Today marks the sixteenth anniversary of September 11, 2001, a date when terrorists hijacked two planes and crashed them into New York City’s World Trade Center and another plane into Washington, DC’s Pentagon. Terrorists hijacked another plane bound for the Washington, DC area, but passengers forced its hijackers to crash it into a field in Pennsylvania instead.
No one survived the plane crashes. Others, such as first responders, died trying to rescue people during that event. All told, around 3,000 people died that day. Many of these victims haven’t even been found, despite the hardworking efforts of many.
Of course, these attacks hurt more than just the people who died that day. The friends and family members of the victims suffered unimaginable grief then and continue to do so. Some of September 11’s first responders (firefighters, EMTs, and others) and other survivors have suffered health issues that they believe are due to the conditions they encountered at the scene.
They’ve suffered more than physical trauma. They’ve also suffered mental trauma. Some are suffering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a difficult, complex condition. Unfortunately, some people turn to alcohol and drugs to deal with this condition, just as they might use such substances to deal with other mental conditions. This is because alcohol and drugs can change your state of mind, something people with PTSD desperately may want because they’re sick of their current states of mind and reliving the same horrible memories time and time again.
But heavy drinking could ultimately make someone more depressed, not less. Alcohol is a type of substance called a depressant, so using it when depressed can make such feelings worse.
As dire as the situation sounds, there is hope. If someone has both a substance use disorder problem and PTSD or another mental health issue, he or she has a condition known as a dual diagnosis. Dual diagnosis care addresses both the substance use disorder and the mental health condition.
While none of us can forget September 11th, the memories can be tougher for some people. Experienced professionals can help people deal with these memories.
