Oh yes, she did engage in sex work to survive — and got arrested for it. Her addictions were definitely a way to “self-medicate” all that pain and trauma. And that’s the Catch-22 she found herself in — she was doing those things because of the trauma she endured, but because she was doing those things, law enforcement wouldn’t believe her!

There’s a researcher in British Columbia who studies addiction, Gabor Mate, and he says addiction is just that — someone trying to self-medicate because of trauma.

My heart definitely breaks for Terry. Though I suppose she’s at peace now.