15 Sep Trauma and Addiction in Men: The Co-Occurring Crisis Clinic
Mental Health and Addiction Notice: If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 24/7), text HOME to 741741 (Crisis Text Line), or call 911 in an emergency. For substance use treatment referrals, contact SAMHSA at 1-800-662-4357 (free, confidential, 24/7). Do not stop using alcohol or other substances abruptly without medical supervision, as withdrawal can be life-threatening.
When a veteran walks into a clinic reporting alcohol problems, the clinical response usually focuses on the drinking. What gets missed is the question underneath: what happened to this man before the drinking started? Co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorder in men, particularly veterans and first responders, is not a rare case. It is the norm. Treating one condition first and the other later does not work. They need to be addressed at the same time. According to the VA National Center for PTSD, substance use problems are among the most common co-occurring conditions in veterans with PTSD, and the relationship between the two conditions is bidirectional — trauma drives substance use, and substance use can worsen trauma symptoms over time.
[caption id="attachment_76023" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Photo by RDNE Stock project[/caption]