PTSD and Chemical Dependency

PTSD And Chemical Dependency

Early man faced attacks from saber-tooth tigers and other vicious predators. European peasants dealt with the suffering and horrors of war torn England under the Nazi reign. Modern soldiers, despite all our technological superiority, must still face and deal with the same basic emotional problems faced by countless generations of combatants before them. It is only recently that this phenomenon has been addressed and studied in a proper manner befitting of the scope of the problem. In 1980 The American Psychiatric Association added PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) to its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM –III), thereby opening the door for legitimized and empirical study of this disorder which has plagued so many varied individuals for so long. (Friedman)
This reaction paper will try, in a very generalized way, to present a brief overview of and history of PTSD; what causes it, the different types of classification, and the different types of treatment available. There will also be a special focus on the Chemical Dependency side of PTSD and significant attention paid to the fact that so many people suffering from PTSD also become chemically dependent, and what should ultimately be done about this crippling and traumatic disorder.
PTSD, as defined by Wikipedia, is a “severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event which results in psychological trauma”. This event may involve the threat...

PTSD and Chemical Dependency

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