PTSD
Many turn to drugs or alcohol for relief from conditions like depression and anxiety, but it’s ultimately a bad idea—here’s why
- Drugs can provide individuals with temporary relief from pain and suffering, but the long-term consequences are harmful.
- These negative effects include impairment in everyday functioning, potential legal issues, and overall injury to one’s mental health.
- Additionally, substance use can quickly turn into addiction, as has been observed in society today.
- It’s important the conversation about addiction is prioritized among all groups of individuals, from lawmakers to recovering addicts to your everyday person.
- The conversation then needs to stimulate action—it might start with talking about the issue, but it must lead to doing.
It is all-too-common for individuals living with a range of mental illness to use mood- and mind-altering substances to alleviate their experiences and help soothe their overall experienced psychological condition. It has long been known to experienced addictions therapists that there is an incredibly high degree of overlap between mental illness and substance use disorders.
Temporary Relief, Long-Term Damage
One of the reasons for the high level of co-morbidity of mental illness and substance use is that there often is an element of relief that is experienced by individuals as they use various substances to numb the pain of their feelings and symptoms. One of the many problems with this approach to emotional regulation is that it is fleeting, and the negative consequences far outweigh any positive temporary effect. The negative effects range from…
- Impairments in a substance users social functioning
- Academic and occupational performance
- Potential legal problems
- A further worsening of the person’s mental health status
In the long-term, prolonged substance usage of any type is never a good idea and the drawbacks only become more pronounced with time and increased usage.
The Harsh Reality of Our Society
Substance usage and addiction has accurately been identified as a national health emergency by federal agencies. This is indeed the case, and it appears that the situation is only becoming increasingly bleak and dire. It is time in our nation’s history to recognize some uncomfortable facts about our situation. The fabric of society is being ripped apart by a confluence of factors, and the over-prescription of highly addictive substances is one facet of a multi-dimensional problem that has been plaguing Western society for far too long now.
We live in a generational time that can be fairly characterized as the era of instant gratification. We have apps on our phones that can do just about anything for us from ordering food to unlocking our car doors. So many of us have become accustomed to wanting what we want when we want it. When there is a plethora of mood- and mind-numbing devices and substances that can temporarily blind us from the impact of emotions, why wouldn’t some people choose to indulge in that rather than learning to live life on life’s terms? This is just a question to ponder. The rampant use of illicit substances in our nation requires frank discussion not only by lawmakers and government bureaucrats, but one that is informed by clergy, those with a lived-experience of successfully overcoming their addictions, and even moral-philosophers.
Recovering Together
Uncontrolled substance usage and addiction attacks the users mind, body, soul, as well as their living environment and community. If we want to honestly look at this issue and find methods of treating and containing it on a societal level, then we need to account for all those levels of being and find ways to elevate our thinking and doing based on those factors.
*Dmitri Oster is a licensed clinical social worker and credentialed substance use disorder counselor in New York State. Oster is also the founder and Program Director of a large and unique community-based outpatient treatment program in Brooklyn, New York called One World Counseling.*
Related Posts
Both PTSD and anxiety can be debilitating, but you can learn to manage your symptoms
PTSD and anxiety: Does one cause the other? This question popped up recently when I was speaking with someone who has severe panic attacks, which are “debilitating” and require inpatient care. As this individual was sharing about their experiences, they told me that...
Can divorce cause PTSD? Therapy can help you heal from harmful symptoms like night terrors, flashbacks, and intrusive thoughts
PTSD is often painted a certain way: the result of war, car accidents, assault, and other violent events; however, deep-rooted emotional experiences can cause PTSD, too. Divorce can bring on PTSD, specifically symptoms like night terrors, flashbacks, and troubling...
Can an emotionally abusive relationship cause PTSD? Understanding the impact of trauma and how to heal
Any kind of abuse—whether it be physical, emotional, mental, sexual, etc.—can lead to PTSD, as abuse is a highly emotionally distressing experience. The overactivation of stress hormones causes the victim of abuse to experience a fight, flight or freeze response,...
How can PTSD affect relationships?
