Childhood trauma and alcoholism: links to abuse and mental health

Alcoholism

Alcohol has long been known as an enormous social problem and health problem, and according to statistical data, there are more than 12 million alcoholics in the United States. Alcohol is the number one drug problem in the U.S. And an estimated three quarters of all adults consume alcohol at some level, and 6% of those are alcoholics (Mogul, Google Feedback, 2011). Moreover, more than thirty percent of Americans have had problems due to their consumption of alcohol; in a survey conducted by the journal General Psychiatry, 17.8% indicate they abuse alcohol and 12.5% believe they are alcohol dependent (Reinberg, 2007). This paper delves into the issue of alcoholism, the ramifications of those caught in the addiction, what remedies there may be and other issues related to alcoholism.

Childhood Experiences That Contribute to People Becoming Alcoholics

According to a recent article in Medline Plus (a subsidiary of the National Institutes of Health) there is a link between those under treatment for alcoholism and experiences involving childhood trauma. The Medline Plus article received information from the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. In the study referenced by Medline Plus, 196 men and women who were undergoing treatment -- which included detoxification -- for alcohol dependence provided some very interesting and relevant findings to the researchers.

It was revealed that these many of these 196 patients treated for alcoholism were "likely" to have had one or more experiences with "abuse or neglect" (Preidt, 2012). One form of abuse, sexual abuse, was linked with an "…increased likelihood of anxiety disorders" in addition to the problem of alcoholism. Moreover, Preidt reports that when a person suffers anxiety disorders and alcoholism, it increases the possibility that the patient will also suffer from depression (Preidt, p. 1).

In addition to the possibility of depression and anxiety disorders, alcoholics that went through "childhood physical abuse" are more apt to try suicide, Preidt explains (p. 1). Also, those alcoholics who were abused or neglected in more than one way -- for example being sexually and psychologically abused (being told "you're no good" or "you'll never amount to anything" are typical of the kinds of psychological abuse some children are subjected to) -- are particularly at risk for developing a "psychiatric disorder or attempting suicide" (Preidt, p. 1).

Preidt references an important study by the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism coordinated with the National Institute on Drug Abuse -- led by the clinical director of both institutes, Markus Heilig -- that reported startling rates of abuse that alcoholics had been subjected to as children. Some 24% of the male alcoholics and 33% of the female alcoholics studied had been abused physically during their childhood (Preidt, p. 1). Twelve percent of males and 49% of females in the study had been sexually abused in childhood.

And Heilig's report shows that 5% of males and 23% of females had been exposed to both physical and sexual abuse in their childhood (Preidt, p. 1).

Advances in Alcoholism Treatment

Another article in the peer-reviewed journal Alcohol Research & Health reviews the various treatments for alcoholism, beginning with the formula established by Bill Wilson and Bob Smith in 1935 when the pair founded Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The Wilson-Smith duo launched the 12 Step solution, based on the premise that "turning one's life and will over to a personally meaningful 'higher power' is the key to recovery" (Huebner, et al., 2011, p. 295).

The Hazelden Foundation used the basic AA steps and developed an individualized plan for treatment that embraced the idea of involving the family in a "28-day inpatient setting" (Huebner, 295). This strategy approached the challenge with two beliefs: a) alcoholism is indeed a disease and not a symptom of "an underlying disorder" and that alcoholism should be treated as a primary condition; and b ) the effects on the individual of alcohol dependence are mental, spiritual, and physical, and that treatment should incorporate all three aspects (Huebner, 295). The authors report (298) that while there are proven drug-related therapies available, and there are successful behavioral treatments offered under the care of psychologists, there are millions of Americans that are achieving much-needed recovery from alcohol dependency through "mutual-help groups (MHGs)" like Alcoholics Anonymous, Huebner reports (298). In fact MHGs are the "most commonly sought after source of help" for those with alcohol dependency, Huebner continues.

But notwithstanding a range of treatments that bring various degrees of sobriety to individuals, the authors conclude that "no single treatment" for alcohol dependence is effective for everyone (Huebner, 296). In fact, some people can recover from alcoholism with no formal treatment whatsoever, and others may "…cycle in and out of dependence" during their entire lifetime, Huebner continues (296).

One relatively new idea in terms of treating alcoholics is to use the powerful hallucinogenic drug, LSD, according to an article in Medline Plus (Preidt, 2012). A study using 536 patients who were alcohol dependent showed that "a single dose of LSD" helped serious alcoholics quit drinking and moreover, it reduced their "risk" of getting back into the alcohol, Preidt writes (p. 1). Why would LSD work on alcoholics? The author reports that LSD may stimulate for formation of "new connections and patterns" in the brain, and may well open up a new perspective and awareness within the mind of the alcoholic, providing "opportunities for action" (Preidt, p. 1).

In conclusion, for those who are addicted to alcohol that are sincerely interested in becoming sober, this paper points out that the oldest remedy for recovery, the 12 Steps of AA appears to be the most appropriate method for the most people. Also, this paper points to the large number of people who struggle with alcoholism, and it points to the links between genetics and the potential to become dependent upon alcohol.