Dealing with PTSD: A Guide for Heavy Drinkers
4 min readPTSD and heavy drinking. Combine the two, and it sounds like the characteristic trait of the protagonist from a gritty indie film, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, for many people, this isn’t just a storyline; it’s their reality. In the US alone, you’ll see 5 out of every 100 adults struggling with PTSD in any given year. Back in 2020, around 13 million Americans had to deal with PTSD. You’ll also find that PTSD and alcohol use problems are intertwined.
In fact, people who have PTSD have a higher chance of generating drinking problems. Similarly, if you’re someone with drinking problems, you might end up having PTSD.Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can throw your life into chaos, and when alcohol becomes your crutch, the chaos doubles down. As a matter of fact, if you’re using alcohol to cope with the problem, you’re essentially making the PTSD treatment less effective. That being said, before you grab another drink, let’s chat about why you’re here and how things can get better. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t involve drowning your sorrows in whiskey.
The Buzz About Why We Drink
Let’s not sugarcoat it – alcohol feels good. It’s fun at parties, takes the edge off a bad day, and for some, numbs the memories of past trauma. But here’s the catch: alcohol is a master of deception.
Sure, it may seem like it’s helping at the moment, but it’s only pressing “pause” on your problems. Once the buzz wears off, those problems hit play with a vengeance.
Trauma healing requires more than quick fixes. Of course, as Purpose Healing Center points out, such type of healing takes time. For some a few months, for others maybe a year or more. It’s a deliberate process, often guided by mental health professionals who understand the intricate dance between PTSD and alcohol addiction.
In some parts of the US, problem drinking itself is a huge concern. Take the case of Arizona. Over 16 percent of adults in Arizona binge drink at least once per month. Hence, there’s always a specific need for accredited treatment for problem drinking in Arizona. When PTSD gets into the mix, the need for extra attention to the existing drinking problem becomes more crucial.
Deal with Them Simultaneously
What came first? The trauma or the drinking?
For many, it’s trauma that sets the stage. A painful event, whether it’s combat, abuse, or a major loss, can leave deep scars. When PTSD comes knocking afterward, heavy drinking is often invited in as a short-term solution.
Now, long-term alcohol overuse can make PTSD symptoms worse. Alcohol dulls the brain’s ability to process emotions and memories, delaying the healing process.
Treatment programs specifically designed for co-occurring conditions can help untangle this messy knot. Basically, the alcohol use disorder will have to work side by side alongside proven trauma treatment offerings.
By addressing both trauma and alcohol addiction together, you can start clearing the haze and reclaiming your life.
Therapy is More Than Just a Couch
Trauma therapy isn’t just about sobbing into a tissue while someone scribbles notes. It’s an active, sometimes messy, but deeply rewarding process that helps you make sense of what happened to you.
Techniques like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are popular tools in the trauma healing toolkit. They’re designed to help you confront your past without being consumed by it, and the best part? These approaches work well alongside alcohol addiction treatment, giving you a double boost on the road to recovery.
Trade the Bottle for Something Better
The point here is about finding alternatives that truly serve you in the healing process. Alcohol may feel like an old friend, but real friends don’t wreck your liver or keep you stuck in the past.
Treatment programs for PTSD and alcohol addiction often emphasize building healthy habits. That could mean connecting with support groups where people actually get what you’re going through or learning practical tools to handle stress without drinking.
You’d be surprised how much lighter life feels when you’re not dragging around the weight of addiction.
To a New Chapter
America is losing almost 180,000 people a year due to alcohol misuse. You don’t want to become a part of this statistic, so what do you do?
You don’t have to keep living life like you’re stuck in a never-ending hangover of bad memories and bad choices. Trauma healing and alcohol addiction treatment are challenging, sure, but they’re also transformative.
The key is to take it one step at a time. Acknowledge the pain, confront the trauma, and commit to building something better for yourself.
Who knows? Maybe one day, you’ll raise a glass, not to numb the pain but to toast the incredible person you’ve become. And we say cheers to that!
