9/11, PTSD and Substance Abuse - Recovery from All Three

9/11, PTSD and Substance Abuse

Recovery from All Three

The picture of the “Dust Lady” above gives a mere glimpse of the horror that took place in and around the Twin Towers on 9/11/01. Barely surviving murderous mayhem rendered Marcy unable to cope with life. She lost custody of her two children after abusing alcohol and pills to numb the pain. She lost her desire to take care of herself, or to live. Today, Marcy talks about her 10 year self-destructive path and her remarkable road to redemption. Marcy is clean and sober now.

The stark effects of crack cocaine addiction forced Marcy to realize that she had to enter rehab to save her life. Finishing a 28-day program in May was Marcy’s first step towards a new life. Marcy is not that tortured woman anymore. That time of destruction is behind her. 

Over the last 10 years, there have been notable studies regarding the effects 9/11 has had on the psyches of the American people. The events of 9-11-01 have caused great consternation, confusion, grief, and sadness throughout our nation.  The people directly affected by the actual tragedies have had a variety of responses to this posttraumatic stress. 

The 9/11 tragedy has served to raise the awareness of trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder and their correlation with addictive illness. When there is a significant traumatic event, everyone can expect to be temporarily overwhelmed and develop at least some of the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. Nevertheless, there is another small percentage of people who develop a more chronic (long duration) PTSD. But it is comforting to know that the various methods of treatment for PTSD are highly effective and that there are trained clinicians experienced at handling the difficult problems of posttraumatic stress.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder caused when an individual experiences one or several traumatic events: an accident, rape, abuse, war ... The trauma structurally and functionally changes their brain. Self medication and or over medication with alcohol, benzodiazepines, opiates and other depressants/narcotics often leads to addiction and a worsening of the PTSD. As a result, addiction often co-occurs with PTSD.

People with PTSD have persistent frightening thoughts and memories of their ordeal and feel emotionally numb, especially with people they were once close to. They may experience sleep problems, feel detached or numb, or be easily startled.

These symptoms of PTSD can be treated by exposure therapy, anxiety management, and cognitive therapy. As a result of exposure therapy, the traumatic issue or event can be remembered without the anxiety or panic resulting. Cognitive therapy seriously diminishes the power of these reminders to cause severe reactions.

Other types of therapy that are useful for anxiety are visualization techniques and confidence builders, such as positive self-talk and social skills training. Other avoidance symptoms, referred to as numbing, include emotional unresponsiveness, detachment from others, and loss of interest in life's pleasures. For these symptoms, peer group support is extremely important.
September is National Recovery Month, a nationwide effort to raise awareness about the treatment options available to those who have an addiction or mental health disorder. With proper care and treatment, people with substance use and mental health disorders can lead healthy and rewarding lives. 

Of course, we hope that we will never have to experience a repeat of the traumatic tragedy of September 11th: but we can remember the lessons learned from it. After overcoming her addictions, Marcy Borders is now a symbol of the power of human beings to regenerate themselves through faith, hope and love. This is the power we can all choose to take from the tragedy of 9/ll.