Debunking Myths About Addiction Recovery

Many treatments are available, and people with addiction may try several treatment options before they find the one that works for them. “Research has shown time and again that there are many paths to recovery,” Manejwala says. After going to treatment and getting sober, some people return to alcohol or drug use. This is known as relapse, and many people think it means treatment has failed. This is a myth, says Paul Brethen, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Addiction Specialist.

• Just like mental health, addiction occurs quickly and impacts every facet of a person’s life.
• While there is certainly some correlation between criminality and drug dependence, many individuals addicted to drugs and alcohol are otherwise law abiding.
• For example, those with children, jobs, or other commitments that can’t be relocated.
• For that, we can look dopamine and changes to the brain for answers.

These are just a few of the common misconceptions around addiction. At Safe Harbor Recovery Center in Portsmouth, Virginia, we seek to educate our guests and their loved ones about the realities of addiction, treatment, and recovery. Addiction is a chronic health condition, which requires ongoing vigilance and treatment. Just like other chronic conditions, a relapse can happen at any time. However, the risk of relapse can be drastically reduced by making on-going healthy choices. Addiction is a largely invisible problem and many outwardly successful people struggle with substance use in private. In fact, most people with substance use issues are able to keep their lives together for at least a while.

Addiction & Recovery

The longer you wait to seek help, the larger your problems can loom, potentially causing irreparable harm in every part of your life. People think relapsing means you failed with treatment, but it’s really just a part of the process and happens more often than you’d think.

Addressing the underlying cause of addiction is key to a lasting recovery. People are often hesitant to enter recovery because of some of the myths they’ve heard about recovery programs or myths about substance misuse itself. If you’re like most people, you’ve probably heard a lot about drug addiction, but you haven’t heard much about recovery programs or what happens to someone when they decide to fight their addiction.

Deciding to continue using until you hit rock bottom can make the road to recovery harder in the end. It’s best to get help when you recognize substance abuse symptoms, not waiting until you see the bottom.

• It’s where you gain the skills you need to combat cravings, and where you get a taste of what your life can look like without addiction.
• Recognizing early that an addiction is getting out of hand is crucial.
• Prescription drugs like ADHD medication or narcotic pain medication can be and are abused if not taken under a doctor’s supervision.
• GenPsych is dedicated to helping our clients regain their emotional and physical health in a safe, supportive environment.
• Detox facilities that are funded by state dollars or by private donations can be the best place to start. Check on mens only drug rehab massachusetts.

At Anabranch Recovery Center, located in Terre Haute, Indiana, we will provide you with the care you need to become sober. Give us a call, and take the first step on the path to recovery.

If I Avoid My Drug Of Choice, I Will Be Fine

Most addiction treatment center reps can tell you where those facilities are. Sure, there are treatment centers that charge $20,000, $40,000 or more for their services. These are usually luxury addiction centers, packed with amenities. They myths about addiction and recovery are also typically inpatient facilities, meaning they provide round-the-clock care in a lockdown environment. However, once addiction takes hold, it is no longer a choice. For that, we can look dopamine and changes to the brain for answers.

Additionally, overcoming addiction alone can be dangerous and even fatal because withdrawal symptoms can lead to death in certain situations. Therefore, it’s always best to seek help with treatment to overcome addiction. Isolation itself can also lead to addiction and worsening symptoms. It’s a force that can take control of anyone regardless of their life circumstances. Once it takes hold, addiction can cause a person to change.

It’s something you must always be aware of, work on, and nurture. Whether you’re in active addiction or haven’t had a drink or drug in decades, you’re never “cured” of addiction. Relapse is always a risk, but that risk can greatly diminish the longer you’re in recovery. Addiction is a disease and has very little, if anything, to do with willpower.

#5 Relapse Means Youll Never Get Better

It also gives you someone to turn to who understands what you’re dealing with and won’t judge you for it. Treatment is also designed to help you learn to make positive changes and prepare to reengage with your family, friends and coworkers after your program. It can also be designed to include your family and support system so they can learn more about what you’ve been dealing with and how to encourage you in your recovery. With your help, we can ensure the LGBTQ+ community has access to addiction treatment that suits their needs and fight the stigma facing queer and trans people with SUD. The key to remember here is that relapse is a part of the recovery process for some – not all – people. It simply means a person needs more help to get beyond dependence.

