If you or someone you care about has a TBI, learning about the effects of substance use with TBI is an important first step toward improving the chances for recovery. Here is what persons with TBI and their families should know about alcohol or drug use after TBI.
Substance Use after TBI
Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Why do so many individuals with TBI have problems with substance use?
Why do so many individuals with TBI have problems with substance use?
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Substance use problems prior to injury
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New substance use problems after injury
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After the honeymoon
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How much alcohol is safe after TBI?
How does alcohol and other drug use affect a person who has had a TBI?
Persons with TBI who use alcohol or other drugs show greater problems with brain structure and function.
Other reasons to avoid alcohol and other drugs
In addition, persons with TBI who use substances are more likely to experience:
- Don't Recover As Well
People who use alcohol or other drugs after they have a brain injury don’t recover as well.
- Problems in Balance, Walking and Talking
Brain injuries cause problems in balance, walking or talking that get worse when a person uses alcohol or other drugs.
- Say or Do Things Without Thinking First
People who have had a brain injury often say or do things without thinking first, a problem that is made worse by using alcohol and other drugs.
- Problems With Thinking, Concentration or Memory
Brain injuries cause problems with thinking, concentration or memory, and using alcohol or other drugs makes these problems worse.
- More Powerful Effect of Substances After TBI
After a brain injury, alcohol and other drugs have a more powerful effect.
- More Likely To Feel Low or Depressed
People who have had a brain injury are more likely to have times that they feel low or depressed and drinking alcohol and getting high on other drugs makes this worse.
- Can Cause a Seizure
After a brain injury, drinking alcohol or using other drugs can cause a seizure.
- More Likely To Have Another TBI
People who drink alcohol or use other drugs after a brain injury are more likely to have another brain injury.
Other reasons to avoid alcohol and other drugs
In addition, persons with TBI who use substances are more likely to experience:
- Unemployment
- Living alone
- Feeling isolated
- Lower life satisfaction
- Interactions with prescribed drugs or other medical conditions
- Criminal activity and being arrested
- Injury or being victimized
- Additional brain damage
Treatment
What is appropriate substance use treatment for a person with TBI?
Treatment Methods
What is appropriate substance use treatment for a person with TBI?
Impairments caused by brain injury may present unique obstacles to treatment success. There has not been very much research about which substance abuse treatment methods work best for people who have had brain injuries. Most clinicians feel that techniques found effective for people in general can also be effective for people who have had brain injuries. However, it is important to find a treatment provider who is willing to to take into consideration the special needs of the person with TBI.
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Involving family and friends
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Stages of changes
Treatment Methods
Effective treatment is usually tailored to a person's readiness to address substance use problems. To be effective, the treatment method chosen must be acceptable to the person being treated.
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Motivational Interventions
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Cognitive-Behavior Therapy
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Therapeutic Communities
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Prescription Medications
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Self-Help Groups
Living in Recovery
Living in Recovery
Learning about the effects of alcohol and other drugs after TBI can help people to make choices that will help them to recover more fully. Family and friends can help support an alcohol and drug-free lifestyle. People can also obtain support through treatment. We believe that people can continue to show improvements for several years after a brain injury, as long as they are living a healthy lifestyle, which includes avoiding alcohol and other drugs.