Addiction

The addiction world is full of helpful resources and information, compelling stories of individual recovery journeys, and countless recovery centers dedicated to the success of helping those struggling to find lasting sobriety. Among this beautiful world of helpers and healers trying to support and encourage others in their path to sobriety, myths and misconceptions persist and prevent some from getting the treatment help they need. Probing the truth behind these claims helps to bring greater understanding to the reality of addiction issues. Dispelling common myths about addiction can stop the cycle of hurtful misinformation that brings unnecessary pain to family, friends, and those suffering from addiction.

Addiction affects every facet of a person’s life, but those suffering from the disease may not realize the extent of the impact of their drug or alcohol use. Addiction can develop beneath the surface over a long period before a person realizes that they have developed a genuinely unhealthy practice. At that point, addiction may be extremely difficult to overcome with willpower alone. Reevaluating one’s relationship with drugs and alcohol frequently can help an individual identify problematic behaviors early in addiction’s development. However, it is also possible that a person is continually rationalizing or normalizing their behavior to avoid confronting the problem. Normalizing dangerous behaviors can not just lead someone away from getting the help they may need to overcome an addiction; it can lead to romanticizing the meaning of drugs or alcohol or otherwise avoid the adverse effects of addiction in one’s life.

Once you’ve made the conscious decision to quit using drugs or alcohol, you may decide to begin abstaining right then and there and without outside help. This method of quitting drugs and/or alcohol is commonly referred to as “quitting cold turkey” and is commonly done without the supervision of medical professionals. Before you decide to quit cold turkey, know that it may carry health risks depending on the types of drugs you use, your level of addiction, and the presence of any co-occurring mental health conditions.

You can feel helpless watching a loved one struggle with an addiction or poor mental health as they refuse to seek the proper help. It’s easy to get caught up in wanting to try to fix their problems yourself instead of letting them realize on their own they have a problem and that they need help properly addressing it. This may be especially hard to stand by when that person seems like they are self-destructing. However, there’s only so much you can do for someone who doesn’t want help, so realize you can not kill yourself in the process of trying to help them. Not knowing what the right steps to take in a situation where someone refuses help can be helped by following these tips.

Addiction can be an isolating and debilitating experience. However, it still affects the people in one’s life — friends, workplace peers and especially one’s own family.  While a person may want to address their struggle with an addiction to drugs or alcohol in a private setting, addiction will often have ramifications for their family and loved ones. It is important to acknowledge the familial element throughout addiction recovery to create a supportive healing environment, both inside and outside of the treatment facility. Addressing addiction as a family can bring about more in-depth understanding and support. It can also help each member move through their own experiences with addiction, whether they are coping with urges themselves or learning to forgive and support loved ones who are.

When you start a new life of sobriety, it’s important to practice healthier coping skills and discover new activities or habits that can fill your time other than your addiction. This may seem like a simple task at first, but what if you end up replacing your addiction with another one that’s just as harmful.

One of the most challenging parts of recovery is looking back and addressing past mistakes. Guilt and shame can be ever-present feelings through recovery, and reflecting on one’s lowest point can add more depression or anxiety into an already complicated process. However, it is important to acknowledge these past mistakes to begin moving through them and contextualizing what it means to see success.  Coping with one’s past may be one of the most difficult parts of recovery, and reconciling relationships and forgiving oneself can take a lot of time and effort. While difficult, it can also be one of the most potent and transformative parts of each person’s recovery story, and looking back is just the first step in learning to look forward to a brighter, sober future.

Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States, with teens and young adults being some of the main user groups. Young people are drawn to smoking pot for many reasons, including easy access, social pressure from peers, anxiety, depression, escaping stress, boredom, and self-medicating for sleep issues. Rarely do young people realize that marijuana use is not completely harmless or its potential for addiction.

Taking the brave first steps towards recovery for an alcoholic by quitting the bottle is a daunting and impressive feat by any means. However, true recovery for an alcoholic is much more than just not drinking every day. The journey to find long term healing in recovery goes beyond this and requires addressing the emotional issues that lead to addiction in the first place. When a person does not take this extra step to address their emotional baggage, an issue known as “dry drunk syndrome” may emerge.

Today, everyone’s nervous systems are constantly assaulted by chronic stress so many live under. Add on top a substance abuse problem, and our nervous systems need some serious TLC. To understand how substance abuse affects our nervous systems, first, it is helpful to understand some of the basics of the nervous system. The nervous system is the vast network of nerves and cells that control the communication between the brain, spinal cord, and the rest of the body. The brain and spinal cord make up the central nervous system. All the nerves throughout the body outside of the brain and spinal cord make up the peripheral nervous system. Nerve cells within the central nervous system are referred to as “neurons” and the “neurotransmitters” are the chemical messengers that the brain uses to communicate between neurons and the rest of the body. The brain is like the control center of your body, and it is constantly sending electric signals to regulate your body’s systems and communicate with your body to determine how you feel.

You may recognize addictive tendencies in other areas of your life after you’ve come to terms with having a drug and/or alcohol addiction. Because of the similar feelings and chemical reactions these habits produce in the body, they create some of the same feelings as with substance abuse. Recognizing and shifting these addictive behaviors is important to help bring a better sense of overall balance and good health into your life.

12-Step programs help individuals struggling with addiction and help change their negative beliefs. In recovery, it is essential to create a framework that allows you to shift your perception about yourself into a positive perspective. When you discover the good and the potential within, you can then move about your life and recovery confidently and purposefully. The 12-Steps rely on good support to help you overcome difficult challenges that you will likely face.