Intimate Partner Violence and Co-Occurring Substance Abuse Addiction

In the qualitative interviews, many of the men described childhoods that were characterized by instability, including material deprivation, physical or sexual abuse, dropping out of school, and offending (Gadd et al., 2019). In addition, several men described having spent time in children’s homes or having lived with other family members. Men often reported witnessing domestic violence from their fathers to mothers from a young age, which they had found frightening and abhorrent. Men gave accounts of using alcohol, cannabis, and solvents in their teenage years and moving on to heroin and/or crack use in early adulthood.

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However, this phenomenon may also fuel violent reactions in certain individuals or situations. Since it makes you more likely to react impulsively, you might be less likely to think about the way you respond to a conflict in advance and it could become easier to lose control. Acute intoxication also narrows your focus to immediate cues—which is sometimes referred to as “alcohol myopia”.

Alcohol, Aggression, and Violence: Psychiatric Comorbidities

“IPV is the leading cause of female homicides and injury-related deaths during pregnancy, and accounts for significant preventable injuries and ED visits by women,” (Intimate Partner Violence and Healthy People 2010 Fact Sheet). A 2002 study by the US Department of Justice found that most victims injured by an intimate partner did not report seeking professional medical treatment for their injuries. When it occurs, it can rarely be attributed to a single cause; rather, abuse typically sits at the nexus of a complicated network of risk factors. Here, we’ll explore the relationship between domestic violence and substance abuse. Spousal and intimate partner abuse is a common predictor of developing a drug or alcohol addiction. Women in abusive relationships are often forced into buying and using drugs or alcohol by an abusive spouse or partner.

• This distortion in the user’s thinking does not cause violence, but may increase the risk that the user will misinterpret his partner or another’s behavior.
• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines domestic violence as the use of intentional emotional, psychological, sexual, or physical force by one family member or intimate partner to control another.
• Potentially violent situations worsen when victims also abuse alcohol or are under the influence of drugs.
• Furthermore, both men and women show similar trends that emphasize the pervasive nature of this issue across genders.

Impact on Victims

Children exposed to violence and caregiver substance misuse are at significantly greater risk for intergenerational cycles of both addiction and abusive relationships. They have a unique opportunity to screen for both substance abuse and domestic violence during routine check-ups. It’s not always comfortable, but it could Sober living house be the difference between life and death for someone suffering in silence. Some researchers suggest that people who control negative emotions and rage might act violently as drinking alcohol can lead to the loss of self-control and make somebody more likely to act angrily. On the other hand, the American Journal of Public Health found that substance abuse tends to be more common among women who suffer violence. DV is violent behavior committed by someone (partners and ex-partners, family members, family friends, and other relatives) in the victim’s domestic circle.

Substance Abuse and Domestic Violence: A Dangerous Connection

You consent Sober living house to receive SMS notifications and promotions from Paid Advertiser. Daniel, a 34-year-old mechanic, was arrested for domestic battery after his girlfriend called the police during a drunken fight. He had been drinking heavily after losing his job and had no prior criminal history. His girlfriend wasn’t physically harmed, but she feared the argument could escalate.

PTSD and substance abuse often come together, and being a victim of violence can become a cause of PTSD. Statistics have shown that abused women are 15 times and 9 times more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs than those with no history of abuse. Domestic violence and addiction are intertwined issues that often coexist within households, significantly impacting individuals and families.

Reframing alcohol use through this lens may help clinical treatment providers to restructure alcohol-related conversations to reduce stigma and shame. There’s a strong relationship between substance abuse and domestic violence. Abuse is traumatic, and its effects can follow you even after you end the relationship. Many people use drugs or alcohol to cope with that trauma, which can quickly lead to addiction.

• Building a support system for both individuals struggling with substance abuse and victims of domestic violence is vital.
• This intricate web of causality emphasizes the need for integrated approaches that address both domestic violence and substance abuse.
• Key workers at participating substance use treatment services were asked to identify male clients with a history of IPV perpetration.
• Her research focuses on substance use and its relationship with mental health, intimate partner violence, and blood borne viruses, and developing and testing interventions to address these issues among people who use substances.

Signs That One Is in Abusive Relationship​

Finally, the Panel provides a blueprint for a more integrated system of care that would enhance treatment for both problems. This section includes practical suggestions for establishing linkages both between substance abuse treatment providers and domestic violence support workers and with legal, health care, criminal justice, and other relevant service agencies. Although we did not confirm reports of criminal justice involvement by consulting police records, eight men volunteered in the screening questionnaire that they had been arrested for IPV-related offenses and of these, six reported they had received custodial sentences. Eleven out of the 14 men described experiencing mental health problems, at least seven of whom had received a formal mental health diagnosis and psychiatric treatment. All eight women who were current or former users of heroin and or crack/cocaine described experiencing mental health problems and two women who were not heroin/crack users described the negative impact on their mental health of living in abusive relationships. Participants from three dyads revealed that children had been removed from their care or required by social services, to live with other family members.

Gail Gilchrist, PhD, is a reader in Addictions Health care Research at the National Addiction Center, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London. Her research focuses on substance use and its relationship with mental health, intimate partner violence, and blood borne viruses, and developing and testing interventions to address these issues among people who use substances. Significant substance use disorder interactions were detected between alcohol and cannabis as well as alcohol and cocaine in predicting IPV perpetration. Follow-up analyses supported an association between alcohol use disorders in the absence of a cannabis use disorder, but not cannabis use disorders in the absence of an alcohol use disorder, and IPV.