Quote:
Originally Posted by Koala77
I'm wondering if you might be suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Copper.
Obviously the event that led you here to this forum was traumatic, I know mine was. Emotional problems following any traumatic event can sometimes go on for a long time after the incident. I developed panic attacks, something I'd never had before in my life, so I too suffered from PTSD for some time. I was lucky in that I only suffered for about 6 months, others suffer for many years.
When reading about PTSD, I saw many articles that referred to increased drug and/or alcohol consumption following any traumatic event. I guess it could be a way of coping, or it could be a way of avoidance..... blocking out the issue, I don't know which.
PTSD sufferers may resort to alcohol or illicit drugs to block out unwanted memories & feelings. According to the Australian Centre for Post Traumatic Mental Health (1999), approximately 50% of men and 25% of women with chronic PTSD have drug and alcohol issues ... http://www.anxietyaustralia.com.au/a...raumatic.shtml
Have a look at PTSD, and if you think this might fit how you've been feeling, mention it to your GP. Maybe he/she will be able to help. |
What Copper's talking about sounds nothing like PTSD to me (and as Mark will attest, I'm a strong believer in the relevance of psychological trauma to many PCS sufferers). People who resort to alcoholism as a result of PTSD do so because they're unable to escape a painful memory/state of mind and the alcohol helps numb their senses - like putting a pillow over the face of a screaming psyche. They don't resort to alcoholism simply because they wake up one morning and their body is physiologically fixated on alcohol consumption.
Back during the first year or so after I injured myself I used to drink fairly heavily at least once or twice a week. This was partially because I was in college at a party school and... well, it was sort of a habit at that point. But beyond that, the only time during those days that I wasn't intensely thinking about what was going on in my head was when I was drunk - the hangovers afterwards were nothing short of experiences on the periphery of dementia, but in many respects I had a clearer head while drunk than I did while sober during those days. I was free to think about things other than how screwed up my brain was, which in some ways was worth it at the time even though it would leave me teetering on the brink of consciousness for the next few days... I have a feeling this is part of the allure you're feeling to the bottle as well.
Trust me on this one: Listen to Mark. Don't drink. If time passes and your healing feels complete, feel free to try a little wine and see what happens, but don't drink when you know your brain isn't back to what feels like 100%. It only slows recovery.