Acquiring a habit is easy, but dropping them is usually a huge struggle. For good habits like waking up early or sticking to our work routine, we may applaud ourselves when we make it a habit. On the contrary, when the habit becomes a destructive one like addiction, we need to find a way out. Most times, we will need external help to pull through. The journey towards recovery from addiction is a world of its own. It is slow, and sometimes they may be a relapse. Nevertheless, addiction treatment studio city has lots of professionals that will help you to win the battle.
What is addiction?
Addiction is both a disease of the body and mind, which makes it harder for the victims to get over it. The drug or alcohol always triggers a cascade of reactions that leads to a craving for more. This feeling gets progressively stiffer as the addict continues to use the drug or alcohol. This makes it difficult for them to stop, notwithstanding that they are putting in their best effort.
The most addictive substances
While there are lots of substances that someone can become addicted to, some are more addictive than others. Millions of people around the world struggled with substance addiction. Four of the most addictive substances are nicotine, alcohol, cocaine, and heroin.
How addiction affects the brain
Substance abuse affects many parts of the body, including the liver and kidney. However, the brain feels the most impact. When you consume alcohol and drugs, the brain responds by producing dopamine, which gives a feel-good sensation. With repeated consumption of these substances, the brain loses its ability to produce normal levels of dopamine without a trigger. The result is that the person will struggle to find happiness in pleasurable activities unless they go back to the substance.
How do addiction and dependence differ?
Addiction and dependence are two different terms that are often used interchangeably. Dependence is when a person has developed physical tolerance for drugs or alcohol. The problem can be resolved with gradual withdrawal from the substance.
Addiction is a different ball game altogether. It happens when the substance has been serially abused such that the brain’s chemistry is altered. The most obvious sign of addiction is uncontrollable craving for the substance. While anyone can resolve drug dependency, an addict will need treatment to get over their problem. Addiction treatment is a world of its own, and you have to play by the rules.
Warning signs that suggest a person is going into addiction
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is one of the best tools used for diagnosing addiction. This publication by the American Psychiatric Association has become a guide for professionals to determine the presence of addiction as well as to measure the severity. Below are the criteria addiction treatment studio city use for detecting and measuring addiction:
- Failed desire to limit use: you have the strong urge to cut back on substance use but find yourself helpless when it comes to taking action
- Loss of control: you want to limit your consumption of the substance to a certain amount of time but find yourself overshooting your limit
- Craving: there is a strong urge to use the substance which blocks out other reasoning
- Priority: acquiring the substance becomes your priority such that you don’t mind spending an awful amount of time to get it
- Relationships and responsibilities become secondary: you prefer to spend time taking your substance than on interpersonal relationships or other responsibilities
- Dangerous use: even with worsening physical or psychological problems the person finds it difficult to stop
- Develops tolerance: you start needing more of the substance to achieve the feeling you once got from a smaller quantity.
- Withdrawal syndrome: any attempt to stop taking the substance will lead to physical and emotional side effects like nausea, irritability, and anxiety
Overcoming addiction
The first and toughest step to addiction treatment is recognizing that you have a problem. When the addict acknowledges that he or she has a problem, that is when they’ll open their hearts to accept help. Addiction treatment studio city makes use of a combination of programs and evidence-based therapies to help struggling addicts regain their life.
Addiction treatment will vary depending on the specific substance the person is addicted to. A successful program should have the following parts:
- Detoxification: this process purges the body of the substance
- Behavioral counseling: the aim is to help the person identify the cause of the drug use and learn healthy coping skills
- Medication: co-occurring mental health conditions will need to be managed with medication. The medication prevents relapse too
- Follow-up: this helps to prevent relapse
Conclusion
No two addicts are the same. This is why every addiction treatment studio city program has to be customized to meet the specific need of the addict. Also, the treatment has to be holistic to achieve a lasting result.
Story by Jacob Maslow