No one is 100 percent exempt from the consequences of alcohol and drug abuse — not even celebrities like American actress and model Teri Copley, who sought intervention from Dr. Phil on behalf of her daughter, Ashley. In an episode on the show, viewers get to take a peek inside the twisted world of an individual whose life has been torn asunder by toxic relationships and substance abuse addiction. Ashley completely denied all the claims she made in a video about her boyfriend, Hector, who reportedly subjected her to domestic violence in front of their 3-year-old daughter. On the one hand, Ashley had been sending pictures of bruises on her body to her mother, but during the episode, Ashley publicly admitted that she was drunk while she made that video with her mother, who allegedly edited it to make it look like Ashley was talking about Hector. Was Ashley lying to cover up for her boyfriend?
[See: 7 Health Risks of Binge Drinking You Can’t Ignore.]
Unfortunately, scenarios like Ashley and Hector’s are much too common, and the link between domestic violence and substance abuse is extremely complex. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, about 20 people per minute are suffering from intimate partner violence, or IPV, which is equivalent to more than 10 million men and women annually.
Common Lies to Cover Up Domestic Violence
It’s very common for victims of domestic violence to lie and hide their partner’s behavior (i.e., saying that they “fell” when their partner actually pushed them). Under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, the offending partner strikes with hurtful words and physically harmful actions, such as hitting, punching, kicking, beating or forcing sex. Intimate partner violence can occur in any kind of relationship and is not strictly limited to physical abuse.
[See: How Social Workers Help Your Health.]
Since victims of IPV already lie and justify to cover up for their partner, adding meth, marijuana, alcohol and other drugs to the relationship further complicates the situation and makes it difficult for addiction professionals and therapists to detect the truth. Who’s lying? Who’s really the survivor of domestic violence here? When people are struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, it’s hard to tell when they’re telling the truth or if they are exaggerating their story. Dr. Phil noticed the contradictions in Ashley’s story and said, “You’re either lying then or you’re lying now.” According to Dr. David Sack, the seven reasons why addicts lie include: avoidance of reality and confrontation, which could have easily been at play in Ashley’s situation. It’s entirely possible that Ashley’s “altered consciousness” has constructed an alternate reality where she gets confused about who really gave her the bruises on her elbow or broke her jaw. Ashley claimed it wasn’t Hector who she was talking about, after all; it was some other ex. Teri thinks it’s Hector.
[Read: The Psychological Impact of Victim-Blaming — and How to Stop It.]
The Courage to Get Help for PTSD and Substance Abuse
By the end of the show, Dr. Phil strongly urged his listeners to “get courage to get real,” and in order to get the help you need, you must tell the whole truth. Giving therapists and addiction professionals half the truth will only give you half the solution, which is really no solution at all. New Method Wellness is one of the best alcohol and drug rehabilitation centers in the nation, offering dual diagnosis treatment for substance abuse addiction and post-traumatic stress disorders resulting from domestic violence. Cognitive-behavioral therapy and trauma-informed care are available for both alcohol-dependent victims and offenders in IPV relationships; to ensure prevention relapse, holistic therapy is integrated for the benefit of the clients and their families. The importance of dual diagnosis treatment lies in getting to the root of substance abuse addiction, which could be the cause or result of domestic violence. Addressing this connection between the two will yield long-lasting positive treatment outcomes long after program completion.
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The Link Between Substance Abuse and Domestic Violence originally appeared on usnews.com
