For many of us, the holidays are a time of mixed feelings. Whatever our family situation looks like – whether we’re surrounded by loved ones, celebrating with friends, or in solitude – most of us tend to revisit our feelings about ourselves and our families of origin this time of year.
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a very serious, painful condition that can develop when we are exposed to something too intense for the human psyche.
As the name indicates, PTSD develops after going through an incident or series of extremely stressful incidents. PTSD is commonly diagnosed alongside alcoholism and other substance addictions as a co-occurring disorder.
Depression is the clinical word for feeling very down, low, or blue. Depression can feel like our life force has been drained out of us: we have no energy, we feel sad and hopeless, with a dark outlook.
The word trauma is used a lot these days! Well, good.
Why is that good? Because trauma is the elephant in the room. Trauma is what underlies all the things that are truly hard about human life.
Trauma is why people treat each other badly. Trauma is why people become addicts, and why the ego defense mechanisms we all have, and through which we hurt each other every day, are necessary in the first place. Trauma creates psychopaths, victimizers, and victims.
When we’re depressed, we have a low mood, coupled with negative thoughts about ourselves and the world. We may feel very heavy-hearted and sad, as the old word for depression, “melancholia”, captures.
Domestic violence, also called Intimate Partner Violence, is closely linked to substance use. Where substance use disorders thrive, so does domestic violence.
Domestic violence includes any behavior or action that takes place in the context of an intimate relationship, which creates harm. This can mean physical harm and sexual violence, as well as emotional harm.
Alcohol has stronger effects on women than on men, due to biological factors like body weight and how much water women’s bodies retain compared to men. These biological distinctions explain why women can tolerate alcohol less easily and will have a higher blood alcohol level than men consuming the same amount of alcohol. Women have a higher likelihood of blacking out from drinking too much and are also more likely to experience hangovers.
When you imagine a classic sufferer of PTSD, do you think of a man or a woman?
You don’t need to be a male combat veteran to have experienced deep shocks to the core of your being, of the kind that create severe and lasting psychological distress in your life.
Trauma comes from the Greek word for “wound”. Just as we sometimes say that the physical body has sustained trauma, for example, if we have been injured in a car crash, the subtle tissues of our minds and emotions can also be wounded.
An outpatient program is a structured, supportive treatment setting that offers help for people who are recovering from substance addiction, mental illness, or both.
Outpatient programs and intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) represent a medium level of care. Because addiction and mental illness vary in severity, treatment is offered with greater and lesser degrees of structure, depending on how much direct care (time with a healing professional) is necessary for an ill individual to get better.
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