A sexual assault, a car crash, a natural disaster, and war are examples of this type of event. The experience of psychological trauma (experiencing or witnessing an event involving actual or threatened death or serious injury of self or others APA 1994) does not necessarily lead to long-term emotional distress or alcohol abuse. Rather, the likelihood of experiencing adverse consequences is related to the victim’s ability to cope with the trauma. On her way home, Barbara encounters a man who points a gun to her head and demands her money. Caught off guard, Barbara freezes in terror, forgetting everything she has just learned in the class about how to protect herself; the assailant takes her pocketbook and runs off with $50 and all of Barbara’s credit cards.

Risks of Alcohol Misuse

• Chronic stimulation of the stress response leads to two compensatory responses.
• One possible explanation for this result is that the individual variability in PTSD severity was low.
• Additionally, individuals with severe PTSD often have cognitive biases that may affect their accurate appraisal of alcohol-related problems.
• According to the National Center for PTSD, approximately 1 in 3 people who have experienced PTSD have also had problems with alcohol use at some point in their lives.

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT; 31), Drug Abuse Screening Tool (DAST; 32,33), and the Substance Use Inventory (SUI; 34) are brief measures to assess recent use, some of which also assess functional impacts of use. They found that effect sizes were small and dropout rates were high regardless of the intervention delivered. In some studies, participants received trauma-focused therapy concurrently with SUD psychotherapy (e.g., 13) while in other studies, trauma-focused PTSD treatment and SUD psychotherapy were integrated into a single intervention.

Race and Ethnicity Considerations Related to AUD and PTSD

It is often characterized by intrusive memories, nightmares, and heightened anxiety, among other symptoms, which can significantly impair a person’s functioning and quality of life. Unfortunately, individuals with PTSD often turn to alcohol as a means of self-medication, exacerbating their distress and making recovery even more challenging. Taken together, the papers included in this virtual issue on AUD and PTSD raise important issues regarding best practices Alcoholics Anonymous for the assessment and treatment of comorbid AUD/PTSD, and highlight areas in need of additional research. First, all patients presenting with AUD should be assessed for trauma exposure and PTSD diagnosis.

Poststress Alcohol Consumption

Uncontrollable trauma in animals and humans leads to stress-induced increases in the release of endorphins. The emotional numbing seen in rats exhibiting learned helplessness and in patients with PTSD may be related to the increased release of endorphins as a result of stress. Such increases in endorphin activity are observed in response to trauma and may also occur during exposure to trauma reminders.

Information provided by NIDA is not a substitute for professional medical care or legal consultation. Stress is an emotional or physical reaction to a challenge or demand, such as school demands, financial problems, or having an illness. A stressor may be a one-time or short-term occurrence, or it can happen repeatedly over a long time. Alcohol acts as a depressant, affecting the brain’s neurotransmitters and exacerbating feelings of sadness and hopelessness. For individuals with PTSD, who already experience intense emotions and struggle with mood regulation, alcohol can intensify these negative feelings, leading to a heightened risk of self-harm and suicidal ideation.

In the case of PTSD substance misuse, it typically works the other way around. Those who have been exposed to trauma have a greater risk of experiencing both PTSD and co-occurring substance or alcohol use disorders. Another possibility put forth by the authors of the paper linked above is that those who already engage in frequent substance use or misuse or who may have a substance use disorder might be more likely to develop PTSD. Their reasoning is that those who are frequently under the influence of a substance may be more likely to find themselves in situations that could result in traumatic experiences. They may also be more likely to put themselves in dangerous environments or situations in order to obtain certain substances.

The 6 Stages of Mental Health Recovery

Brown and colleagues found that patients with PTSD/AUD perceived the two disorders to be functionally related.31 These patients reported that when one disorder worsened, the other disorder was also more likely to worsen. Certain demographic groups are particularly affected by the dual burden of PTSD and alcoholism. Veterans, for instance, face a heightened risk of developing both PTSD and substance abuse issues due to their exposure to combat and other traumatic experiences during military service. Similarly, survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and natural disasters are also at increased risk for developing both conditions.

Participants were queried regarding the number of standard drinks consumed the day prior (beer, wine, and liquor, respectively). The number of each type of standard drink consumed each day was summed to yield a total drinks per day variable. Abnormally high values on this measure were verified verbally with participants. This methodology has been previously validated against retrospective self-report (Krenek, Lyons & Simpson, 2016).

Treatment For PTSD and Drinking

Treatment availability and patient preferences are considerations when selecting a treatment. Evidence indicates that concurrent treatment of PTSD and AUD can be safe and effective.30,39 Before reporting on concurrent treatment approaches, we describe evidence-based treatments targeting either PTSD or AUD. We also discuss the efficacy of these treatments for military and veteran populations. Information about treatment-seeking Veterans comes primarily from VA administrative data. For example, in a study of Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan it was found that among those with a lifetime diagnosis of PTSD, 34.2% of men also had an AUD, and 17.3% had a SUD (4). In some cases, medications may be prescribed to treat the symptoms of PTSD, such as antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications.

Drug treatment options are an evidence-based supplement to therapy, but neither of these work on their own. Common drugs prescribed to treat PTSD include antidepressants, anxiolytics, and antipsychotics. Evidence suggests particularly strong benefits from sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), and venlafaxine (Effexor). Let’s delve into the challenging aspects of PTSD by exploring its causes, risk factors, connection to ptsd and alcohol abuse alcohol misuse, and ways of coping with it.