As the Covid-19 pandemic swept the entire world and invaded towns, cities and rural regions of the United States, alcohol sales and consumption also skyrocketed throughout the nation. With stay-at-home orders, job loss, and social distancing, stress is common. Alcohol has long been a socially acceptable way to relax and wind down, and now more than ever people are searching for stress relief.
The rate of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) may be up to 15 times higher in the military population than it is in the general population, which likely explains in part the prevalence of substance use disorder in the military. Consequently, when people see or hear the term PTSD, they likely think of veterans.
Numerous studies over the past 30 years have established that there is a definite link between trauma and alcoholism and/or drug addiction. In fact, many substance abuse treatment facilities treat trauma and addiction as co-occurring disorders.
Has your use of substances gotten out of control? Are you struggling with addiction? Do you feel like a slave to your addiction? Do you know that it is time to get your life on track? Are you going to start looking at treatment options after the Covid-19 pandemic is over? Don’t wait. Now could be a perfect time to start treatment and reclaim your physical and mental health.
It is no mystery that many people turn to substances and alcohol as coping mechanisms. Symptoms of stress and anxiety are often treated by “self-medication” instead of counseling or therapy. Past or present traumatic experiences are well-known to create long-term stress, anxiety, and other related wellness disorders.
Someone with PTSD can feel helpless and hopeless. Suicidal thoughts are common, as is the abuse of alcohol or other substances in an attempt to stop the intrusive thoughts, memories, and experiences triggered by PTSD.
The Veterans Administration calculated that in 2017, seventeen United States veterans chose to end their life each day that year. Those fatalities are of male and female veterans who served in active duty, an additional average of 2.5 veterans who never served in active duty also chose suicide every day.
Having a drink, or a few to unwind or socialize is legal and completely acceptable in today’s world. But when does social drinking or drinking in general become a problem? Many people don’t recognize that their drinking might be a medically diagnosed disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM).
People with addiction issues come in all shapes and sizes and from all walks of life. Some individuals’ issues are easily recognizable and they can only thinly disguise their addiction. Other people hide their addictions very well, even to themselves – until they can’t anymore.
I attended Gulf Breeze Recovery in 2016 after over a decade of failed attempts to get clean at 12-step drug treatment centers. I was an IV drug user, and I thought that if anyone truly understood how powerful my cravings were, then surely they would see why it was impossible for me to stay sober. That’s why one of the most valuable insights I gained during my time in Gulf Breeze was my relationship to cravings.