Alcohol and PTSD Can Be Treated Together

Many veterans suffer from alcoholism and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). I’ve seen it first hand in working with our employees.

But new research suggests that both of these diseases can now be treated at the same time.

According to Reuters, close to 11 million adults in the U.S. have PTSD and about one-third of them are also dependent on alcohol.

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania studied 165 people with both conditions. They placed them in several treatment groups, giving them variations of therapy, placebo pills and a drug called naltrexone that reduces alcohol cravings.  

After six months, all patients had a lower percentage of drinking days and reduced cravings.

Read about the research in more details here.

Treating alcoholism and PTSD is critical.  Without treatment, these diseases can set veterans back a long way as they transition back to society. I’ve seen this happen with the hundreds of workers Veterans Support Organization (VSO) helps every year. 

So I’m hopeful that with new and improved research, these dreaded diseases can one day be eliminated and our veterans can do better in life.