Please Remind Me Why People With PTSD Should Not Drink

[Lady of Longbourn]

I will admit...I want a drink. Not to get wasted. But to not feel. Whats wrong with not feeling??? I could sleep!

I need some support to stay away from the alcohol.

 

[Marlene]

Ayesha,

No one should drink to excess or to blot out the pain of life. That said...a lot do. I have a beer or two in the evenings to help me relax. Some days my body is wound up so tight that it hurts to breathe. I could take perscription meds daily (I've had a number of health care professionals try and jam this down my throat) and deal with the side affects, possible addiction and then withdrawls when I get off of them or I could have a beer. This is my thinking here. They provide the same affect to the central nervous system. Personally, it's better for me to have a drink or two than deal with a daily meds again.

If you think you can't drink without getting wasted or staying wasted, then I'd say stay away from it. It's not good for you. I can't think of anything wrong with a drink and stopping. Like all things, it comes down to your choice. I don't know if I'm going to get a rash of crap from people for this. But this is just how I feel on the subject.

Lisa

 

[Lady of Longbourn]

I don't want to get drunk, to be able to not think so clearly would be nice.... Relaxing would also be great. I rarely do that.

 

[catjudo]

I agree with what Marlene said but have one little thing to add. There are times that I choose to have one or two drinks and then stop and welcome the release of tension that comes with that. However, I have to make my decision about whether or not to drink on a case-by-case basis. It's important to remember that alcohol is a depressant. Therefore, during times when I am already very depressed I stay clear of the alcohol because I know there is the danger that it will make my depression worse and bring on more crying instead of the relaxed feeling that I crave.

 

[Lady of Longbourn]

I think "crave" is the word.

 

[midi]

Escapism in moderation? I don't drink at all - even one beer increases my anxiety too much. When I need to release stress, I play Scrabble - or scream - or walk.... A drink or two here and there (for those who can handle it) is ok, depending on the motivation. If it's wrong and you crave it, is there another stress-outlet or place you can escape to instead? A punching bag? taking a bath? reading a good book? playing with an animal or taking a dog for a walk? drawing? zoning out to the TV? If you need to stay away from alcohol, what can you do instead?

 

[Lady of Longbourn]

All that stuff you mentioned---- I love reading, and I do it. I'm always pacing the apartment. I play instruments. I love animals and we have cats...its just not enough.My normal things I've been doing for years is starting to work less in less, why is that??? It's not...deep enough. I'm still able to think about it.

Maybe I should do something more active? Kickboxing? I wouldn't mind learning how to kick someone. I wouldn't mind learning to shot a gun, but that seems to violent.

 

[Jade-]

I asked my therapist today about alcohol,he said it's not actually the alcohol i'm craving,it's the numbing of the pain that i'm craving.Made sense to me and i am staying away from alcohol altogether now because i know from experience how far too easy it is to let it become a habit.

 

[Lady of Longbourn]

Yeah, that does make sense. Doesn't sound like a bad thing to crave <----numbing the pain I mean. Yes, I know from experience too.

 

[midi]

Oh! I wanted to add... you know, when we try to walk/run/exercise/drink away the pain, sometimes what we really need is therapy! There are things like Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, which helps to get at the root of our need for numbing, etc... that, while painful, really help to cut down on the self-medicating/deadening. If we don't get help, it doesn't go away, it only keeps building, no matter how many beers we toss back...

 

[Lady of Longbourn]

Yeah...don't have medical benefits. Quite a few places don't support mental health, and the ones that do are way more expensive.

Soon, I hope.

 

[anthony]

I have always believed the US AA philosophy is completely wrong. AA isn't that big here in Australia, as its used correctly for only those who have an alcohol addiction, not those who use alcohol to numb pain from something else. Alcohol is not the issue... the person / problem is the issue. Removing alcohol completely only makes issues much much worse, hence why America has all these sober people running around who when they lapse, they do so in a major way, because they fight a craving to relax vs. learn how to drink alcohol responsibly. Very few people are actually biologically addicted to alcohol, as its contents are not addictive like nicotine is.

You must retrain yourself to drink responsibly, to set limits. Australia does exactly this and has far greater success with adults. Teenagers are teenagers, they get drunk and do stupid shit, the binge drink... that is part of being a teenager. When your hitting your late 20's though, you should now be training yourself to drink in moderation vs. totally avoiding it. That only creates another issue. You should never drink straight spirits... that it bad for you. Mix drinks with softdrink, drink light beers, etc. Set realistic and responsible habits, ie. one or two drinks at night to relax, none at any other time. If your going to a licensed premises for lunch or dinner, drink softdrink or have one alcoholic drink only.

This approach across most Western / European countries has proven far better than the US AA method has to date. Its all about responsibility and moderation. Alcohol free days atleast twice a week, etc. Again... never straight spirits though and always moderation. You must train yourself to be responsible.