Head injury and substance abuse occurs in a cycle. Once you become a victim of the cycle it is hard to escape. Individuals who sustain a head injury are likely to be under the influence of alcohol or other substances at the time of their injury.  They receive treatment immediately after the accident, but often fall back to the use and abuse of alcohol and other substances.  The reason for this is because head injury survivors can often suffer from post-injury depression and turn to alcohol and drug use as a temporary relief of their problems. This behavior begins to cycle, causing a second accident which compounds the effect of the primary injuries.

 

This site provides an overview of the abuse-injury-abuse cycle by providing information about who is at risk, how the cycle begins, the effects on the body, recovery, and intervention programs.  Survivors of head injury, family members, and friends can develop a general knowing and understanding of this dangerous cycle of abuse and how to cope with it.