Post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD is a disorder that develops in some people who have
experienced a shocking, scary or dangerous event. The main cause of PTSD is traumatic experiences.
These can vary from person to person as each individual might have a different reaction
to a variety of events. This is because the way a person's brain regulates the chemicals
and hormones the body releases in response to stress differs amongst every individual.
Some examples of traumatic events that may result in PTSD are car crashes losing a loved one,
surviving a natural disaster like floods or house fires.
To be diagnosed with PTSD an adult must have all of the following for at least one month. They must
have at least one re-experiencing symptoms such as flashbacks, bad dreams or frightening thoughts.
At least one avoidance symptom such as staying away from places, people, events or objects
that are a reminder of a traumatic experience or avoiding thoughts or feelings related to the event.
At least two arousal and reactivity symptoms such as being easily startled
feeling tense or on edge having difficulty sleeping and anger outbursts
and at least two cognition and mood symptoms such as trouble remembering key features of the event
negative thoughts about oneself or the world distorted feelings like guilt or blame
loss of interest in enjoyable activities
along with all those symptoms ptsd can also have several impacts on the physical and mental health
physical impacts include muscle and joint aches inflammation in organs migraines hypertension
which is high blood pressure which in turn leads to heart attacks and strokes
hyperlipidemia which is high cholesterol obesity type 2 diabetes and insomnia which is trouble
sleeping some mental health impacts include somatization which occurs when psychological
worries are converted into physical symptoms for example a person who just lost a loved one may
somaticize their grief through unexplainable pain ptsd can also lead to anxiety depression eating
disorders and substance abuse problems such as the overconsumption of alcohol to numb the pain
why do individuals with ptsd consume alcohol the exposure to trauma increases the endorphins
allowing for numbness at the time however as the time past increases the endorphin levels decrease
leading to an endorphin withdrawal exposure to alcohol through drinking increases these endorphin
levels allowing for the masking of ptsd symptoms and feelings eventually the drinker continues to
drink to continue to mask that feeling of ptsd and mask the ptsd symptoms one of the negative impacts
of alcohol use during ptsd is negative coping this leads to the exacerbation of ptsd symptoms through
reliance on alcohol as a numbing coping mechanism second is alcohol reliance consistently turning
to alcohol as a means of dealing with ptsd causes alcohol dependency in the long run for the drinker
depression alcohol abuse with comorbid ptsd is correlated with increased risk of suicidal
ideation as well as suicidal attempts long-term complications of ptsd and alcohol consumption
not only does alcohol cause ptsd symptoms to worsen but it can also lead to serious health
concerns such as alcohol use disorder and addiction and chronic illnesses
individuals with ptsd have an increased risk for developing alcohol use disorder
and addiction both terms which are used interchangeably by medical professionals
in fact research has shown that up to 40 of male and females diagnosed with ptsd
meet the lifetime criteria for alcohol use disorder and addiction as previously
mentioned many people with ptsd turn to alcohol to avoid intrusive and unpleasant memories as
it provides temporary relief however over time this dependence turns into alcohol addiction
ptsd patients that are diagnosed with alcohol use disorder and addiction
have dysfunctional vinyl centers of their brain research has shown that for these individuals they
have poor judgment skills this then develops into poor choices being made and increases
the likelihood of ptsd patients to participate and engage in dangerous situations of violent
crimes excessive alcohol used in ptsd patients can also lead to poor performance and work in school
relationship troubles and legal and financial issues this also increases the likelihood for
these individuals to have problems with substance abuse this is because the body
will develop tolerance of alcohol very quickly to the point where individuals
would need to experiment with other drugs and substances to feel the same desired effect
excessive alcohol consumption also contributes to developing chronic illnesses ptsd patients have
an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes this is because increased alcohol levels causes
obesity and increased blood sugar levels both factors combined reduces the body sensitivity to
the hormone insulin which triggers type 2 diabetes and causes blood sugar levels to remain elevated
another illness that's commonly seen in ptsd patients is liver disease increased alcohol
levels can cause fatty deposits to form on the liver and over time these fatty deposits can
accumulate causing the liver to be swollen and inflamed this then impacts the liver's function
of detoxification where the liver is not able to effectively remove toxins and waste from the
bloodstream in ptsd patients that have high levels of alcohol consumption and lastly heart disease
is also very commonly present for ptsd patients increased alcohol levels has been shown to damage
and deteriorate the muscles of the heart and this is known as a condition called cardiomyopathy this
can then cause very serious health concerns such as heart attack heart failure and even a stroke
there are a number of resources available to help those suffering from comorbid ptsd and alcohol
abuse the canadian mental health association's local chapter in hamilton is one particular
example they provide rehabilitation programs housing support services and community support
programs to help those in need wellness together canada is a resource available to everyone
that aims to provide mental health and substance use support they are available 24 hours through
call in chat and provide their services for free k'nex ontario is another resource available
to residents of ontario and provide confidential support for people needing help with mental
health and addiction they are also available 24 hours to call and chat their service is free
and they also have an app to make it even more accessible for people needing help and support