Addiction isn’t about a moral failure or a lack of willpower. When you’re using a drug and just can’t quit, you have a dependence problem. Dependency and are directly tied together addiction. What is addiction, and what can you do about it?
Why People Still Think Addiction Is a Morality Problem
For the majority of individuals struggling with a substance abuse problem, it started with bad decision-making. Taking the first drink, hit, or injection is what many people focus on when talking about addiction. They forget that nobody woke up planning to develop a substance abuse problem. Ask those suffering, and you quickly learn that there’s a lot more to substance dependence than meets the eye.
Many of those with a drug addiction try to stop using from time to time. The discomfort and fear of the unknown make them stop their efforts. Some also deal with co-dependent relationships and negative peer influences that obstruct efforts at getting sober. Those on the outside don’t recognize the struggle and may choose to believe that addiction is a morality issue.
What Is Addiction from a Clinical Standpoint?
Addictive behaviors include stealing, lying, shirking responsibilities, and covering up using. These are symptoms of a disease. When the individual first started using the drug, the effects brought pleasure, which reinforced use. But after a while, using was no longer voluntary. Instead, it became compulsive.
Within recovery, therapists understand that there are two types of addiction: physical and psychological. Certain drugs have the potential of rewriting your brain’s chemistry. As a result, dopamine release, for example, can become dependent on the influx of your drug’s chemicals. When you stop taking your drug of choice, your body signals you with pain and feelings of depression or anxiety.
Mentally, you might tell yourself that you need the drug to function. You don’t feel up to handling family interactions or work stresses without getting your fix. Before long, you don’t think you can get out of bed without the drug. It becomes the crutch that makes living doable.
Getting Help at Any Stage is Possible
You may know the answer to, “What is addiction?” However, do you know how to get out from under it? Just like asthma, diabetes, and high cholesterol, addiction is an illness that requires professional intervention. After all, you wouldn’t expect someone with one of the other diseases to tough it out at home alone.
At a high-quality rehab facility, therapists from a variety of disciplines will work with you to overcome addiction. Available substance abuse programs might include:
- Medically monitored detox and top-notch medical care to make your drug withdrawal as safe and comfortable as possible
- Customized program planning that focuses on your needs and adapts along the way to any changes in treatment
- A holistic approach to getting well that includes medical, spiritual, and a psychological component
- A forward-looking take on relapse prevention that focuses on mentorship and alumni connections
- Practitioner referrals as needed
If you or a loved one is dealing with an addiction today, contact Ashley Addiction Treatment. Friendly therapists help you get started right away. Dial 866-313-6307 now.