Addiction and PTSD: Combating Co-occurring Disorders

Description:
According to studies, problems of substance abuse and mental illness are often intertwined. Among persons with Serious Psychological Distress (SPD), 27.2 percent used illicit drugs in 2006, compared to 12.3 percent of those without SPD. Alcohol was also abused more by persons with SPD (28.8 percent) than those without it (23.9 percent). The elevated risk of substance abuse associated with SPD is particularly alarming with respect to post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. PTSD can strike anyone who has been exposed to military combat situations, physical or sexual assault and abuse, a terrorist attack, serious accident, or natural disaster. This Webcast will examine PTSD's connection to substance abuse disorders and provide information on where persons in need can find treatment for one, or both, of these conditions.

 

 

Host:
Ivette Torres, Associate Director for Consumer Affairs, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).