Abstract
There is a high incidence of chemical addiction among women veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) resulting from military sexual abuse. In this secondary data analysis of women veterans who had been sexually abused during active military duty, the researchers sought to learn when the addiction started, the reasons for initiating chemical use, and patterns between the pathway to addiction and reasons for chemical use. Using a content analysis of field notes, the researchers found that the 10 participants followed two different paths to addiction. Subsequently, the stated reasons for initiating chemical use differed between the two groups. The data are consistent with the assertion that there may be a cyclical manner in which self-medication with chemicals and chemical-induced intensification of PTSD symptoms may be operating.