Comments (2)

By Charlene Rubush, August 18, 2010 7:33 pm

To glean a better understanding of the mysterious, baffling disease of alcoholism, I often return to the work of alcoholism expert Doug Thorburn. Our society, as a whole, has a long way to go in learning about this insidious disease:

I’m listing below some startling facts from Thorburn’s excellent book, Alcoholism Myths and Realities- Removing the Stigma of Society’s Most Destructive Disease. It’s a well-known fact that our returning combat veterans are often struggling with alcohol abuse.

• Alcoholism is the most misunderstood of all diseases. This is rather surprising, since 1 out of 10 people have this disease and we are all directly or indirectly affected.
• Doctors and psychologists whom we trust to treat diseases and mental disorders are almost completely untrained in understanding and diagnosing the affliction.
• Medical doctors take as few as 24 classroom hours on the subject, virtually all on treating withdrawal and none on diagnosis.
• Psychologists are schooled in the idea that childhood trauma and other negative environmental factors can cause alcoholism, even though the evidence shows that such influences only shape its course.
• Secondary diseases are usually diagnosed long before alcoholism is identified.
• Alcoholism is the root cause or primary contributing factor to at least 300 other illnesses and disorders.
• Emergency room medical personnel treat symptoms of addiction, including accidents, in an estimated 50 to 80% of admissions, yet rarely test for alcohol or other drugs in the system.

I believe it is imperative that we teach a course on alcoholism in the primary grades. Thorburn notes (p.9) that most recovering alcoholics tell us they triggered alcoholism during their first drinking episode, usually at age 12 or 13.

Thinking back to my own education on this affliction, ( in my late 30′s) it took me attending a treatment center for 52 lectures on the subject, before I began to grasp the “big picture” of this disease. It is that complex; affecting body, mind and soul.

Doug Thorburn is one of the most forward-thinking of today’s alcoholism experts. I highly recommend all his books, and checking out his wonderful website and free newsletter. Get educated. The life you save may be your own, or that of a loved one. Go to:

 http://preventtragedy.com

Comments (1)

By Charlene Rubush, June 18, 2010 3:38 pm

The more research I do on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, the more alarmed I am at the enormity of the population that is affected by the disorder.

These statistics are from an excellent website Heal My PTSD. Michelle Rosenthal is a PTSD survivor and writes about the subject, both to inform and help others heal.

 PTSD General Stats

•  70 % of adults in the U.S have experienced some type of traumatic event, at least once in their lifetimes. That’s 223.4 million people.
• Up to 20% of these people go on to develop PTSD. As of today, that’s 31.3 million people who have had or are struggling with PTSD.
• An estimated 1 out of 10 women develops PTSD; women are about twice as likely as men.
• Among people who are victims of a severe traumatic experience 60-80% will develop PTSD.
• 50% of all outpatient mental health patients have PTSD!
• Somewhat higher rates of this disorder have been found to occur in African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans, as compared to Caucasians in the United States.

 Combat PTSD

•  Lifetime occurrence (prevalence) in combat veterans 10-30%.
• In the past year alone the number of diagnosed cases in the military jumped 50%- and that’s just diagnosed cases.
• Studies estimate that 1 in every 5 military personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan has PTSD.
• 20 % of the soldiers who have been deployed in the past 6 years have PTSD. That’s over 300,000.
• 17% of combat troops are women; 71% of female military personnel develop PTSD due to sexual assault within the ranks.

 Charlene’s Note:

These are shocking statistics, and prove that PTSD is now a pressing national health crisis. Become empowered and learn more about PTSD. Visit Heal My PTSD for more free information and help.

 http://www.healmyptsd