Many people, including combat veterans, say they turn to drink to "drown their sorrows," or attempt to "wash all their troubles away," however momentarily. The idea of turning to alcohol consumption, even alcohol abuse, to deal with stress and trauma is a common one in today's society, not just among injured combat veterans and other trauma survivors. People typically believe that alcohol numbs painful experiences, and veterans often turn to alcohol to deal with sleep disturbances and insomnia.
Now there's scientific evidence that says alcohol may actually be having the opposite effect. A recent study in the medical journal, Neuropsychopharmacology, says that, in layman's terms, drinking actually increases sorrow, not minimizes it. The study, which was done with rats, indicates that the ethanol in alcohol is apparently able to block painful memories from being acquired,; but for painful memories we've already acquired, it has the opposite effect - it locks them into our minds, or reactivates them. Yikes. Yet another reason to not look for a best friend, or a therapist, at the bottom of a glass.
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Additionally, as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration points out, alcohol addiction prevents larger healing from taking place. They state, "Many victims turn to alcohol or other substances in an attempt to get some relief from their emotional turmoil and suffering. All trauma survivors manage their experiences in different ways. However, substance abuse is not only ineffective in healing from trauma, but it also can present a host of additional problems that make the healing process even more difficult."
