (2016) report on the increased rates of trauma exposure and PTSD among African American (AA) women as compared to European American (EA) women, and examine differences in the relationship between PTSD and AUD among AA and EA women. This study extends prior work by examining the unique contributions of specific types of trauma and PTSD on alcohol involvement in AA and EA women, and identifying racial/ethnic disparities in the prevalence and timing of first alcohol use, AUD symptoms and AUD diagnostic progression.

Selective prevention strategies

You and your community can take steps to improve everyone’s health and quality of life. If you’ve decided to take a break from drinking, it’s wise to adapt your social activities accordingly. Consider alternatives like going out for dinner, brunch, or enjoying non-drinking-friendly activities such as a trip to the cinema or a live sports event. If you fear peer pressure might be overwhelming, it’s perfectly acceptable to decline invitations. As you progress in your alcohol-free or alcohol-reduced journey, you’ll find that navigating social situations becomes easier.

Co-Occurring Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Alcohol Use Disorder in U.S. Military and Veteran Populations

Problems with alcohol are linked to a life that lacks order and feels out of control. This lifestyle leads to distance from others and more conflict within a family. Because it is difficult to manage life with a drinking problem, it is harder to be a good parent. Men tend to use illicit drugs and alcohol more frequently and in larger quantities than women.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Alcohol Addiction

• Yet avoiding the bad memories and dreams actually prolongs PTSD—avoidance makes PTSD last longer.
• Because these two issues are so intimately connected, it is essential that treatment address them both.
• While alcohol initially offers a sense of relief, it eventually compounds the problem, trapping individuals in a cycle of trauma, alcohol usage disorders, and deteriorating mental health.
• “Future research can hopefully compare PTSD-related alcohol use risk factors and outcomes among combat Veterans, non-combat Veterans, and non-Veterans.”
• On the locator, enter your location, choose “VA health” for Facility type and “Mental health care” for Service type.

If you struggle with your substance use and have a history of trauma, help is available. Many people who experience these issues benefit from treatment and have enjoyable, fulfilling lives. It can be difficult to ask for help, but know that you deserve support and care. Dr. Amy Marschall is an autistic clinical psychologist with ADHD, working with children and adolescents who also identify with these neurotypes among others. CPTSD is a subtype of PTSD that develops in response to prolonged, repeated traumatic experiences, typically lasting months or years. Not all treatments or services described are covered benefits for Kaiser Permanente members or offered as services by Kaiser Permanente.

Traumatic events can be a single event, like a car accident or traumatic death of a loved one, or a long-term stressor, like living in an abusive household. Substance use professionals have moved away from terms like “substance abuse” and refer instead to “substance dependence,” as the term “abuse” is considered blaming and stigmatizing. The diagnostic term for substance use and dependence that interfere with functioning is “substance use disorder.” This article refers to “substance dependence” rather than “abuse” due to this stigma. Addressing trauma through various therapeutic approaches, including trauma-focused therapy, EMDR, and motivational interviewing, can effectively reduce PTSD symptoms and substance misuse. Childhood trauma can increase the risk of developing alcohol use disorder (AUD) in adulthood.

What’s the connection between CPSTD and addiction?

• As such, continued research on the development of effective screening, prevention and treatment interventions for service members and veterans is critically needed.
• Behavioral interventions for AUD include providing psychoeducation on addiction, teaching healthy coping skills, improving interpersonal functioning, bolstering social support, increasing motivation and readiness to change, and fostering treatment compliance.
• The lifetime prevalence of severe AUD was about 14%, and the past 12-month prevalence was more than 3%.
• This finding could lead to more intensive substance use screening for patients with combat trauma.

If you or a loved one is struggling with alcoholism and co-occurring PTSD, recovery is possible. The experts at The Recovery Village offer comprehensive treatment for substance use and co-occurring disorders. If a loved one is experiencing co-occurring PTSD and alcohol use disorders it is important to know how to get them the treatment they need. If you have a drinking problem, you are more likely than others with a similar background to go through a traumatic event. Between six and eight of every ten (or 60% to 80% of) Vietnam Veterans seeking PTSD treatment have alcohol use problems.

This is a very upsetting event that you see or that happens to you or a loved one. A sexual assault, a car crash, a natural disaster, and war are examples of this type of event. Women are more likely to report symptoms of alcohol use disorders than men. Further, women are more likely to experience a traumatic experience due to disproportionately being affected by domestic violence, sexual abuse, and sexual assault.

It is important to understand this connection and to seek professional, effective mental health treatment for PTSD instead of turning to alcohol. In another study of 254 veterans with alcohol dependence and a variety of co-occurring mood and anxiety disorders (Petrakis et al. 2005), naltrexone, disulfiram, or a combination of both was added to treatment as usual. A high percentage (42.9 percent) of the study participants had PTSD, although data analysis for specific disorders was not conducted. Alcohol-related outcomes improved significantly in patients treated with either medication alone or with combination therapy, compared with placebo, but there was no added improvement with combination therapy when compared with monotherapy.

Proponents of integrative treatments posit that unprocessed trauma-related memories and PTSD symptoms may, at least in part, drive alcohol use. Thus, attending to and treating the trauma-related symptoms early in the process of therapy may improve the chances of long-term recovery from alcohol (Back et al. 2006; Hien et al. 2010). Although more randomized controlled trials of integrative treatments are needed, the studies to date clearly demonstrate ptsd and alcohol abuse that for the majority of alcohol-dependent patients with trauma/PTSD, the inclusion of trauma interventions confers substantial therapeutic benefits. Greater attention to members of our society who disproportionately bear the burden of trauma exposure, PTSD and comorbid AUD is warranted. As discussed in the papers presented in this virtual issue, this includes members of racial and ethnic communities as well as military service members and veterans.