While opioids are not prescribed for people with PTSD or trauma problems, individuals with these problems can still suffer the consequences of opioid abuse as the opioid epidemic has made these drugs easily available.
As we know, traumatic experiences can come in many different forms at many different ages. Problems such as sexual assault, exposure to addiction, physical assault, and more can all have a major impact on someone’s psyche throughout their life. It can lead to deep-rooted emotional and behavioral problems that can haunt an individual until they seek treatment for their post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
These traumatic events are things that often affect young adults and children. In fact, by the age of 16, approximately 2/3 of children are exposed to a traumatic event. These problems can include physical, sexual, or psychological abuse or neglect.
Unfortunately, for many of the young adults and children affected by trauma, they run a high risk of addiction. Some research suggests that opioids may be the preferred type of drug for individual’s with childhood trauma.
While addiction issues are more common among individuals who test high on the ACEs test, the problem is compounded further when you take the opioid epidemic into account.
As the opioid epidemic rages on and opioids are still overly prescribed and wildly available, it makes it easier for individuals seeking these drugs out to find them and abuse them.
The risk is even more increased for adolescents living in rural areas and teens who were prescribed opioids in high school, as research has shown that individuals who fit these criteria are more likely to suffer from opioid addiction.
The severity of the opioid epidemic may have improved in recent years, but when you look at the entire 2-decade issue, these improvements are all but negligible.
Since 1999, over 450,000 people have died from an opioid overdose in the United States. The problem is severe to say the least. These deaths are due to the rise in prescription opioid drugs, such as oxycodone, and illicit heroin.
There is no doubt the opioid crisis has been one of the largest major health concerns in United States history due to the toll it has put on American families.
While those suffering from trauma-related problems are not prescribed opioids for these issues, many will still seek out these drugs and use them as a form of escape – to get the depressive effects and “high” associated with the drug.
Unfortunately, using substances like this as an attempt to get away from your problems may only make new problems come up. For instance, someone who is abuse opioids in this way will become reliant on them whenever trauma-related symptoms do occur – forcing them to use opioids again and again.
The constant use of these drugs will lead to the build-up of a tolerance, making the individual need more opioids to get the desired effects. This is the cyclical problem that can lead to opioid addiction.
While addiction can be a hard thing to treat in general, the problem becomes even more complicated and nuanced when you add mental health disorders like trauma and PTSD into the mix.
To properly treat an individual who is experiencing a dual diagnosis of both a mental health problem and an addiction issue, special treatment is required that works to correct both problems simultaneously.
While there is no silver bullet for mental health or opioid abuse treatment that is guaranteed to work, trying to solve both problems is the best plan of action when dealing with co-occurring disorders.
Overall, the opioid epidemic has led to widespread problems that affect all those who are more at risk for addiction problems, such as those who’ve experienced childhood trauma. The increased availability of these drugs has caused more and more people to fall into addiction, increasing the chances of major health problems including overdose and death.
While actions have been taken to reduce this problem, it is still very much alive. If you or a loved one is dealing with addiction issues or if you know a parent that is suffering from opioid abuse, for their best interest (and their children’s) it is vital they receive professional help.
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