Week 11 - Trauma informed care in AOD Flashcards
Association between trauma and AOD
▪ < 90% of individuals accessing AOD services have experienced at least one traumatic event (TE)
* The majority of these clients have experienced multiple traumatic events
* Up to two thirds would meet the criteria for PTSD
* Many clients continue to live in environments which expose them to chronic toxic stress
* AOD clients with trauma symptoms are not adequately recognised and treated
* We need to look at ways that AOD services can help to resolve trauma related problems (and not exacerbate them)
Risks and poor outcomes for trauma and substance use
▪ The interdependent relationship between the two disorders leads to more chronic and severe symptoms
▪ Poor treatment engagement and high drop out rates
▪ Inadequate treatment of both trauma symptoms and substance use problems
▪ Difficulty receiving appropriate treatment – do they have an AOD problem or a trauma related problem?
Why do some clients fall through the gaps
view is that client should be abstinent but this increases risk of exacerbation of PTSD symptoms during detoxification leading to treatment drop out
Revolving door of treatment
- PTSD seen as mental health problem
- clients bounce between services
- underlying cause may never be addressed
- both MH and SU should be treated concurrently
barriers to accurate identification and treat of trauma in AOD services
- services don’t systematically screen for exposure to trauma or PTSD symptoms
- reluctance from workers to ask about trauma
- clients may not disclose
Self-medication hypothesis
- AOD gives relief from unpleasant stimuli
- pain-relieving and numbing effect reduce unpleasant symptons but exacerbate arousal from withdrawal (particularly alc, cannabis, opiods, bzd’s)
- can maintain PTSD symptoms reinforcing AOD use and dependence
- provides feelings of pleasure and social connection
high risk hypothesis
lifestyle associated with AOD use increased risk of experiencing trauma due to intoxication and dangerous environments
susceptibility hypothesis
- some individuals struggle with higher levels of arousal and anxiety increasing rish of PTSD and AOD problems
- helps explain connection between childhood experiences and developing problematic drug use
common factors hypothesis
theres common causal influences driving both AOD use and PTSD such as:
- genetic risk
- personality traits such as impulsivity
- adverse environments
neuobiological and endocrine system interactions
- dopamine receptors in prefrontal cortex involved in processing fear and reward memories
- reactions to trauma and drug cues are intensified in people with PTSD and SUD
- similar and ocmplementary alterations in reward circuits produced by PTSD and SUD causing anhedonic states
- in alcohol use disorders, heavy drinking makes PTSD symptoms worse, extending course of illness and raising suicidality and attempts
Cycle of trauma and addiction
Trauma/adverse life experiences –> emotion dysregulation, PTSD, negative self beliefs, social disconnection –> self-medication - drug use and alcohol use <–> life complications; increased pain, shame –> more self medication leading to greater severity of drug and alcohol problems
Trauma
- experience and effects of overwhelming stress
- evokes survival response
- is subjective and can differ in severity based on context and meaning of the trauma, age, prior experiences, extent and duration, an support available
Single incident trauma
- Experiences in which we feel our lives are threatened (e.g., physical and sexual assaults, serious accidents or illnesses)
- Witnessing or being exposed to the effects or details of someone else
being harmed
Complex trauma
multiple or combined traumatic events mainly occur in childhood (also applies to persistent trauma in adults such as DV)
Other types of trauma
- Stressful life events (little t traumas)
- being bullied, fired from a job, rejection from loved one
- effects of these can be cumulative
Response to trauma
Sympathetic nervous system is activated to turn on fight, flight or freeze
differences in ways people respond to trauma
- <70% of population with experiences a traumatic life event and will recover without much difficulty
- some people are unable to return to normal functioning and suffer persistent stress symptoms after event
- if severe enough called PTSD