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Family involvement in a loved one's treatment and recovery from drugs or alcohol provides a powerful tool that prevents future addiction and substance abuse. The National Institutes on Health1 report that the family plays a central role in an individual's recovery because they provide the support system. Although the family helps a loved one reach personal goals, they also need support and assistance throughout the process so that the entire family improves and grows.

If you wake up each morning, wondering whether your life is worth living or saving, you should keep in mind that you are far from alone. Many people, whether gripped by drug addiction or some other inadequate coping device such as gambling or excessive shopping, struggle in this world that continually finds new ways to throw flaming curve balls at them. It is entirely too easy to harshly judge yourself, no matter what coping choice you make. And often, drug use and eventual addiction is less about a conscious choice you made when you became involved with drugs as it was an available means to drown out the world's noise and chaos.

Alcoholism is a devastating disease that can rip apart families, destroy careers, and jeopardize physical health. If you have a loved one who is struggling with alcoholism, these terrible outcomes aren't the only reason quitting is extremely important. Alcohol abuse significantly raises an individual's risk of taking their own life. Find out more about the connection between alcohol and suicide below. Then, reduce your loved one's risk by helping them get professional help today.

If you wake up each morning feeling sick and exhausted, you are probably starting to feel the many possible negative physical impacts that drug addiction is causing in your body. As difficult as it to accept, drugs cause chaos in your body. The longer you use drugs, the more damage they can do to your body. (1) Some of the possible illnesses or condition you might experience when using drugs over a long duration include the following:

Withdrawal is a challenge all people recovering from drug addiction must face. After prolonged drug use, the body becomes conditioned to depend on the drug to maintain stasis, or a normal level of function. When the person reduces or discontinues drug use, unpleasant symptoms may occur.

Drugs and alcohol impact the physical body, brain and personal lifestyle in significant ways. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse1, nearly 23.5 million Americans abuse drugs or alcohol each year. Unfortunately, only a small number, around 11.2 percent, actually seek treatment for addiction. Even though an addiction cannot be cured, it is a treatable disease, says the National Institute on Drug Abuse2. Treatment provides the tools and information that you need to focus on your recovery goals and regain a healthy lifestyle.

Alcohol abuse is a problem that is easily overlooked due to the prevalence in adult society. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism1, 86.8 percent of adults will drink alcohol in their lifetime and 70.7 percent will drink alcohol at least once in a year. In any given month, roughly 24.6 individuals over 18 years old will binge drink and roughly 6.8 percent will drink heavily, reports the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism1. When you binge drink alcohol, it impacts your physical body and your brain.

The human brain controls the way that individuals act, think and interpret the world around them. When a loved one abuses drugs or alcohol, his or her brain changes. The University of Utah1 explains that substance abuse rewires the brain and changes its reward system. Essentially, the drug causes the brain the flood the system with pleasure or reward hormones like dopamine. Over time, individuals do not respond to the hormone when it is naturally produced and an addiction to the substance develops.

Is addiction a personal choice or is there an actual science behind it? Addiction is referred to as a disease. That is because there is a scientific process involved in becoming addicted to a drug or alcohol. It goes beyond just deciding whether you want to use or to stay sober. The neuroscience behind addiction makes having an option almost impossible. The choice comes in getting help to overcome the addiction and the struggle it takes to get there.

Some people can use drugs recreationally without ever becoming an abuser or addict. Conversely, others quickly become an abuser, which leads to addiction. Substance use starts to impact their work and social lives not long after trying the substance for the first time. Most people are unaware why some people become addicted to drugs. Some mistakenly believe addicts simply lack willpower or moral fortitude to end their addiction. In actuality, addiction is a disease that requires much more than a strong will and positive intentions to shake.

The words “dependence” and “addiction” are often thrown around in today’s substance abuse-conscious society. That the public is aware of such terms is a step in the right direction, and shows that as a culture we are no longer as willing to sweep such issues under the rug. However, a lack of clear education on the topic and the similarity between the words can lead to confusion. If you are unsure about the difference between the two, it may hinder your efforts to decide on an appropriate course of treatment.

Substance abuse impacts the way that individuals think and behave. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse1, drugs and alcohol imitate the natural chemicals in the brain or they cause the brain to release too many natural hormones. The "high" that a loved one experiences relates to that over-stimulation of chemical responses in the brain. When a tolerance and dependence develops, a loved one can start craving the drug or alcohol.