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US veteran women suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) along with alcohol dependence or drug addiction need specialized treatment to resume their lives back home. The trauma they suffered may have produced trust issues. So in order to successfully treat these co-occurring disorders, care must be taken by the alcohol and drug treatment center.

Studies show that among all PTSD sufferers alcohol and drug abuse is a problem with the majority of them. Alcohol and drug treatment centers that provide mental health treatment through integrated behavioral healthcare have the resources to treat both problems simultaneously. But women veterans who were subject to Military Sexual Trauma (MST) may need one more critical component to their treatment.

Women-only alcohol, drug, and mental health treatment is critical in these cases. While there is no shortage of women-only homes for trauma sufferers, few offer all services under one roof. It can be wearing on an individual in treatment to move between providers for different types of care. So the ideal is to enter treatment with a provider that can offer women-only integrated behavioral healthcare.

Tarzana Treatment Centers can provide alcohol and drug treatment to US veteran women in a women-only setting when it is needed. Our mental health professionals provide treatment as part of our commitment to integrated behavioral healthcare. This allows for seamless communication between mental health and addiction professionals, and can offer a comfortable setting for women to regain the trust and confidence necessary to resume normal lives.

The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies provides a great deal of information for individuals suffering from PTSD and MST. A few points about these disorders follow as they relate to alcohol and drug abuse and addiction.

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Traumatized people are more likely than others of similar background to abuse alcohol both before and after being diagnosed with PTSD. For example:

• One-quarter to three-quarters of people who have survived abusive or violent traumatic experiences report problematic alcohol use
• One-tenth to one-third of people who survive accident-, illness-, or disaster-related trauma report problematic alcohol use, especially if troubled by persistent health problems or pain
• Up to 80% of Vietnam veterans seeking PTSD treatment have alcohol use disorders
• Veterans over the age of 65 with PTSD are at increased risk for attempted suicide if they experience problematic alcohol use or depression
• Women exposed to traumatic life events show an increased risk for an alcohol use disorder
• Men and women reporting sexual abuse have higher rates of alcohol and drug use disorders than other men and women.
• Compared to adolescents who have not been sexually assaulted, adolescent sexual assault victims are 4.5 times more likely to experience alcohol abuse or dependence, 4 times more likely to experience marijuana abuse or dependence, and 9 times more likely to experience hard drug abuse or dependence.
• Adolescents with PTSD are 4 times more likely than adolescents without PTSD to experience alcohol abuse or dependence, 6 times more likely to experience marijuana abuse or dependence, and 9 times more likely to experience hard drug abuse or dependence.

— Source: http://www.istss.org/resources/Traumatic_Stress_and_Substance_Abuse.cfm —

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles makes a daily effort to find treatment news articles that we can share with our readers in the alcohol and drug treatment community. The external content was found among other articles of equal informational and educational quality.

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