Pharmacology: An Ally in Treating PTSD?

  People frequently resort to various drugs to blunt the impact of trauma. We’re referring here to drinks like whiskey or vodka but also to anxiolytics and antidepressants. In fact, the pharmacology of trauma is extensive. Moreover, it’s not a particularly new phenomenon. Indeed, since time immemorial, trauma survivors have ingested certain substances to alleviate their pain. However, advances in pharmacology have led to new interventions for sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Experts on this issue, such as Bessel van der Kolk (2020), point out that drugs can help, but they’re incapable of ‘curing’ the horror of trauma. “Be…