At Teen Drug Addiction, a dependable Southern California Teen Drug and Alcohol Rehab Treatment Center, we are knowledgeable and trained when it comes to handling co-occurring disorders including PTSD and Heroin Addiction. We understand how serious and debilitating both conditions can be, which is why we want to offer our expertise and help the teenagers between the ages of 12-17 who are suffering from these co-occurring disorders.
What is PTSD?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a serious psychiatric disorder that occurs as a result of exposure to traumatizing events or situations. Individuals with PTSD suffer from flashbacks, severe anxiety, aggressive behaviors, nightmares, and sleeplessness, avoidance behaviors, and severe mood swings – all of which can affect their day-to-day lives. Some of the most common causes of PTSD include child abuse (physical and sexual), natural disasters, acts of violence (e.g. physical assault), and military combat.
How can PTSD lead to heroin addiction?
According to a study entitled “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Co-Occurring Substance Use Disorders: Advances in Assessment and Treatment”, PTSD and substance abuse frequently co-occur. Furthermore, other research also indicates that individuals with PTSD turn to alcohol and drugs to numb their pain, to calm themselves down, and to deal with their PTSD symptoms. However, the effects of heroin are fleeting and in order to benefit from its effects continually, an individual has to keep using it, which then leads to dependence and addiction. The more a person uses heroin to cope with his/her PTSD, the more addicted he/she becomes.
Don’t let heroin control your day-to-day life. If you are using it to cope with your PTSD, we want you to know that there are healthier and more effective ways that you can try. Let us help you through Teen Rehabilitation in Los Angeles, California. Reach out to our Teen Treatment Center in Los Angeles by calling 888-294-0977 for more information.
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