“PTSD and addiction are deeply connected. They are partners in a cycle that is difficult to interrupt and very challenging to break. The constant distress from unresolved emotional wounds of the past – the traumatic experiences – alters the brain. Escaping the pain through temporary relief is short-lived. Instead, the PTSD symptoms often worsen over time, and the desperate measures a person uses in an attempt to stop them can create a dependency.
In this article, we will look at the connections between PTSD and addiction, explaining the science behind them. However, to gain this insight, it will be essential to move beyond the “simplistic view that…human beings need only negative consequences to teach them hard lessons.”1 Someone who has not experienced PTSD firsthand can have a problematic time understanding how a person can’t just decide to stop. For the person living with PTSD, the reality is that there is not much choice involved: the primary motivation is to treat their pain using any means possible. To help explain this, we’ll also take a look at symptoms of both PTSD and addiction, learning where they overlap and where there are paths to healing.“
On behalf of your Nova Scotia Lawyers Assistance Program (NSLAP) provider, Homewood HealthTM is pleased to provide the following newsletter: “Understanding The Complex Relationship and Invisible Battle: How PTSD and Addiction Are Connected“
If you have wellness questions, or are looking for wellness information, visit the NSLAP website at www.nslap.ca. For more information and support, along with resources and counselling on PTSD and addiction, register with Homewood Health™ https://homeweb.ca/. Please note that NSLAP is your “company” name when you register, and your Invitation Code is NSB931
Call in confidence, 24 hours a day: 1 866 299 1299 (within Nova Scotia) | (See the website for details about calling from outside Nova Scotia) | 1 866 398 9505 (en français) | 1 888 384 1152 (TTY).