Are you or someone you love struggling with both PTSD and addiction? It’s not uncommon for people to be living with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and a substance abuse issue at the same time. When the two conditions are present concurrently, it’s referred to as co-occurring disorder, comorbidity or a dual diagnosis.
Signs Of PTSD
About half of those in the U.S. who have a substance abuse problem are also struggling with a mental illness. PTSD is a mental health issue that manifests in both physical and mental and emotional symptoms.
The physical symptoms of PTSD can include:
- Having difficulty sleeping
- Being unable to concentrate
- Getting startled easily
- Having physical symptoms for no reason you can recall (somatic complaints)
- Engaging in self-destructive or impulsive behavior
The mental and emotional symptoms of the disorder can look like:
- Experiencing flashbacks that feel like reliving the traumatic event
- Difficulty having loving feelings toward other people and developing or staying in relationships
- Feelings of hopelessness, shame or despair
- Difficulty controlling emotions
- Change in personality traits
Risk Factors For Addiction
There are a number of factors that put someone at risk for developing an addiction. The following are two common influences that can greatly affect an individual’s risk for addiction.
Family History Of Drug Or Alcohol Abuse
If there are one or more close relatives who have or are currently living with substance abuse issues, other family members are more likely to develop an addiction as well. This does not mean that all people in the family will become addicts, it only increases the likelihood of an addiction problem developing at some point.
Environment
Abuse, divorce, trauma, neglect and other environmental factors can all increase the chances of forming a substance abuse problem. Also, most people tend to repeat behaviors that are learned while growing up. If someone that was close to us in the home used drugs or alcohol as a way of coping with stress, anxiety or depression, we are more likely to mimic them as we grow up. Other people we know, such as teachers or coaches can model better ways to deal with strong emotions.
How We Treat Mental Illness And Addiction
The Dunes East Hampton specializes in working with clients who are struggling with dual diagnosis. We welcome and treat each and every person with the respect and care that is deserved.
Our clients undergo a detailed psychological evaluation to get a clear diagnosis of whether they have a mental health concern on admission. After that stage is completed, we create a customized treatment plan designed to meet their individual needs.
Both the addiction and mental illness will be treated. We believe that addressing one concern and not the other will only lead to setting our clients up for a relapse later on.
Our private, large estate utilizes medical, along with holistic therapies and treatments that addresses our clients’ needs from a mind, body and spirit basis.