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PTSD & Trauma Recovery

One of the main underlying causes of addiction and suicidal thought is trauma. Trauma is experienced as a wound, either physical or psychological in nature, from an inordinately severe, stressful event. Much of what we have learned over the years about psychological trauma is from studies of individuals who have survived child abuse, women who have been raped, and torture victims. However, as veterans with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) have come back from Iraq and Afghanistan, or other world conflicts, we have found that the process for all individuals of getting and dealing with PTSD is similar.

Cliffside Malibu - Dual Diagnosis Behavioral and Mood Disorders

Symptoms of PTSD

PTSD, or other related forms of trauma, develops when an individual is involved in a situation s/he does not have the capacity or skill to deal with. It’s straightforward to suggest that children were not meant to be sexually abused and that PTSD can be a result of that abuse. It’s also just as straightforward to say that in war, individuals are forced to make horrific choices and participate in unconscionable activities. PTSD can develop in that case too. It does so when a person is unsafe and feels helpless. Child abuse, kidnapping, terrorist attacks, war – each can trigger the development of trauma or PTSD.

Everyone responds to trauma similarly. It is normal to feel numb, helpless, frustrated, and/or jumpy after a traumatic experience. However, the healthy response to these events is that the individual feels less and less of these adverse reactions in a relatively short period of time. PTSD is what develops when an individual gets stuck in the symptoms and they begin to worsen instead of getting better.

While it is unwise to self-diagnose PTSD or any disorder, PTSD comes with a number of symptoms. These include but are not limited to:

1. Avoiding reminders of the traumatic event
2. Mentally re-experiencing the event
3. Increased anxiety when thinking or talking about the event
4. Emotional numbness
5. Insomnia
6. Irritability and/or angry outbursts
7. Lapses in concentration or focus
8. Hypervigilance
9. Depression
10. Guilt, shame, or self-blame
11. Physical pain
12. Substance abuse
13. Suicidal ideation

Additional Information

Substance abuse is often found along with PTSD. Substance abuse, particularly of alcohol and pain killers or marijuana, is an overt attempt to deal with the anxiety and emotional pain of PTSD. Without help, this self-medicating effort can become a full-blown addiction. Suicidal ideation begins when a person either refuses (generally for moral or religious reasons) to self-medicate using drugs or alcohol or when substance abuse no longer keeps a lid on PTSD symptoms. However, in most cases, if the underlying cause of the PTSD is dealt with, the need to use and abuse substances and the suicidal thoughts, generally fall away.

Though working through PTSD is not an easy experience, there are therapies that can provide significant relief rather quickly. A combination of cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy and positive psychology to work through the traumatic experience along with a host of complementary therapies such as acupuncture, massage, yoga, and meditation, to help change the neurobiology of the individual, provide a sound and effective solution for working through PTSD and getting your life back.

Additional information about PTSD and trauma recovery:

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