Key Takeaways:
- First responders who have been through a lot of trauma often use alcohol medical detox as the first step in their recovery.
- When someone has both trauma and an alcohol use disorder, it is very important to use dual diagnosis treatment.
- For long-term healing, it is important to get specialized help, like Trauma Therapy Programs or Alcohol Addiction Rehab.
- A full detox and recovery plan must include dealing with dissociative symptoms like Depersonalization and Derealization From Alcohol Addiction.
Introduction
Medical detox for alcohol is often the first step on the road to recovery, especially for first responders who have to deal with chronic trauma. These professionals are, unfortunately, at a higher risk for alcohol use disorders (AUDs) because they have to deal with the constant stress of emergencies. They often use alcohol to numb emotional pain, insomnia, or intrusive memories. Detox alone isn’t enough, though; you need full, supportive care after that.
Repeated exposure to traumatic events can lead to serious mental health problems like post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, and dissociation for police officers, paramedics, firefighters, and emergency dispatchers. If you don’t get the right help, alcohol can be a dangerous way to deal with stress. The first stage of detox must be medically supervised, kind, and tailored to the complexity of substance use that is related to trauma (VA Research).
What Makes Alcohol Detox For First Responders So Important And Different?
First responders are often exposed to long-term trauma, which can cause them to dangerously self-medicate with alcohol. During detox, people may experience withdrawal symptoms like sweating, shaking, and anxiety. These symptoms are made worse by PTSD or other trauma-related disorders. This combination makes it even more important to have a structured, professionally supported Alcohol Detox Program where supervision, safety, and mental health support are all available.
In a medical detox setting, doctors keep an eye on the person’s vital signs, give them the right medications to help with withdrawal, and help them mentally, which is also observed by OSU CME. Detox is only the first step. There is a high risk of relapse without follow-up care, especially for trauma. That’s why you often see first responders go through detox only to start drinking heavily again, unless they deal with more profound trauma.
How Does Dual Diagnosis Treatment Help First Responders Get Better?
A dual diagnosis, which is a co-occurring mental health disorder and substance use disorder, often happens when trauma and alcohol addiction are both present. Integrated dual diagnosis treatment is widely seen as the best way to treat PTSD and AUD at the same time. As per SAMHSA, this is to deal with the complicated relationship between trauma symptoms and alcohol cravings.
In these kinds of programs, addiction specialists and mental health therapists work together. This helps the person learn trauma-informed ways to deal with their emotions, cope with stress, and avoid relapsing. Along with addiction counseling, people can get cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), prolonged exposure therapy, and other Trauma Therapy Program options that have been shown to work. Treatment may not work as well without this integration.
Why Should It Be Normal To Use A Trauma-Informed Approach After Detox?
People who work as first responders often suffer from emotional scars from being exposed to trauma over and over again. These scars can show up as anxiety, hypervigilance, or dissociative experiences. During detox or withdrawal, alcohol addiction can cause symptoms like Depersonalization and Derealization, as observed by NCBI, which can make you feel unreal or disconnected from yourself or your surroundings.
If these dissociative symptoms aren’t treated, the chances of a relapse go way up. A full recovery plan must include a Trauma Therapy Program that is specifically made to help people deal with these kinds of experiences. This is why full care should go straight from detox to these kinds of therapeutic settings.
Where Do Specialized Programs Fit Into The Whole Care Process?
A good continuum of care for first responders should have:
- Inpatient detox (the first alcohol medical detox) under the care of a doctor
- Move into programs like Alcohol Addiction Rehab that offer both individual and group support
- Taking part in trauma-focused therapies, such as those offered in a Trauma Therapy Program
- Using specialized treatments to deal with symptoms like Depersonalization and Derealization From Alcohol
These layers need to fit together perfectly. Detox without follow-up isn’t enough, and therapy without medical stabilization can make things worse (SAMHSA Toolkit).
Final Thoughts
Getting over an alcohol addiction after going through a lot of trauma is not easy, but with medical detox for alcohol and then integrated, trauma-informed care, first responders can get their lives back on track. Because trauma and addiction are linked, treatment must include medical safety, psychological healing, and support from the community. Only then can recovery be real, long-lasting, and life-changing.
Detox is just the beginning if you or someone you know is a first responder who is having trouble with alcohol and trauma. To fully recover, you need to be kind, get specialized care, and be strong. Virtue Recovery Houston is here to help you along the way. We combine detox with medical supervision and therapy that takes trauma into account. Contact Virtue Recovery Houston at Tel: 866-457-4811.
FAQs:
Why is alcohol detox so crucial for first responders?
Because detox safely handles the severe withdrawal symptoms that can be deadly, especially for people who have PTSD or trauma.
Why do these people need dual diagnosis treatment?
It makes sure that both the addiction and the mental health problem that goes along with it, like PTSD, are treated at the same time and effectively, not one after the other.
Are there rehab programs just for first responders who have been through trauma?
Yes. Trauma-focused Alcohol Addiction Rehab or specialized Trauma Therapy Programs are the best options because they know the specific culture and problems that first responders face.
Citations:
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Co-Occurring Disorders. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 22 Jan. 2024,
https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/serious-mental-illness/co-occurring-disorders.
National Center for Biotechnology Information. “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Substance Use Disorder: A Comprehensive Review.” U.S. National Library of Medicine, 9 July 2019,
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6624844/.
The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Clinical Presentations of Substance Intoxication and Withdrawal. Office of Continuing Medical Education,
https://ccme.osu.edu/storage/Webcasts-Files/1025/Clinical%20Presentations%20of%20Substance%20Intoxication%20-%202%20-%20color.pdf.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Dual Diagnosis Capability in Addiction Treatment (DDCAT) Toolkit. Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health,
https://dpbh.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/dpbhnvgov/content/Programs/ClinicalSAPTA/dta/Partners/Certification/DDCAT%20Toolkit.pdf.
