Alcoholism in Veterans: Hidden Scars, Healing Paths, & Community Support
The combination of PTSD and AUD can significantly affect your VA disability rating. The VA considers how these conditions together impact your daily life and ability to function. If AUD exacerbates PTSD symptoms, this may lead to a higher overall rating, providing you with more compensation and benefits. Yes, having a dual diagnosis of both PTSD and AUD is essential for the VA to consider both conditions in your disability rating.
How to Determine if Substance Abuse is Secondary to Mental Health
The procedure involved administration of a series of self-report measures and structured diagnostic interviews to both members of each couple independently. The authors would like to acknowledge support from National Institute on Drug Abuse grant K02 DA (Back SE) and resources at the Ralph H. Johnson VAMC. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of NIDA, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or the USA government. Timothy, an Army veteran, his wife, and their four children were suddenly facing homelessness after job loss led to a 3-day eviction notice. NVHS stepped in, working with the landlord to halt the eviction, covering part of the overdue rent, and arranging a manageable payment plan for the rest. This facility offers a Veteran Scholarship Package, providing several amenities, such as reduced rates, private suites, massage therapy, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), biosound and biofeedback.
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Another line of research in the field of couples and family psychology has emphasized the importance of relationship variables in substance-related problems. Some may turn to drugs or alcohol to self-medicate in order to cope with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, or chronic pain. Others may develop an addiction after being prescribed pain medication for an injury. Whatever the cause, substance abuse is a serious problem that requires treatment.
- Being around people with similar struggles can reduce loneliness and isolation.
- Weil and colleagues provide an overview of the bidirectional relationships between traumatic brain injury and AUD in Alcohol Use Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury.
- For example, imagine a person who suffers from depression and an alcohol or drug problem.
Understanding PTSD and Alcohol Use Disorder
Second, although treatments for PTSD and SUD have been disseminated systemwide within the VA, there is a dearth of literature about the effectiveness of these treatments for those in this population who have both conditions. People with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) often experience chronic emotional distress. Symptoms include emotional dysregulation, intense shame, and a negative self-concept due to prolonged exposure to trauma. If your loved one is facing addiction as a veteran, there are several treatment options available to help them. First and foremost, seek professional help from a certified mental health professional who specializes in treating veterans with co-occurring disorders.
Treating both PTSD and SUD
- An analysis showed that drinking to cope with PTSD symptoms was more than twice as common among men with combat experience than those without (6.46% versus 2.37%).
- Although we know his alcohol use was not the direct cause of his trauma, given the nature of combat, it remains unclear as to whether combat exposure was a direct cause of his alcohol use disorder.
- Finally, family members and friends of veterans need to be supportive and informed about the potential mental health challenges their loved ones may face.
These substances can offer temporary relief but make the problem worse over time. Few well-controlled studies have assessed the efficacy of trauma-focused, cognitive–behavioral treatments, such as PE or CPT, in patients dually diagnosed with PTSD and SUD or AUD. Also, mental health disorders often lead to suicide and six of ten veterans who attempt suicide were not getting medical or mental health treatment, so having a treatment provider or a primary care provider is essential to keeping veteran’s safe and alive. However, despite a strong theoretical base, integrated, exposure-based treatments for comorbid PTSD and alcohol use disorder have not been widely disseminated, given that attrition rates were higher than 50% (Coffey et al., 2010). Further, veterans with multiple traumas, anger management difficulties, alcohol use disorder-related cognitive impairments, and severe dissociative symptoms displayed worse outcomes and high rates of relapse in exposure-based therapies (Coffey, et al., 2010).
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The violence and danger of war are one cause of PTSD, but not all veterans who suffer from this condition had a traumatic battlefield experience. For example, PTSD can be exacerbated by other mental health issues, or be related to deeply-held personal and political beliefs. The point is that the popular notion of veterans suffering from “shell shock” is entirely incorrect. If your doctor has diagnosed you with both a mental health disorder and substance abuse disorder, make sure they clearly state in your medical history which issue came first.
Improve health outcomes in your patients with practical insights from the NIAAA Core Resource on Alcohol. Each of the 14 articles provides free CME/CE credits (0.75–1.0 credit each) for physicians, physician Drug rehabilitation assistants, nurses, pharmacists, clinical psychologists, and other health care professionals whose licensing boards accept APA or AMA credits. When someone you love is struggling with alcohol abuse, it’s hard to know where to turn.
High rates of PTSD among AIAN women and high rates of comorbid AUD/PTSD among AIAN men, in particular, are highlighted and discussed in terms of the need for targeted screening and intervention among AIAN communities. Approximately 20% of service members report binge drinking at least once a week, and 65% of ptsd and alcohol abuse veterans entering a treatment program reported alcohol as their most frequently used substance, which is almost double that of the general population. The primary aim of this study was to compare the relative influence of PTSD, other forms of psychopathology, and intimate partner alcohol and drug use on substance-related problems in veterans. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that partner alcohol and drug use explained more variance in veteran alcohol and drug use, respectively, than did veteran symptoms of antisocial behavior, depression, and PTSD combined.
Relationship between PTSD and Substance Misuse
Some veterans who struggle with PTSD may also struggle with sleep problems because of their trauma and being more on high alert. Therefore, some may turn to alcohol as a sort of sleep aid to help them fall asleep. Unfortunately, again this only increases one’s risk of developing an alcohol addiction. You should never be turning to addictive substances, like alcohol to help you fall asleep.
A rating of 100% means the symptoms are extremely severe and cause major difficulties in daily life. Alcohol abuse is often considered part of the PTSD diagnosis if it is used as a way to cope with the trauma. The VA looks at how much alcohol use impacts the veteran’s life, relationships, and ability to work. PTSD is the most common mental health diagnosis for the nearly 1 million U.S. veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan between October 1, 2001, and September 30, 2013, and who accessed services through the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) (DVA 2013).
Our free, confidential telephone consultation will help you find the best treatment program for you. The researchers also found that males expressed a biomarker that females did not. GABA is a neurotransmitter, or brain chemical, that reduces neuron activity and has a calming effect. At VA Claims Insider, we’re here to help you maximize your benefits and secure the compensation you rightfully deserve.
