Author: Gary Jackson

Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction: Preface

Whether you are contemplating this decision or it’s already been made, you should be proud of yourself for taking this important first step. You may have heard people say, “once they hit rock bottom, they’ll get help.” This saying is dangerous because it encourages a person to keep going until they are near death or an overdose. It implies that doing more drugs will somehow help you get treatment. However, the contrary is true—a person should seek treatment early on in the addiction.

Modern science has shown that addiction is a disease, not a choice. David Sack, M.D., is board certified in addiction psychiatry and addiction medicine and serves as CMO of Elements Behavioral Health and Promises Treatment Centers. These myths hurt families and friends – and they make it harder for people to get well. 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. Check out our blog posts and resource links for the latest information on substance abuse.

Myth 2: Only Illegal Drugs Are Addictive

At Gateway, we use Suboxone or Vivitrol instead when necessary. You will also spend time learning how to take care of your body and mind through healthy eating and exercise. Developing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help you heal from the effects of addiction, physically and emotionally. If you’re on the fence about entering a program, you need accurate information to help you make informed decisions about which program is best for you. You may have heard a few facts about addiction recovery along the way, but let’s separate fact from fiction. Addiction is a chronic, long-term condition that can be managed but can’t be cured.

Factors that put an individual at a higher risk for addiction include exposure to trauma, substance use in the family, certain mental health disorders, and other factors. Some of these substances can create life-threatening withdrawal effects and need to be tapered off. Abruptly stopping a substance also isn’t feasible for most people living with addiction. Addiction occurs due to physical changes in the brain’s chemistry, and some people may be predisposed to develop a substance use disorder due to genetics, trauma, and other factors. Contra the NIDA, addiction is a disorder of the lives and lived experience of human beings, the remedy for which is that people must develop a sense of personal agency within a supportive setting and community.

Addiction Affects Only Weak People

But there are marked differences between the prescription medicine in rehab and the drugs a person may be addicted to. Despite the fact that prescription drug abuse has reached epidemic proportions in the past decade, the use of “legal” drugs to get high carries less stigma than the use of illicit drugs. Once your body is no longer chemically dependent on alcohol or drugs, more work begins.

Scientists use this knowledge to develop effective prevention and treatment approaches that reduce the toll drug use takes on individuals, families, and communities. Scientists and researchers have categorized addiction as a “complex disease.” But that doesn’t mean there is no help or hope for addiction issues. In fact, rehab facilities have made great strides in developing treatments for people who struggle with drug or alcohol abuse. Just like any other disease, you can find relief for this disorder. The cost of rehab with insurance can be much more affordable than paying on your own.

Myth #4: Detox is enough.

In some cases, these symptoms are so severe, they will make you want to go back to drugs or alcohol just to find some relief. When you undergo medically supervised withdrawal, you choose to be surrounded by a team of experienced, compassionate individuals who can make you more comfortable and help you find relief without going back to your addiction. 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. As a result of scientific research, we know that addiction is a medical disorder that affects the brain and changes behavior. We have identified many of the biological and environmental risk factors and are beginning to search for the genetic variations that contribute to the development and progression of the disorder.

• They may feel there’s no hope after a relapse and that they should give up.
• If you’re on the fence about entering a program, you need accurate information to help you make informed decisions about which program is best for you.
• And nothing refutes personal agency like the so-called medical model that addiction is a disease invading from outside the person, a point of view propounded for decades by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
• Offering residential, outpatient and day treatment options, Gateway is committed to helping you find a way forward.
• Addiction occurs due to physical changes in the brain’s chemistry, and some people may be predisposed to develop a substance use disorder due to genetics, trauma, and other factors.

However, other people are blinded by myths concerning addiction that keep them from getting off drugs or alcohol. Let’s take a look at 5 addiction myths that may be holding you back. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals.

Myth #3: You can’t get addicted to marijuana or vaping.

Effective treatment methods for addiction need to consider someone’s personal circumstances and psychological needs. Addiction treatment needs vary from person to person, and not all treatments are effective for every individual. If someone looks at the behavior of someone living with addiction, they may believe that the person lacks morality, but addiction causes compulsion.

• 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.
• I am CEO of Elements Behavioral Health, a network of mental health and addiction treatment centers that includes Promises, The Ranch, Right Step, The Recovery Place, The Sexual Recovery Institute, Malibu Vista, and Spirit Lodge.
• Based on this data, it is clear that substance use disorders are far more common than many people realize.
• Also, the less severe the addiction, the more likely someone is to avoid relapse altogether.

Some supplement their primary drug of choice with whatever is readily available (e.g., using prescription opiates and heroin interchangeably). First, when your body begins to experience intense withdrawal symptoms, they may be so unbearable that you could be tempted to give up and seek out drugs or alcohol to stop them. During withdrawal, you will likely experience some intense physical symptoms that may cause you pain or discomfort.