ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to examine how emotion dysregulation (ED) might help explain the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol dependence (AD) symptoms in females.MethodParticipants included 260 women from primary, diabetes, and gynecological clinics of an urban public hospital. This is a primarily African American sample (96.9%), including individuals reporting exposure to at least 1 traumatic event. We examined the associations and predictability patterns between severity of PTSD symptoms, ED, and AD symptoms.ResultsUsing linear regression analyses, PTSD avoidance and numbing symptoms and ED were significant predictors of AD symptoms. When looking at specific dimensions of ED, one's inability to engage in goal‐directed behavior under strong emotional influences showed a full indirect effect on the relationship between PTSD avoidance and numbing symptoms and AD symptoms.ConclusionOur findings suggest that having poor emotion regulation skills may help explain why females with PTSD become dependent on alcohol.

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Psychiatric illness is associated with both chronic pain syndromes and opioid use disorder, further complicating how we care for patients with psychiatric issues. We report a unique case of a de novo and persistent psychotic disorder after complicated opioid withdrawal in a patient without any psychiatric history. The patient developed persistent auditory hallucinations after discontinuation of chronic opioid therapy that responded only to atypical antipsychotic (olanzapine) treatment. This case illustrates the neuropsychiatric effects of chronic opioid exposure, as well as layered clinical management dimensions related to opioid detoxification and psychosis treatment. Long-term opioid therapy may have lasting neuropsychiatric effects, including playing a role in the development and/or expression of psychotic disorders. Here we review the limited literature on the effects of opioids on psychosis. This complex case also demonstrates a clinical approach for effectively co-managing psychiatric symptoms in the context of chronic pain and chronic opioid therapy.

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