Addiction is a disease that the American Psychological Association recognizes as a chronic degenerative condition characterized by an inability to regulate the intake of a psychoactive substance after a period of sustained use. Addicts prioritize the drug over everything else, despite the fact that it makes it impossible to maintain a job or go to school, manage personal relationships, and has severe adverse health effects with long-term use. These psychoactive substances can also interact fatally with pre-existing conditions and cause accidental poisoning, as many drug dealers cut their product with general household items, like baking soda, medicine, or bleach, in order to increase their profit.
According to the Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, over 11 percent, or close to 20 million Americans, have used an illicit substance at least once in the past year. The largest risk group at risk of developing an addiction to a substance are individuals aged between 18 and 25. Youth drug use is also on the rise, with nearly half of all teens having reported using tobacco or marijuana by senior year, and 75 percent of those teens had used alcohol at least once. Despite these statistics, the number of patients who seek treatment at a rehabilitation facility, like drug rehab Austin, can be as low as one in seven.
There are several reasons for this disparity. Number one is that the U.S. has not made large systemic changes towards changing the perception of addiction. There is a societal stigma that exists around drug use, which blames the users for consuming the drugs. Addiction is affected by a variety of external factors, such as genetics, socio-economic background, family history, mental health to name a few. The stigma originates from outdated notions that ignore the science that explains why addiction is so hard to overcome without professional help, like at a drug detox austin
Given that addiction is a hard disease to recover from, we have put together this list of lessons from former addicts that might provide insight on your journey to sobriety. These are second-hand reports of what some Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous members had to say about their recovery.
"What an addict remembers is the high, the pleasure of these substances. He doesn’t remember the pain. So he goes back to it. These drugs provided me with temporary relief. I wanted to change my feelings of guilt and feeling low.”
Drugs are often used as coping mechanisms or strategies for dealing with stresses and triggers that come up in daily life. Sadly, for many addicts, this is their primary coping mechanism and one of the first things addressed in treatment.
“I messed up really bad. I was alone at home and continued meeting my friends. Heroin was awesome. The craving that came afterward. I wanted to quit but the truth is I liked the high.”
Addicts often justify their use. But in therapy and in many programs, the first step is accepting responsibility for your actions and forgiving yourself.
"Quitting is tough. I have to be mentally strong. I take one day at a time. I have been free from drugs for four years now. Sometimes my friends still call me and say let’s hang out. But I know if I go with them, I’ll fall back. It is hard to stay away. But I am trying."
Quitting and sobriety are life-long processes and are by no means easy, but with the right amount of perseverance and a good support network, there is an excellent chance of recovery.
It is imperative that during the journey of recovery, a patient's family be supportive. While it may be almost instinctual to be overprotective, providing love and understanding are what determines how a patient eventually feels about themselves, and about joining a recovery program, like at drug detox austin tx.
References.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/vbx53j/drug-users-talk-about-the-moment-they-decided-to-turn-their-lives-around
https://drugabusestatistics.org/
https://www.apa.org/topics/substance-use-abuse-addiction#:~:text=Addiction%20is%20a%20chronic%20disorder,influencing%20its%20development%20and%20maintenance.