Posttraumatic stress disorder is a crippling disease that can have negative effects on one’s relationships. Triggers may cause the affected individual to lash out at loved ones. Avoidance symptoms may cause one to dissociate and neglect relationships. Hypervigilance...
Psychologists answer common questions about PTSD
Anybody who has been exposed to a traumatic experience in some capacity can develop PTSD. Symptoms of PTSD can vary from person to person, but affected individuals typically experience hypervigilance, mood changes, and loss of concentration. PTSD can improve or...
What does the recovery journey look like for people with PTSD?
There is plenty of hope for healing after trauma. Trauma treatment can be divided into three levels. The first focuses on emotion regulation and symptom management. The second level is trauma-focused and involves reprocessing the trauma. The third level centers around...
Here’s how you can help your loved one with PTSD
It’s important we understand and raise awareness for harmful mental illnesses like PTSD. Though the disorder can vary from person-to-person, common symptoms include nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety, and hypervigilance. Letting our loved ones with PTSD know we are there...
What are the four phases of PTSD?
PTSD can be divided into four phases: the impact phase, the rescue phase, the intermediate recovery phase, and the long-term reconstruction phase. The impact phase encompasses initial reactions such as shock, fear, and guilt. In the rescue phase, the affected...
5 Common Misconceptions About the Course and Development of PTSD
As with many conversations surrounding mental health, there are a few common misconceptions when it comes to understanding the course and development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a mental illness that many suffer with after experiencing a...
The Everyday Abuses That Lead to PTSD in Our Society
When one hears the term “posttraumatic stress disorder,” an image of a wounded veteran often comes to mind. While this can be an accurate depiction, it’s important to recognize this as one of many faces of PTSD. In fact, a lot of us can find another by merely looking...
How Does PTSD Change and Develop Over Time?
Those who develop posttraumatic stress disorder as a result of experiencing trauma often suffer from nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety, hypervigilance, and/or depressed mood. They may also go through periods of heightened irritability, hostility, and self-destructive...
What Does PTSD Feel Like?
Do you know what it’s like to live in a constant state of fear? To become significantly startled by a gentle knock on the door or the bark of your neighbor’s dog? To worry about what might happen to you if you leave the house? To expect injury or even death every...
How to Handle Criticism as a Survivor of Trauma
Whether constructive or otherwise received from a spouse, boss, family member or friend, criticism for some of us can provoke defensiveness, justifying, rationalizing, minimizing, and sometimes self-defeating hostility. I've personally seen these responses to...
Can Hallucinations Occur as a Symptom of PTSD?
Q&A Q: Can hallucinations occur as a symptom of PTSD? A: Yes, hallucination can occur as a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)! For example, one documented case of such a situation was with a a client who had olfactory hallucinations; she would smell the...
Suicide Risk in Persons with PTSD: Warning Signs
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an unexpected response to a significant trauma. While the effects of PTSD can be disabling for those with the disorder, suicide is still an uncommon result of PTSD. There are several risk factors for...
DSM 5: PTSD is Not an Expected Response to Trauma
PTSD is not an expected response to trauma, according to the DSM 5, but a rare and an unexpected response to trauma. Accordingly, most people who experience trauma do not go on to experience PTSD. Why do some experience it, whole others don’t?...
DSM 5: One Can Develop PTSD without Experiencing Trauma
According to the DSM 5, one no longer needs to experience a trauma, but only to have learned about a trauma, to develop PTSD. Field researchers have found that some children, who came from good and trauma free homes, have demonstrated symptoms...
More about PTSD
Both PTSD and anxiety can be debilitating, but you can learn to manage your symptoms
PTSD and anxiety: Does one cause the other? This question popped up recently when I was speaking with someone who has severe panic attacks, which are “debilitating” and require inpatient care. As this individual was sharing about their experiences, they told me that...
Can divorce cause PTSD? Therapy can help you heal from harmful symptoms like night terrors, flashbacks, and intrusive thoughts
PTSD is often painted a certain way: the result of war, car accidents, assault, and other violent events; however, deep-rooted emotional experiences can cause PTSD, too. Divorce can bring on PTSD, specifically symptoms like night terrors, flashbacks, and troubling...
