ABSTRACT
Alcohol use disorders are a common and clinically challenging problem among individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Treatment for PTSD in traditional mental health settings was often insensitive to the critical role of alcohol abuse or, worse, was refused because of comorbid substance abuse. The majority of the techniques share a common cognitive-behavioral basis, an approach justified by the available treatment literature to date in both substance abuse and PTSD. The treatment program is designed for use primarily in outpatient settings. As inpatient treatment has increasingly become short-term and crisis-oriented, the focus of treatment must move to outpatient. Education about alcohol, its acute pharmacologic effects and the sequelae associated with long-term use, is important information that must be conveyed early in treatment. Motivation enhancement represents a set of techniques that are used throughout treatment, though their use early in treatment is particularly important.
