Addiction & Recovery

When it comes to recovery from drug addiction, it is a process that happens for life. Even when an individual has been certified to be sober and free from drug addiction, they still need to continue receiving treatment.

However, the treatment that comes with the post-recovery phase is different from what they went through at the treatment center or rehab. This type of treatment is targeted at helping individuals retain their sobriety even during intense cravings.

Aftercare treatment is the ongoing care that individuals receive when they leave rehab. This aftercare treatment helps the recovering individual to expect obstacles that might challenge their sobriety.

Therefore, they need to be ready with the right solutions to put those obstacles at bay.

When it is time for aftercare treatment, you will meet with counselors or therapists who will create a plan for you. This plan will depend on your present situation and life needs.

Some people remain in aftercare for a short time, while some can spend a few years.

Most addiction treatment experts advise that patients are actively involved in their aftercare treatment for a minimum of one year. Over time, the aftercare plans can be modified to suit your changing goals and needs.

Additionally, friends and family members can support their loved ones during their aftercare treatment.

They can participate in both group sessions where they learn more about addiction and how they can help their loved ones master the necessary coping skills.

People who miss aftercare treatment are likely to relapse more than those who begin theirs after the main addiction treatment.

Generally, an aftercare plan can involve participating in the alumni program of your treatment center. This is where you will meet people who have passed through your treatment center.

Also, you might have to remain in sober living for some time. Then, you will need to attend both individual and group counseling sessions with the addiction counselor so that they can be updated on your progress.

Many drug addicts exist even around us, and one of the ways to provide help is to start by identifying them. When you know how to spot an addict, it becomes easier to create strategies that will make them accept the help you’re offering.

Some addicts prefer to mask their drug addiction because they don’t want to be stigmatized by society. So, if you’re not too observant, you might not know they are addicted. However, the signs that will be discussed in this article will give them away when you see them.

Privacy and secrecy

An addicted individual will prefer to have their personal space untampered with. They will not allow anyone to get into their space because of their addiction.

Since most drug addicts don’t want to suffer from stigmatization, they prefer it if no one knew about their addiction. Most times, they will use their drugs in secret without the knowledge of anyone.

Losing interest in other activities

As the addiction gets more intense, they will become less interested in activities that they previously loved. People in their close circle will notice that their friends have stopped participating in their pastimes.

Financial issues

Individuals addicted to drugs are likely to suffer from financial problems. This is because they will make constant sacrifices to avoid running out of supply. Hence, they can go to large extents to borrow money to fuel their addiction.

Physical symptoms

Getting addicted to drugs comes with some symptoms that are visible to the human eye. For instance, you might observe a change in appearance which is different from how you know them.

They can also experience some signs like weight loss/weight gain, insomnia, change in appetite, cravings, constipation, trembling, sweats, etc.

 

Over time, these signs can worsen if the individual does not seek treatment. If you observe these signs in someone, or you’re experiencing them, it is best to get help from a reputable rehab so that you can get your life back on track.

Drug addiction is the condition whereby an individual has the compulsive desire to take drugs for the purpose of pleasure. Drug addiction develops over time.

It starts off as an abuse, develops to tolerance and dependence, before it becomes a full-blown addiction. When an individual refrains from drugs for some time, he or she experiences withdrawal symptoms.

Some major factors are responsible for drug addiction such as: Psychological, genetic and environmental factors. They play an essential role in the addiction of an individual to drugs.

Taking a look at psychological factors, people who experience depression and anxiety are more likely to be addicted to drugs.

So, they would take drugs in order for them to get better. In the long run, they will discover that the positive effect is only short-lived. The anxiety or depression problem has the capacity to worsen over time.

Another psychological cause is poor communication skills. People who find it difficult to communicate with other people are more likely to be addicted to drugs. So, in order to further their communication skills, they rely on drugs to get better and face their fears.

In addition to this, people who are faced with poor productivity at work and poor academic performance, would strive to get better with the use of drugs. This is usually based on wrong information from people who are also addicted to drugs.

People who also find it difficult to cope with stress would also be addicted to drugs. The cycle of addiction is vicious one and this is the reason why recovery does not come easily.

The environment where an individual resides is another determining factor for drug addiction. In environments where people abuse drugs, there is a tendency for an individual to get addicted.

Some adults who are addicted started abusing drugs in their teenage years because of the people they had around them.

For the genetics factor, you will notice that there is the prevalence of drug abuse in some families than others.

Addiction is a concept that has been in existence since forever. Some people view addicts as individuals who lacked willpower. However, there is a current claim that addiction is a disease.

Addiction, being a chronic condition, showcases a brain disease that induces the compulsive and obsessive search for substances or act, without minding the dangerous consequences.

So, even though the addicted individual is aware of the harm involved, they will still continue to use it. They are aware that it is bad and they do not want to identify with the addiction persona. This is enough evidence that one of the strong characteristics of addiction, is the lack of ability to stop.

However, looking at the concept of addiction from the disease angle, you will see that it comes with a pattern that is similar to some chronic diseases like diabetes and asthma.

The patients would go through bouts of challenges before the disease is defeated entirely. Just like chronic diseases, addiction can be managed and treated.

Once addiction is in motion, it gives you a life of its own which makes it difficult to control. Addiction is referred to as a disease due to the changes caused in the brain. It creates a physical dependency whereby the person cannot quit taking the substance or performing the act without going through withdrawals.