Getting well involves changing deeply embedded behaviors. This takes time and effort and sometimes results in setbacks.

#4 People Who Get Addicted To Prescription Drugs Are Different From People Who Get Addicted To Illegal Drugs

You may have heard a few facts about addiction recovery along the way, but let’s separate fact from fiction. Addiction in America 22 million people in America struggle with addiction and it’s the third largest cause of death, but many don’t get the help they need. Educating Families We provide resources to millions of families who are looking for information, tools, and support. Relapse in no way is a predictor that someone won’t “get it” or that they are unable to get sober.

• Our society often places an unhealthy level of emphasis on willpower.
• Keeping a secret is a huge psychological burden and takes quite the effort to maintain.
• Addiction recovery addresses your physical, mental and emotional needs, and that requires effort.

How easy it would be to point the finger at someone or something to rest all the blame for addiction in the world. There may be signs you can observe – bloodshot eyes and a non-caring attitude to personal grooming, change in weight and apparent intoxication – or there may not. It’s a human disease, and, as we have seen with the nationwide opioid epidemic, anyone can be at risk. Addiction is what results when people seek a cure for what ails them.

Recovery Month: A Time For Celebration And Hope

Professionals in particular will go to great lengths to keep their substance use from affecting their work. In the long run, though, most people can’t keep this up. Either they get help, or their substance use will affect their jobs and families. It’s not uncommon for someone to need more than https://ecosoberhouse.com/ one stay at a treatment facility, in order for them to get well enough to move on to the next step of recovery. Staying sober requires a lifelong commitment to managing the disease. People who get addicted to prescription drugs are different from people who get addicted to illegal drugs.

In addition to contributing to the stigma of addiction and deterring people from seeking treatment, research shows that shame is a strong predictor of relapse. At one time, we believed that most addicts had one drug of choice and stuck with it. Today, polysubstance abuse—the use of three or more classes of substances—is the norm, not the exception. Some supplement their primary drug of choice with whatever is readily available (e.g., using prescription opiates and heroin interchangeably). “No one can be forced into treatment.” In the state of Florida, individuals with a substance use disorder are subject to involuntary assessment and stabilization under the Marchman Act. Friends or family members can petition for a Marchman Act by completing paperwork and filing it with the county clerk’s office.

Obtaining and using drugs begins to take priority over everything else when you’ve become dependent on drugs and alcohol. Those in recovery are taught to fear relapse, and certainly, this is a legitimate fear. However, often shame is linked to relapse, which can be detrimental to someone’s recovery. In fact, the NIDAfinds that relapse statistics show that 40-60% of people relapse after completing addiction treatment. Additionally, some studies suggest a genetic component to addiction. A family history of substance abuse can be a precursor as well as uncontrollable environmental factors.

Many people come out of relapses stronger and more dedicated to their recovery. Check out these five common myths about addiction, along with the corresponding truths. Addiction treatment centers can help you to regain control and relearn how to live your life without using. It is something that you will have to work on daily, then after a time it will become more like second nature. In general, it has been agreed upon that a tough-love approach to someone suffering from an addiction is harmful.

Addiction & Recovery Myths, Debunked

At least one American dies every 52 minutes from drunk driving. And because “Rock Bottom” is subjective it’s hard to know what it even looks like. Researchers have also found genetic traits that trigger addiction. Now, the perfect vacation day is only a 25% happiness level, and using the drug is a 100% happiness level. Your mind decides you feel better than any vacation day ever experienced. When you get home from your perfect vacation, you start dreaming about your next trip. Ongoing support is important to enabling projects to continue their work, so we encourage donors to continue to contribute to projects over time.

There are many parents that enter into recovery for their children’s sake. The important thing is that they are supported, accepted, and capable of change.