Psychological Trauma and Drug Use

AAny individual, regardless of age, ethnicity, or sex, or irrespective of other observable factors may experience psychological trauma. Though, certain variables can reduce a person’s mental distress. For instance, individuals who live in a healthy home environment are able to handle stressful events more efficiently and in a healthier way. Since patients experiencing psychological trauma come from all societies and keeping in mind that it very well may be uncommonly hard to explain other people’s thoughts and feelings about their childhood trauma, psychological trauma should be included into the diagnosis unless there is an assurance that that it is not a thing of the history of the individual.

In the early stages or perhaps later on in life, childhood psychological trauma can result in trauma-related effects. The prevalence of the individual developing depression, PTSD, anxiety and alcohol and drug addiction increases significantly after experiencing a traumatic childhood. Some of the most predominant factors that lead to childhood trauma are violence, abuse (physical and mental), bullying and being subjected to a traumatic event or accident.

According to the Mental Health Foundation around 1 in 3 adults in England report having experienced at least one traumatic event. New research from King’s College London suggests one in 13 young people in the UK have had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) before reaching age 18. Research published in The Lancet Psychiatry has found that 31% of young people had a traumatic experience during childhood. Furthermore, studies suggest that a tendency for the improvement of psychological trauma can be inherited. Similarly, some people can be diagnosed with PTSD even without witnessing a traumatic event themselves. The trauma or traumatic experiences of others, particularly that of the loved ones can trigger PTSD in certain people. Likewise, not every individual who undergoes through a traumatic experience will develop a psychological trauma. Each individual manages their experiences in a different way.

The connection between trauma and addiction

Several studies have shown that substance misuse is a common coping mechanism for people who have experience psychological trauma. A number of factors can cause an individual to feel numb, empowered, or calm; any person with psychological trauma has unique needs for which can make the person result in substance use. Different substances can cause different reactions on someone’s body and mind, benzodiazepines can help someone feel relief from continuous tension, hallucinogenic drugs can help someone escape from their reality and opiate drugs such as heroin produce intense feelings of euphoria and relaxation. Early-life trauma increases the chances of an individual to develop an addiction. Someone who has suffered from abuse or trauma, either early in life or later, they are at a higher risk of having an opioid addiction.

Psychological trauma and drug use can occur to any person, regardless of their age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and ethnic background. Additionally, a person’s chances of developing an addiction rise significantly if a family member is dependent on drugs or they are raised in an environment where drug use is occurring. In later stages in life, partners who are dependent on medications can likewise expand an individual’s helplessness for chronic drug abuse. Given that partners can be profoundly persuasive, particularly for an individual who is now tormented without anyone else uncertainty and low confidence. Low levels of serotonin, adjusted degrees of dopamine, unsettling influences in the norepinephrine framework, or mind irregularities in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus or amygdala and low levels of cortisol in people with psychological trauma also play a significant role in developing a drug addiction.

HELPLINES

FRANK

FRANK is a support service that provides information about drugs, plus advice for people who use drugs, and their parents or careers.

Call the Frank helpline: 0300 123 66 00

Adfam

Adfam has local support groups and helpful information online for families affected by drugs and alcohol.

DrugFAM

DrugFAM offers phone and email support to people affected by other people’s drug or alcohol misuse.

Email: office@drugfam.co.uk or call the helpline: 0300 888 3853.

Families Anonymous

Families Anonymous is based on the same principles as Alcoholics Anonymous. It runs local support groups for the family and friends of people with a drug problem.

Email: office@famanon.org.uk or call the helpline: 0207 4984 680.

Release

Release offers free, confidential advice on drugs law for people who use drugs, and their families.

Email: ask@release.org.uk or call the helpline: 020 7324 2989.

It can be helpful to talk to other people who know what you’re going through. Your GP can give you details of local support groups for people affected by someone else’s drug use.

Please remember you are not alone :).

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