Abstract
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) rarely presents as a discrete diagnostic entity. Frequently, PTSD is accompanied by substance abuse, somatoform, and/or affective disorders. This article focuses on the interplay of PTSD and substance abuse in Vietnam combat veterans. PTSD symptoms, assessment and diagnostic difficulties, treatment strategies and recommendations are discussed. The role of substance abuse should be determined before initiating treatment. Substance abuse may suppress, exacerbate or perpetuate PTSD symptoms. Substance-free combat veterans, veterans who use substances to self-medicate PTSD symptoms, and chronic substance abusers can be differentiated. Treatment goals and strategies differ for each group. Case histories, intake procedures and treatment recommendations conclude this article. To conform with APA guidelines (1983) for non-sexist language and to avoid ambiguity of reference, it should be stated that all of the information in this paper came from or relates to male Vietnam combat veterans. It is truly unfortunate that so little is known about the role of females in the Vietnam conflict. The authors, who are themselves Vietnam veterans, have interviewed or treated more than 2,000 combat veterans and t...Continue Reading
References
Jan 1, 1979·The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse·J Boscarino
May 25, 1978·The New England Journal of Medicine·D S Greenberg
Nov 1, 1973·Archives of General Psychiatry·T Van Putten, W H Emory
Feb 1, 1974·Archives of General Psychiatry·S A Haley
Sep 1, 1983·The American Journal of Psychiatry·F S SierlesM A Taylor
Mar 1, 1984·The American Psychologist·P R Adams, G R Adams
Sep 1, 1982·The American Journal of Psychiatry·R M AtkinsonS Deale
Nov 1, 1982·Hospital & Community Psychiatry·A S Blank
Jan 1, 1981·The International Journal of Social Psychiatry·J Boscarino
Aug 1, 1980·The American Journal of Psychiatry·R B LacoursiereL M Ruby
Jul 1, 1980·The American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis·J O Brende, B D Benedict
Citations
Jan 1, 1993·The Psychiatric Quarterly·L KofoedR Peck
Jul 1, 1996·Journal of Traumatic Stress·A Reifman, M Windle
Jan 1, 1986·Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment·A KuhneE Baraga
Jan 1, 1991·Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment·L HyerH Davis
Jul 1, 1995·Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment·R E VillagómezL S Brown
Jul 22, 1998·The Psychiatric Clinics of North America·R Yehuda
Nov 7, 2000·Drug and Alcohol Dependence·H XianW R True
Jun 27, 2000·Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment·D A HienD Fraser
Apr 1, 1997·Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health·R P MarshallB O'Toole
Mar 25, 2016·Journal of Addictive Diseases·Itai Danovitch
Jun 1, 1987·Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, and Oral Pathology·A H FriedlanderB J Wittlin
Dec 1, 1988·Environmental Research·B R SnowJ F Sommer
Jul 27, 2001·Journal of Traumatic Stress·D S McLeodJ Goldberg
Jan 1, 1988·The International Journal of the Addictions·N A McCormack
Mar 1, 1994·Drug and Alcohol Dependence·P J Brown, J Wolfe