Alcoholism and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
If you suffer from alcohol use disorder (AUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), you are not alone. Treating both conditions simultaneously will give you the skills you need for long-lasting recovery.
The Link Between PTSD and Alcohol Addiction
Alcohol addiction and PTSD commonly co-occur. PTSD is a mental health condition occurring in people after they have experienced a major traumatic event. PTSD can last for as little as a few months or a lot longer, depending on how quickly you get treatment.
After traumatic experiences, it is natural for you to experience feelings of helplessness, aggression, depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts. You may also experience hallucinations, nightmares, and flashbacks. To help cope with these symptoms, many people turn to alcohol.
Unfortunately, alcohol dependency can worsen PTSD symptoms and create uncomfortable side effects. Like many others with PTSD, you are more likely to develop alcoholism when trying to self-medicate symptoms.
Need Addiction Support?
Reach out to a treatment provider today! Calls are always free and confidential.
How Many People With PTSD Also Have an Alcohol Addiction?
PTSD and alcohol abuse co-occur in civilians and veterans. According to recent data, the prevalence of alcoholism among civilians with PTSD is 42%.
Among veterans, 63% of those first diagnosed with alcoholism also met the criteria for PTSD, and 76% of those first diagnosed with PTSD also met the criteria for alcohol use disorder.
Alcohol’s Effects on PTSD Symptoms
Alcohol may temporarily relieve PTSD symptoms, but it eventually worsens them in intensity and frequency of episodes. One reason is that alcohol alters your brain and central nervous system, preventing proper responses to coping with anxiety, depression, and other symptoms. In addition, alcohol:
- Interferes with sleep
- Increases anxiety and depression
- Induces blackouts
- Impairs the detection of danger cues
- Increases the risk of experiencing more trauma
- Interferes with emotional processing
Alcohol’s effects on PTSD symptoms can be severe, causing symptoms to worsen. This may make you want to increase the amount of alcohol you consume, creating a cycle of self-medicating with alcohol. If this occurs repeatedly, you will likely develop alcohol dependence.
Signs of Alcohol Dependence in PTSD Sufferers
Alcohol dependence refers to the physical or biological effects that occur in your body after consuming alcohol for weeks, months, or years. You may experience the following:
- Withdrawal symptoms when trying to quit drinking
- Increase in tolerance, or needing more alcohol to achieve desired effects
- Inability to stop drinking even after trying
- Loss of control over drinking episodes
- Continuing to drink despite negative consequences
- Compulsions to drink
Having PTSD and an AUD makes it hard to fulfill duties and responsibilities at home, work, school, and socially. You may face significant losses, such as relationships or finances, but find it nearly impossible to quit drinking.
Self-Medicating With Alcohol
Self-medicating with alcohol means you are trying to deal with uncomfortable PTSD symptoms by consuming alcohol. Alcohol may relieve anxiety, depression, flashbacks, sleep disturbances, and irritability at first, but eventually, they return, and with greater intensity. Signs that you may be self-medicating include the following:
- Avoiding friends, family, and social activities
- Changes in physical appearance or care
- Becoming defensive when asked about behaviors
- Having trouble performing duties at home, work, or school
- Financial problems due to spending money on alcohol
- Drinking more and for more extended periods than usual
- Needing alcohol to sleep
Self-medicating is very dangerous and can lead to unintentional toxicity, accidents, injuries, and death. Alcohol misuse harms the brain and body by weakening the immune system, damaging the liver, increasing blood pressure, and contributing to chronic illnesses.
Alcoholism and PTSD in Veterans
Veterans are often profoundly impacted after combat. They experience many life-altering events, such as high-stress environments, severe injuries, violence, sexual trauma, and death. As a result, some experience flashbacks and intrusive memories and use alcoholism as a coping mechanism for PTSD.
Factors that contribute to co-occurring alcoholism and PTSD among veterans include demographics, military culture, trauma, and exposure to stress. For example:
- Female veterans experience higher rates of PTSD.
- Male service members tend to drink more than females.
- Young adult males and females have higher rates of AUD and PTSD
- Both men and women report higher exposure to trauma after they enter the military
Being separated from family, leaving work, financial problems, and many other stressors, whether real or perceived, can make it easier to use alcohol as a coping mechanism for PTSD. In addition, service men and women may fear that having PTSD symptoms will lead to their removal from the military. In contrast, misusing alcohol is more acceptable on some military bases.
Treating PTSD and Alcohol Addiction Simultaneously
Co-occurring treatment for PTSD and alcohol abuse is necessary since each disorder can trigger symptoms that lead to relapse. Treating both also improves your outcomes and enhances your overall lifestyle. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports co-occurring treatment offers the following:
- Reduction or elimination of psychiatric symptoms
- Reduction or elimination of alcohol use
- Increase in housing and work stabilization
- Improved relationships
- Decrease in hospitalizations
Co-occurring treatment includes a team of professionals who focus on every aspect of your life that may lead to relapse so you have the best chance for complete recovery. An integrative team approach includes family and loved ones who love you, are affected by your AUD and PTSD, and want to help you succeed in recovery.
Treatment Options for Co-occurring PTSD and Alcohol Use Disorder
Treatment options for PTSD and AUD begin with a comprehensive assessment to determine the intensity and types of treatments that will be most beneficial. A treatment plan outlines the continuum of care, starting with the highest level and progressing down through discharge and aftercare.
Some people with PTSD and AUD may need to start with inpatient treatment, while others may benefit from outpatient programs. You and your treatment team will decide where to start and the programs to include, which may consist of the following:
- Detoxification
- Inpatient or residential rehab
- Partial-hospitalization program
- Intensive outpatient program
- Outpatient detoxification
- 12-step facilitation groups
- Peer support groups
- Family therapy
Within each of these programs, specific types of therapy are utilized to teach you the necessary recovery skills to avoid an AUD or PTSD relapse.
Therapies with the most effectiveness include the following:
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy includes behavioral therapies to help you change your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors associated with PTSD and AUD. Examples of psychotherapies include:
- Seeking safety (SS)
- Exposure therapy (ET)
- Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT)
- Cognitive processing (CP)
- Behavioral couples therapy (BCT)
- Veterans and loved ones readjusting (VALOR)
Therapists will likely include additional behavioral therapies, like acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), motivational enhancement therapy (MET), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and mindfulness-based practices.
Alcohol Help is not affiliated with any insurance.
Pharmacotherapy
You may need treatment medication to help stabilize mental and physical health symptoms. The type and dose of medicine will be determined by the treatment team, but may include those that reduce symptoms of PTSD, AUD, or both, such as,:
- Desipramine
- Paroxetine
- Prazosin
- Topiramate
There are other antidepressants and anti-anxiety medicines that doctors can prescribe. There are also different medicines to treat alcohol use disorders, such as acamprosate, disulfiram, and naltrexone.
Getting Help for PTSD and AUD
Whether you have developed post-traumatic stress due to serving in the military or experiencing a life-changing event as a civilian, there are numerous treatment options to help you overcome both disorders and get back to living a life free of alcohol and PTSD symptoms.
If you struggle with PTSD and alcohol abuse, and you aren’t sure where to turn for help, we can help. Contact a treatment provider today to explore your treatment options and start your journey toward a healthier, sober future.
