Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a condition that many people have suffered from at one time or another. If untreated,  PTSD can lead people to indulging in addictive behaviors.  For example, someone who was once a casual drinker may now have increased his alcohol consumption. 

We hear all the time about soldiers coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan suffering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Exposed to the horror of actual or threatened death or serious injury, they re-experience the trauma through not being able to stop thinking about it, flashbacks, nightmares or intense body reactions to certain situations. They report feeling numb, not interested in anything, depressed and having no sense of future. Symptoms may include difficulty sleeping, irritability and always being on guard. Many military and ex-military self-medicate with alcohol or other drugs and become addicted.

In recognition of National Recovery Month, Dr. Neill Neill has submitted his responses to common questions partners may have in regard to an alcohol problem in their family. Dr. Neill Neill is an alcoholism expert. He is a psychologist, columnist and author, who maintains an active psychology and life-coaching practice in Qualicum Beach, BC, Canada. He is consulting psychologist to a private addiction rehab facility for men. A significant part of Dr. Neill's practice is with individuals and families touched by alcohol and drug abuse.

 

Question: You use the term "functioning alcoholic."  What does that term mean, and how does a "functioning alcoholic" differ from an "alcoholic?"