What are the signs of substance abuse?
You may fail to meet daily obligations, steal money to pay for the substance or engage in risky behaviors, such as drinking and driving. You may also focus much time and attention on finding and using the drug or isolate yourself from family and friends. Many people with addictions deny their substance abuse problems.
What happens in addiction treatment?
Addiction treatment is a time that marks personal growth. You have to be courageous and strong to enter recovery from drugs and alcohol. An addiction is easy to get, but hard to overcome.
What is it like to be in recovery from addiction?
Being in recovery is a lifelong commitment that will not always come easy. 2. There is no “cure.” Attending a drug and alcohol rehab centre is not a cure. These places provide people with the appropriate tools to manage the disease and set them on the right path, but after that it is in the addict’s hands to remain sober and in recovery.
What are the best ways to recover from drug addiction?
Activities such as volunteering, exercising and attending classes are great options. 11. Work on mastering one positive change at a time. Addiction recovery requires change — this is clear.
What is considered the most effective treatment for substance abuse?
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT is a one-on-one therapy during which you meet privately with a therapist over a period of time. It's often considered the most effective therapy for drug and alcohol use disorders.
What are 3 reasons why someone does not seek treatment for their addiction?
They weren't ready to stop using. ... They couldn't afford it. ... They didn't know where to get treatment. ... They were afraid of what their neighbors might think. ... They were afraid it might affect their job.
How does substance abuse affect a person?
Seizures, stroke, mental confusion and brain damage. Lung disease. Problems with memory, attention and decision-making, which make daily living more difficult. Global effects of drugs on the body, such as breast development in men and increases in body temperature, which can lead to other health problems.
How does substance abuse affect you mentally?
If you or someone you care about is chronically using drugs or alcohol it can lead to changes in the brain, which can lead to mental health issues including paranoia, depression, anxiety, aggression, hallucinations, and other problems.
What are the barriers for a person seeking treatment?
Prominent barrier themesPublic, perceived and self-stigmatising attitudes to mental illness. ... Confidentiality and trust. ... Difficulty identifying the symptoms of mental illness. ... Lack of accessibility. ... Self-reliance. ... Concern about characteristics of provider. ... Knowledge about mental health services.More items...•
What are barriers for persons seeking substance abuse treatment?
6 Barriers that Get in the Way of Addiction TreatmentThey feel they do not need treatment. ... They are not ready to stop using. ... They do not have health coverage or cannot afford the costs. ... They worry about the negative effect treatment will have on job or school. ... They do not know where to go for help.
How does drugs affect your life?
Studies show that drug use increases your risk of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and psychosis. People with mental health issues also have a higher rate of drug use problems.
What are positive effects of drugs?
Pleasure is not just physical Pleasure is an obvious part of drug use and the short-term physical benefits are well known. Drugs can produce a “high”, give people energy, make them feel good, reduce stress and aid sleep. The social benefits of drug use are more complex to quantify.
What are the effects of substance use and abuse on the family?
Early exposure to a home divided by drug use can cause a child to feel emotionally and physically neglected and unsafe. As a result, they can become more mentally and emotionally unstable. Children may develop extreme guilt and self-blame for a parent's substance abuse.
How do drugs affect your social health?
Drugs can also cause users to become paranoid about their relationships, like thinking that their friends are turning against them. Drug users may even become aggressive and violent toward other people, even their family and friends. For these reasons and more, drugs can destroy friendships.
How does substance abuse cause depression?
Substance abuse can trigger or intensify the feelings of loneliness, sadness and hopelessness often associated with depression. An estimated one-third of people with major depression also have an alcohol problem.
Can I Really Tell a Therapist About My Substance Abuse Issues?
If you’re living with an active substance abuse disorder, you might be experiencing some of the consequences of addictive behavior. And, wondering if getting help is the best way for you to proceed with your life. But, if you’re like many others who deal with substance abuse, you may worry about the impact of getting that help.
Find Out How Therapy Can Help You With Substance Abuse Disorder
Therapy is often a vital tool in the treatment of substance abuse disorder or addiction. The goal of individual therapy for people living in active addiction is to not only address self-harming behaviors but identify why a person is using them in the first place.
Why is recovery important for substance abuse?
Recovery from substance abuse helps addicts and alcoholics to identify their best features and work to put those features in the foreground of their lives. Those in recovery also work to engage in “estimable acts,” actions about which they can feel good.
What to expect in rehab?
Feelings will come up in rehab. Here's what to expect. Woman enjoying the day. Most people wonder what addiction treatment will be like. In addition to a medical detox (separation from the substances of abuse), rehab is a lot about feeling the emotions that come up. Substance abuse allows us to run from our feelings.