Can an emotionally abusive relationship cause PTSD? Understanding the impact of trauma and how to heal
Any kind of abuse—whether it be physical, emotional, mental, sexual, etc.—can lead to PTSD, as abuse is a highly emotionally distressing experience. The overactivation of stress hormones causes the victim of abuse to experience a fight, flight or freeze response,...
How can PTSD affect relationships?
Posttraumatic stress disorder is a crippling disease that can have negative effects on one’s relationships. Triggers may cause the affected individual to lash out at loved ones. Avoidance symptoms may cause one to dissociate and neglect relationships. Hypervigilance...
Psychologists answer common questions about PTSD
Anybody who has been exposed to a traumatic experience in some capacity can develop PTSD. Symptoms of PTSD can vary from person to person, but affected individuals typically experience hypervigilance, mood changes, and loss of concentration. PTSD can improve or...
What does the recovery journey look like for people with PTSD?
There is plenty of hope for healing after trauma. Trauma treatment can be divided into three levels. The first focuses on emotion regulation and symptom management. The second level is trauma-focused and involves reprocessing the trauma. The third level centers around...
Here’s how you can help your loved one with PTSD
It’s important we understand and raise awareness for harmful mental illnesses like PTSD. Though the disorder can vary from person-to-person, common symptoms include nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety, and hypervigilance. Letting our loved ones with PTSD know we are there...
What are the four phases of PTSD?
PTSD can be divided into four phases: the impact phase, the rescue phase, the intermediate recovery phase, and the long-term reconstruction phase. The impact phase encompasses initial reactions such as shock, fear, and guilt. In the rescue phase, the affected...
5 Common Misconceptions About the Course and Development of PTSD
As with many conversations surrounding mental health, there are a few common misconceptions when it comes to understanding the course and development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a mental illness that many suffer with after experiencing a...
The Everyday Abuses That Lead to PTSD in Our Society
When one hears the term “posttraumatic stress disorder,” an image of a wounded veteran often comes to mind. While this can be an accurate depiction, it’s important to recognize this as one of many faces of PTSD. In fact, a lot of us can find another by merely looking...
How Does PTSD Change and Develop Over Time?
Those who develop posttraumatic stress disorder as a result of experiencing trauma often suffer from nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety, hypervigilance, and/or depressed mood. They may also go through periods of heightened irritability, hostility, and self-destructive...
What Does PTSD Feel Like?
Do you know what it’s like to live in a constant state of fear? To become significantly startled by a gentle knock on the door or the bark of your neighbor’s dog? To worry about what might happen to you if you leave the house? To expect injury or even death every...
How to Handle Criticism as a Survivor of Trauma
Whether constructive or otherwise received from a spouse, boss, family member or friend, criticism for some of us can provoke defensiveness, justifying, rationalizing, minimizing, and sometimes self-defeating hostility. I've personally seen these responses to...
Can Hallucinations Occur as a Symptom of PTSD?
Q&A Q: Can hallucinations occur as a symptom of PTSD? A: Yes, hallucination can occur as a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)! For example, one documented case of such a situation was with a a client who had olfactory hallucinations; she would smell the...
Suicide Risk in Persons with PTSD: Warning Signs
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an unexpected response to a significant trauma. While the effects of PTSD can be disabling for those with the disorder, suicide is still an uncommon result of PTSD. There are several risk factors for...
DSM 5: PTSD is Not an Expected Response to Trauma
PTSD is not an expected response to trauma, according to the DSM 5, but a rare and an unexpected response to trauma. Accordingly, most people who experience trauma do not go on to experience PTSD. Why do some experience it, whole others don’t?...
DSM 5: One Can Develop PTSD without Experiencing Trauma
According to the DSM 5, one no longer needs to experience a trauma, but only to have learned about a trauma, to develop PTSD. Field researchers have found that some children, who came from good and trauma free homes, have demonstrated symptoms...