PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and alcohol addiction are common. Those individuals that have experienced trauma mostly turn to alcohol abuse in order to numb the pain. But, does an alcohol rehab treat PTSD?
What’s the relationship between PTSD and Alcohol?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and addiction are common pair. The most common causes of PTSD and alcohol abuse include Violent assault, childhood abuse, military combat, violent assault, sexual assault, depression, job loss, divorce, neglect, health challenges, financial challenges, and natural disasters. PTSD is a mental health issue that occurs in individuals who have experienced the causes we have discussed above.
PTSD lasts for a few months but can worsen, making the victim suffer for life. The condition can be acute, delayed, or ongoing. After a traumatic experience, helplessness, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, aggression, anxiety, and depression are what you may go through. People with PTSD endure nightmares, hallucinations, and flashbacks.
Once you experience traumatic circumstances, you might start to develop shame and guilt, which later manifests to alcohol abuse and drug dependency. Drug and alcohol abuse worsens PTSD symptoms and other uncomfortable side effects.
People living with PTSD mostly turn to alcohol abuse without consent. They develop alcoholism to self-medicate the symptoms of the trauma. Those individuals that meet the diagnostic criteria for PTSD and other substance abuse mostly experience severe disorders i.e., chronic pain, depression, attention deficit disorder, and chronic illnesses i.e., liver diseases, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
When drugs and alcohol are used to manage the effects of PTSD, the effects and symptoms of the trauma only become severe. Alcohol acts as a central nervous system depressant. Alcohol can worsen the depression, interfere with normal sleep patterns, and cause anxiety.
Under alcohol intoxication, a victim with PTSD is more likely to get involved in risk-taking behaviors i.e., engaging in an altercation with other people or driving a car under the influence of alcohol. For this reason, alcohol abuse and PTSD often cause incarceration, legal problems, broken homes, poverty, and chronic unemployment. Getting the correct treatment for this pair will determine whether you will be healthy again.
Treatment for Alcoholism and PTSD
Recovering from this dual requires a thorough diagnosis of alcohol addiction and PTSD. Addiction of alcohol requires intensive support from a professional rehab institution, family members, licensed psychiatrists, and peers.
Victims that are battling PTSD and other substance abuse may be reluctant to seek treatment. Many of those victims that experience post-traumatic stress disorders live with shame and intense guilt that is caused by traumatic events. Their alcohol addiction adds the guilt making it more challenging to reach out for assistance.
Once you enter a treatment facility, finding the motivation to soldier on with treatment becomes challenging. But with support from an integrated treatment unit, you can be motivated to utilize the available recovery resources at your disposal.
Can Alcohol Rehab centers solve PTSD?
Those victims with PTSD and alcohol addiction can work with a psychiatrist to understand their particular needs. Most conventional rehab institutions are equipped to handle acute psychological problems that are brought by PTSD. But, a psychiatric facility doesn’t have the required detox programs and counseling that an individual needs to get healed from the addiction properly.
What a Dual diagnosis victim requires is integrated care, which is only offered by alcohol rehab centers. Rehab institutions are the only recovery resources that have everything a patient needs in a centralized facility. Additionally, these institutions have professionals that are experienced and skilled in the treatment of PTSD and alcohol addiction.
A cohesive treatment plan for alcohol abuse and PTSD should include the following:
• Counseling sessions with other patients who also suffer from alcohol addiction disorders and PTSD.
• Personalized psychotherapy to educate patients on how to manage the triggers that may lead to alcohol abuse.
• Family or couples counseling to educate family members that the dual diagnosis is essential to strengthening relationships.
• Medication therapy which entails psychotherapeutic medications and anti-addiction drugs (anti-anxiety or antidepressants medications)
• Membership which has 12 members per group to strengthen the patient’s support network.
Alcohol Rehab institutions clearly understand the fragility of those patients who have PTSD. If you have PTSD, you should find the courage and join an alcohol rehab center. There is no better institution to turn to than a rehab center packed with professionals who correctly understand what you are going through. Don’t hesitate, call us today and begin a new chapter filled with health. Call us at 833-846-5669.