What would happen if alcohol was removed?
If alcohol or drugs were the real problems, then simply getting off those substances would resolve the issue. The problem with addiction or substance abuse is that when drugs and alcohol are removed, the real issues a person has been running from will begin to surface. The following are some of the emotions individuals may begin to feel in ...
What is the goal of addiction treatment?
Restoring a sense of hope for the future is the main goal of addiction treatment. Shame: Shame is a feeling of humiliation or distress caused by one’s actions. Many substance abusers have done things that trouble them. They may have hurt people, lied, stolen, or been involved in criminal activity.
Can feelings be expressed on demand?
Or feelings will , for a short period, get “stuck” and cannot be expressed on demand. Having a tumult of unexplainable or unidentifiable emotions can be frustrating for those in treatment. This, however, is a common occurrence. The therapists in the treatment setting will help identify and work through these emotions.
Do addicts feel resigned to death?
Resignation to Death: Some addicts in treatment, especially those with suicidal ideation who have had friends die, or those who have overdosed a number of times, will feel resigned to death. They might wonder why they are even bothering with treatment, as overdose and death are perceived to be inevitable.
Is death an inevitable outcome of substance abuse?
Death is not the inevitable outcome of substance abuse if treatment is sought. Every day on this side of the grass is a gift, and despite how one might feel in the first few weeks of treatment, it's one that is deserved. SHARE. TWEET. EMAIL.
Treatment
Have you been properly reflecting on all that you have done in the addiction treatment process? Treatment for drugs or alcohol is marked by many new lessons, because addiction recovery is all about teaching a new way to live.
The Importance of Reflection
You can also ask yourself any questions that you see fit, and record your answers for further reflection. The exciting thing about writing down your answers, is seeing how they change— and how you change! Your growth will show as you get further into the recovery process, and more confident in yourself and your recovery.
How to recover from addiction?
11. Work on mastering one positive change at a time. Addiction recovery requires change — this is clear. However, the amount of change necessary can be overwhelming. Focus on mastering one positive change at a time, as slowly or as quickly as you can handle. 12.
How to help someone with addiction?
Diet and exercise are important in addiction recovery. Taking care of your overall physical health will lower your chances for relapse. A healthy mind and body goes a long way in addiction recovery.
How to move forward in addiction recovery?
Positive affirmations and intentions can be helpful, but addiction recovery requires actions. Taking small daily actions to improve your lifestyle and work towards your goals, such as walking for 15 minutes, or signing up for a new class to keep yourself busy is the only way to move forward. 8.
What to expect after finishing rehab?
After finishing alcohol or drug rehab, hopefully you feel prepared to start your road to long-term recovery. However, no matter how prepared you feel there are many aspects to addiction recovery that many addicts do not expect, and these can throw them off balance.
What is the first step to living sober?
Getting sober, or stopping the use of drugs and alcohol, is only the first step to living sober. Living sober requires making lifestyle changes that promote personal growth and long-term addiction recovery.
Why is complete abstinence recommended?
If you attended an addiction treatment centre then you are probably aware of the dangers of substituting alcohol for another drug of choice or vice versa — which is why complete abstinence from all substances is recommended. As well, it is important to be aware of the less talked about process addictions such as gambling, food, shopping, sex, or love that can also be used to fulfil the void of your previous addiction.
How to be thankful for what you have?
Being thankful for what you have will make you a more resilient, positive, and happy person. Practice writing down one thing each day that you are grateful for before bed each night and see what a difference it can make. 15. Overall health is important. Diet and exercise are important in addiction recovery.
How does substance abuse affect the brain?
Modern medical science has clearly demonstrated that chronic substance abuse – whether alcohol or drugs – causes physical and chemical changes within the brain. A person becomes physically dependent upon the substance of choice, to the point that they are unable to control their consumption.
What is the lesson of addiction?
Lesson #1 – Addiction Is a Disease. Once upon a time, people who overindulged with alcohol and drugs were thought to be “morally bankrupt” – that their problem was not one of consumption, but rather one of willpower. They were admonished to use “self-control” to “get a hold of themselves”.
Why is recovery so hard?
Recovery is so hard because it requires patience, constant effort, compromise, and unflinching honesty – all qualities that are not usually supported during addiction. All of these qualities need to be carefully cultivated and nurtured during treatment because their natural inclination will be to rebel.
How long does drug rehab last?
To avoid that, they have to learn new ways of dealing with thanks. Acquiring new, healthier coping methods takes time – inpatient drug rehab can last months, intensive outpatient therapy can last over a year, and perfecting new habits can take a lifetime.
Can you repeat drug rehab more than once?
