The long standing known relationship between addiction, drug use, and PTSD stress – Drug opiate addiction and treatment in British Columbia and Alberta – Therapy for your body, soul and mind – Options Treatment Center in Kelowna, British Columbia treating drug, opiate, fentanyl, heroin and alcohol addiction and recovery.
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There is an intricate relationship between addiction and substance abuse and stress-related issues such as Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). People who have elevated stress levels are more likely to turn to drugs or alcohol to escape their stress. Drugs can increase anxiety, and can also mute a person’s sense of pleasure in a similar way to how they dull unpleasant emotions.
Stress causes the release of adrenaline and a decrease in the production of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The brain uses GABA as a form of a tranquilizer which acts on similar parts of the nervous system to many drugs, including opioids, alcohol, benzodiazepines, and marijuana. Drugs can stimulate dopamine, which makes a person feel happy. However, when the drugs wear off, a person can feel down because their dopamine levels fall quite rapidly.
When someone uses drugs regularly, their brain struggles to regulate the amount of dopamine, GABA, and adrenaline naturally. This is what can lead to withdrawal symptoms, depression, increased anxiety, irritability and other issues, including insomnia. All of these issues can then make someone crave the drugs even more. It can be hard to break the cycle of dependence once it has begun. This means that it is likely that someone who is struggling with drug addiction may lose control of their drug use and fall into unhealthy patterns.
Chronic stress, insomnia, and depression can interfere with a person’s learning, memory and impulse control. If someone is using drugs as a coping mechanism for PTSD, stress or anxiety then the drug use itself may interfere with the chemicals in the brain in a similar way to stress, contributing to that cycle of dependency and making it hard to regulate their drug use.
The problem is particularly severe for young brains that are not yet completely developed and that are at greater risk of PTSD. Someone who uses drugs while young may be more likely to fall prey to addiction issues later in life. There is an element of genetics, and epigenetics trauma, to drug issues and addiction. Drug use and PTSD are comorbid. Comorbidity is the presence of one or more additional conditions co-occurring, and being comorbid with mental health disorders. The Current Psychiatric Report includes a study which shows that influences relating to genetics contribute to generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, major depression, and addiction.
The human brain is complex, and there are some genetic components and ‘brain wiring’ components which can cause a person to be more susceptible to developing PTSD if they suffer from a stressful event. It is thought that some of those components may be similar to those that can predispose a person to addiction. Chronic stress can increase a person’s risk of addiction and make a person more likely to relapse if they beat addiction earlier in their lives, too. The links between the issues are complex.
Options Okanagan Opiate and Alcohol Treatment Centers in Kelowna, Salmon Arm and Vancouver, British Columbia – Men and Women are recovering and healing from Alcohol and Drug Abuse at our treatment center here in the Okanagan right now.
Our unique and distinctive Opiate Drug and Alcohol treatment program allows men and women to come in from Calgary as well as Edmonton as we offer airport pickup.
Numerous clients come to us from Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton and other locations in Alberta and even other provinces for Opiate addiction treatment, heroin drug treatment, many other drug and alcohol addictions for rehabilitation because of the uniqueness of our treatment center.
Our (Kelowna) Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program Location:
(Not Mailing Address) – Contact Us – Web Page
For Mail Delivery :: Please contact each center for correct mailing addresses, also this location is the location of our residential treatment programs in Kelowna. Please call Toll Free 1-855-335-0331 – to contact the treatment center you are going to for the address and directions.
Options Okanagan Drug and Opiate Treatment Center
551 Sherrydale Crescent, Kelowna, British Columbia, V1V 2E6
Toll Free Phone Number : 1-855-335-0331