The individual finds it difficult to make sensible decisions because he or she is controlled by a more powerful force. Even though addiction starts off with a choice, it is equally important to recognize it as a disease.

The reason for this is because in the long-term of their addiction, they continue in their addiction because of the need instead of their personal choice.

Their brain continually requests it and they have to give in to it. Achieving a sober state is very difficult, and the best way to achieve this is to seek help.  If you are addicted, it is advisable to go to a rehab center where you will receive top-notch treatment.

Addiction is a multifaceted condition that is depicted by the consistent use of substances or challenging behaviors. People who have this condition are aware of the adverse consequences. Conventionally, people are more aware of substance addiction than behavioral addiction.

The reason for this is because the prevalence of substance addiction is much higher than behavioral addiction.

For people who have some forms of behavioral addiction, there is always a tendency for them to get better with time.

Addiction affects several aspect of an individual’s life because the consequences are too much. Based on studies, substance addiction and behavioral addiction could have the same root cause.

The action mechanisms in the brain is basically the same thing. Behavioral and substance addiction focuses on the reward system of the brain, and pleasurable feelings are produced.

Substance addiction is basically drug or alcohol addiction. This is a condition whereby the compulsive and obsessive use of alcohol and drug is in constant motion not minding the detrimental effect. Addiction greatly affects the ability of the individual to stop substance abuse.

There are two features that energize substance addiction: Tolerance and dependence.

An individual who exhibits tolerance towards a substance would want to step-up the dosage for the pleasurable effects to be heightened. For dependence, this is when they need the substance to feel normal. So, if the supply is cut, they will undergo withdrawal symptoms.

Just like substance addiction, behavioral addiction is an obsessive condition whereby an individual is reliant on the pleasurable feelings that the behavior induces. So, time and time again, they would act instinctively to activate that behavior.

Someone could be diagnosed to have behavioral addiction if they exhibit inability to control themselves concerning the behavior, irrespective of the detrimental consequences attached to it.

The following are common types of behavioral addiction

• Food addiction
• Gambling addiction
• Internet addiction
• Love addiction
• Masturbation and Pornography addiction
• Sex addiction
• Video gaming addiction

 

It is necessary to get familiar with the signs of addiction, so that you can identify if the use of a particular substance or behavior is problematic or not.

No one finds it easy to be rid of addiction. It is a difficult situation for anybody, it is a condition that has the capacity to change the way of life of an individual.

Addiction is a powerful phenomenon that captures the brain of an individual. When addiction sets in, it controls the brain’s effect on the body.

Addicts do not really care about the real concept of addiction, all they are after is fulfilling the pleasure their brain desires.

They cannot be entirely blamed for this, addiction is a chronic brain disease that affects an individual adversely. So, this means that, if there are negative effects attached to this addiction, the individual would not mind.

Not everyone knows they are addicted. This is why some of them will vehemently refuse to accept this reality, because they do not know what it means exactly. There are various types of addiction like alcohol addiction, drug addiction, sex addiction, food addiction, video gaming addiction and a host of others.

It would interest you to know that, these types of addiction all come with a similar pattern. They all start off as a form of abuse, before they gravitate to being an addiction.

So, someone can start off eating much food, before you know it, his or her brain begins to derive pleasure from eating. Hence, he or she would not eat because of hunger but for pleasure satisfaction.

When these addicts stay away from their addiction for a while, they experience withdrawal symptoms. Times like these are usually very difficult for them. So, they will find all means to ensure that their addiction is satisfied.

During addiction treatment, the counselor and therapist are aware of this. Hence, this is one of the major reasons why they would start of the recovery process by dealing with the withdrawal symptoms that an addict could experience.

People who are addicted are assured that seeking help from professionals, is one of the best ways to get rid of addiction. So, they should not be shy of doing this.

For everyone who is addicted, they usually have this feeling that there is no way out. This is why some of them would keep drowning in their addiction, and they would not mind if it affects their health.

Satisfying your addiction comes with a pleasurable feeling, so most addicts do not want to jeopardize that. This is why some of them would frown at any possible means of escape.

In the world today, there are several types of addiction with the common ones being Alcohol and Drug addiction.

These forms of addiction are jointly called substance addiction, and a good number of people are addicted to them. Addiction could be as a result of abuse from childhood, or a compulsive and obsessive habit.

If addicts are informed that that they can get better, a good number of them would be willing to opt for addiction treatment.

With the advancement in technology these days, addiction treatment is becoming easier. People who opt for addiction treatment are assured of getting better because things have gotten better in the medical field.

On a general scale, the first phase of addiction treatment is the evaluation and assessment. During this phase, the counselor seizes this opportunity to conduct an assessment on the addict.

The results gotten from this evaluation would be used to form the basis of treatment for the addict. If the individual happened to be addicted to either drug or alcohol, he or she would need to undergo detoxification.

If the individual is not addicted to drug or alcohol, then he or she would have to go straight to rehab. The type of rehab an addict would be admitted into depends on the severity of the addiction. Thereafter, there is the aftercare treatment that puts measures in place to make sure that relapse does not occur.

Addicted individuals should always be inspired and not oppressed. They are normal individuals who deserve a better life, and the best we can do for them is to help them get back on their feet.