This means that the substance abuser is always at risk of relapse – returning to drug use, and this is especially true during early recovery when withdrawal symptoms and cravings are the most severe. Most people have to repeat drug rehab more than once, in order for their recovery to eventually succeed.
Is there a one size fits all approach to addiction treatment?
Because there are so many influences, there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to treatment that is always 100% successful. I learned that the disease of addiction must be addressed on multiple levels – medical, physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual, nutritional, etc. – in order for the chances of a successful recovery to be maximized.
Can you will your way out of addiction?
Morality, willpower, and good intentions simply do not matter. You cannot “will” your way out of the disease of addiction, any more than you can make your mind to not have cancer or diabetes.
Why do people fail to follow through on their intention to end substance abuse?
There are a number of reasons for why people fail to follow through on their intention to end the substance abuse. If the individual understands these reasons, and takes actions to overcome them , it will mean that they can enter sobriety without the need for repeated relapse.
How long does it take to relapse from an addiction?
The majority of people who try to give up an addiction will fail – most of these individuals will re lapse within the first couple of days of quitting. It often takes repeated attempts before the individual is finally able to break free of alcohol or drugs, and some people never get to this point. There are a number of reasons for why people fail ...
Why do people fail to overcome addiction?
The majority of people who try to give up an addiction will fail – most of these individuals will relapse within the first couple of days of quitting. It often takes repeated attempts before the individual is finally able to break free of alcohol or drugs, and some people never get to this point.
Why do addicts have periods?
It can also occur when the individual is suffering because of bad hangover symptoms.
What does it mean when someone is unable to deny how bad their situation has become?
On such occasions the person is unable to deny how bad their situation has become, and this means that they develop the willingness to stop the behavior. Reaching this point is no guarantee of success because most addicts will have felt this way hundreds of times and still continued with the abuse.
Why should nothing else get in the way of recovery?
Nothing else should get in the way of recovery because if the individual fails in their attempts at sobriety they will lose everything anyway. * The person needs to be willing to do whatever it takes to stay sober. With this type of attitude they will not be able to fail.
Can you escape addiction without help?
* It can be difficult for people to escape addiction without help and some people seem to be incapable of doing it.
How to help someone with substance abuse?
You can also speak with your primary doctor or ask for a referral to a rehab center.
What are the signs of addiction?
Increasing the amount of the drug used to achieve high. Experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Behavioral signs of addiction also exist. You may fail to meet daily obligations, steal money to pay for the substance or engage in risky behaviors, such as drinking and driving.
Is opening up to someone scary?
Opening up to those closest to you can be a scary proposition. After all, you don’t know how they will respond. They may be shocked, discouraged or may even raise their voice. Others might respond more supportively as they already suspected a problem existed.
Do true friends respect you?
True friends, however, will respect your decision to abstain from drinking and avoid putting you in a situation that could compromise your sobriety. If they cannot refrain from drugs or alcohol when around you, or if they downplay the significance of your addiction, a new set of friends may be in order.
Can you hide substance abuse from your loved ones?
If they suspect an issue but don’t know how to approach you, they could feel anxious or even hurt that the confession and subsequent treatment are being prolonged. You cannot hide your substance abuse issues from your loved ones long term. Signs of addiction are difficult to conceal. Addiction symptoms may include:
Introduction
Family can be one of our greatest sources of physical security and emotional support. But family environments can also foster destructive emotions and behaviors, including substance abuse and addiction.
Substance Abuse: How Big Is the Problem?
In popular cultural stereotypes of the American family, drugs and alcohol are not part of a happy household. Yet statistics indicate that the problem of substance abuse affects people from all walks of life, including parents, children, spouses, and partners living in otherwise “normal” homes.
Detecting the Signs of Substance Abuse
No matter how well we think we know the people we share our homes and hearts with, every individual is capable of keeping secrets. Addiction, by its nature, drives the individual to suppress painful emotions and harmful behaviors in order to fuel episodes of drinking or using drugs.
How Addiction Affects the Family
Substance abuse affects a family on every level: emotional, psychological, financial, and social. A parent’s preoccupation with getting drunk or high can lead to neglect or abuse. The use of alcohol and drugs can lead to financial hardship, poverty, or bankruptcy.
Approaching the Problem
It’s never easy to bring up the subject of substance abuse with a family member, but in most cases, the person with the problem will not be the one to initiate this conversation.
Seeking Outside Intervention
Even when families approach the subject of addiction with a compassionate, nonjudgmental attitude, there are times when the best attempts to help a loved one fail. Addiction is a chronic disease of the brain that can distort reality, making the individual feel that change is impossible.
