PTS and Addiction: Like Peas and Carrots

By Rev. Jim Purcell

I am really not all that old, being in my late 40s and with all my hair and still able to look down at my belt while standing up without my gut blocking the view. But, I spent a lot of my 40s really putting myself and others, those I loved, through a lot.

One of those things that really held me down and kept me away from real sanity was Post Traumatic Stress, a result of some truly bad things. And, PTS (also called PTSD), put me in a world that was horrendous. Between alcoholism and PTS, I wandered and lived outside some, not knowing the day (or sometimes the year), nor how old I was, or so many details of my life that made it special. Even when I had temporary lodging, I was always one heartbeat away from being thrown out -- because I was broke and had no income and was only living on cheap vodka before I found help through the Veteran's Administration starting from August 2013. 

Previously, I lived in a hobo camp in Lincoln, Nebraska during 2011, and saw a nice young man freeze to death there; he didn't want to sleep near everybody because he thought his drugs might be stolen. The day labor jobs they had for the poor there were under the minimum wage and sometimes you got paid and sometimes not -- and there was not one homeless shelter in Lincoln, the capitol of that state. Later, in 2013, a good friend of mine, his name was Frank, also froze to death in Glen Gardner, NJ in November 2013 when he left rehab -- mostly from his lack of sleep and isolation. No, he wasn't doing drugs anymore. Still, though, he suffered from PTS. He died. 

Yes, substances and addiction killed them both, but both of them also had PTS, one from his days as a U.S. Marine and the other as a small boy abused to terrible lengths by a father that badly abused him. PTS can be hand-shaking buddies with addiction, and vice versa. There is a connection between Post Traumatic Stress and addictions, from what I have seen in my life firsthand.

People with PTS aren't in a position sometimes to see the forest before the trees, and PTS does kill people; in ugly ways at that. If someone you know or love has PTS and/or substance abuse issues, they are not who they really and truly are when they are in the throes of this demonic illnesses. It is not an excuse for people misbehaving, and it is also absolutely true that PTS and/or addiction will run one's life, do one's talking and isolate and offend one's family and friends. 

Not just service veterans can get PTS. Indeed, there are many situations that can bring one to this illness: Men, women or children can suffer from this. But, here is the awesome part of the story! It's treatable through meds, counseling and therapy.

Please see a doctor or just refer someone you know or even love to a qualified professional near you. There are wonderful people all over this country who are licensed, qualified and medically trained to deal with PTS and addiction -- at least give them a shot.