The role of uncontrollable trauma in the development of PTSD and alcohol addiction

After a traumatic event, people often report using alcohol to relieve their symptoms of anxiety, irritability, and depression. Alcohol may relieve the se symptoms because drinking compensates for deficiencies in endorphin acti vity following a traumatic experience. Within minutes of exposure to a trau matic event there is an increase in the level of endorphins in the brain. D uring the time of the trauma, endorphin levels remain elevated and help num b the emotional and physical pain of the trauma. However, after the trauma is over, endorphin levels gradually decrease and this may lead to a period of endorphin withdrawal that can last from hours to days. This period of en dorphin withdrawal may produce emotional distress and contribute to other s ymptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Because alcohol use increa ses endorphin activity drinking following trauma may be used to compensate this endorphin withdrawal and thus avoid the associated emotional distress. This model has important implications for the treatment of PTSD and alcoho lism.