January 11, 2022

How to Control Addiction

Can addiction be controlled? The answer is complex. In the U.S. alone, 23 million adults have battled drug addiction. Addiction to substances like alcohol, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and prescription drugs can lead to many unfortunate side effects.

Drug users can experience withdrawal sickness, psychological conditions, drug tolerance, lack of control, and loss of interest in activities. If a user displays three or more of these issues, a substance use disorder diagnosis is common.

Moreover, this condition impacts a user’s brain and personality, leading to a loss of self-control while abusing drugs. As users become more deeply addicted, they may continue to use the drug regardless of their harm to themselves and their loved ones.

Start to understand how to control addiction. It’s crucial to understand how addiction works.

We Have the Answers You’re Looking For

Jump to the answers you need to help your son or daughter.

If you or a loved one are struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, please call (385) 327-7418. Above all, our professionals can answer all your questions and help get you on the path to recovery today. So, if you are ready to start your new life call our number now.

Drugs Provide a Sense of Euphoria

Dopamine causes a feeling of euphoria. Because it is the “reward chemical” in the brain. Typically, this occurs naturally when humans repeatedly perform tasks that allow them to survive.

Tasks like eating or engaging with loved ones. Dopamine also contributes to our thinking patterns, interest engagement, and helps with focus.

Drugs cause a large and automatic flood of dopamine to the brain. Resulting in the “high” that a person feels. Addiction occurs when drug users begin to prioritize the pursuit of this high over other aspects of their lives.

Contrary to popular belief, drug addiction is a chronic illness. Though the first time that a person uses a drug it is, of course, a free choice. The inability to control drug addiction can quickly develop in certain people.

Addiction happens when a need for the drug becomes uncontrollable or difficult to curb. Despite the damage that it is causing to their lives. Changes in the brain also affect the severity of substance abuse disorder and the ability to control addictive behaviors.

Due to these changes, quitting drugs becomes a difficult process. Even for those who are strong-willed and motivated to stop.

If you, or someone you love, are suffering from addiction then call us today. We have a team of experts standing by ready to assist you in getting the help that you need.

Drug Addiction Statistics and Facts

White and Native American people, divorced and single individuals, and younger adults with lower incomes are all likely to engage in substance abuse. A 2018 study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) found the following:

38.7% of adults aged 18-25 had used illegal drugs in the past year.
About 9 million adults had both a serious mental illness and a substance use disorder.
Though men are more likely to use drugs, women develop substance abuse disorders at the same rate and may be more vulnerable to relapse.
Adults who are on parole have a greater rate of substance use disorder versus those who were not on supervised release.
People in metropolitan areas are more likely to become alcohol or drug dependent than their rural counterparts.

Losing the Ability to Control Substance Use

Substance abuse disorder can change a user’s personality, worsen cognitive ability, and transform brain structures. A drug-addicted individual eventually loses the capacity to control the use of an illicit drug or medicine. The resulting physical and psychological effects can include weight loss, insomnia, and less use of legal substances like nicotine, alcohol, and medical marijuana. Treatment should start if:

The drug user cannot stop on their own.
Withdrawal symptoms appear after drug use stops.
A user has engaged in risky behavior such as unprotected sex or the sharing of intravenous needles.
Drug use continues even as it damages a person’s life.

Recognizing that there may be a problem and a need to control addiction is a crucial first step in deciding to seek some type of treatment. Gathering as much information as possible will help to ease the transition to sobriety. Users should examine their drug use and themselves for the following:

Are any personal or professional relationships being affected by your substance use?
Are drugs being taken upon waking up and at regular intervals throughout the day?
Do you feel as though drugs are taking control of your life?
Is there a concern from family or friends about your substance abuse?
Has the personal property been sold or stolen in order to pay for drugs?

If any of these things are occurring in your life, treatment may be necessary. Admitting and accepting that you might have a problem is a courageous part of your recovery.

If you need help gaining control of your addiction call us today. We can even help if you are worried about a loved one. Our professional team is standing by ready to help you with your sober life.

Is Drug Addiction Treatable?

Current research on substance abuse disorder proves that drug addiction is a treatable illness. These studies have led to the introduction of comprehensive treatment for serious drug addiction. The goal of any such treatment is ultimately recovery. Recovery is abstinence from drug abuse in combination with the successful re-connection to a productive life.

Substance abuse disorder is a chronic illness just like arthritis or diabetes. There is no cure, but it is manageable through treatment. Modern-day addiction recovery includes more and more different types of treatment created to address the many complex issues that substance abuse disorder presents.

Additionally, it’s important to remember that relapse, or a return to drug abuse, does not mean that treatment has failed. Rather, it is a typical part of recovery. Because drug use can be a habitual impulse, it may take some users many attempts to attain long-term sobriety. Even so, many new treatment plans do include relapse deterrent tools.

There is Help

Many drug users feel very alone in their addiction, but support is not far away. Asking for help is one of the most important aspects of meaningful recovery. It can be difficult to seek out assistance with drug abuse, but more and more people are recovering from their addictions every day with the help of treatment. Treatment teaches an addict how to properly disengage from drug abuse behaviors, proper techniques in dealing with an addictive personality and resume a life free of addiction.

If you decide that you need help call us today. We offer many services to help you beat addiction, and start your road to sobriety. Our team of professionals is here to help you, and get you the proper treatment you need. Call us today, and start your new life tomorrow.

What Kind of Treatment Options Exist?

There are many different options available for substance abuse treatment. Any of the treatments below can lead to recovery:

Detoxification
Interim Care
Outpatient
Inpatient
Residential
Transitional Housing
Co-occurring mental health and substance use treatment
Telemedicine

Detoxification

This type of treatment is more of the first step towards recovery. It is designed to let the body rid itself of substances in a controlled setting. Varying degrees of withdrawal symptoms occur, including sweating, nausea, insomnia, anxiety, vomiting, and shakiness. Professional staff closely monitors the patient’s condition and may use medication to ease the more severe symptoms.

Interim Care

If acceptance to a detox facility, inpatient service, or any other type of treatment is not immediately available for a user, interim care can help them to manage while they wait. This type of care includes some of the same withdrawal medicines used in detox; access to emergency therapy is available as well. This treatment can help to close the gap between initially seeking help and being accepted into an outpatient or residential program.

Outpatient

Outpatient recovery works well for recovering addicts who will voluntarily show up for therapy and meetings. With this treatment, a user lives at home, so there is no overnight supervision. Due to this “hands-off” approach, it is imperative to have supportive friends and family members, access to a dependable vehicle and a safe and secure living arrangement.

Hospital Inpatient

Generally, this treatment best addresses more serious cases of substance abuse disorder. An addict lives at a facility full-time for several days or weeks. This program allows for a sharply focused treatment with no outside distractions. Though it is more expensive than other methods, inpatient hospital treatment produces a higher percentage of successfully recovered patients than outpatient programs.

Residential

These treatment programs are conducted in a residential home or apartment and can last anywhere from 30 days to 1 year. These homes provide a secure base for users who have successfully overcome detox and are moving forward in their sober journeys. Each house has its own rules and standards for those in recovery. These rules exist to facilitate long-term sobriety for all involved.

Transitional Housing

While progressing from an intensive treatment setting such as an inpatient hospital to a residential or outpatient program, a user may stay in transitional housing. This is a drug- and alcohol-free dwelling shared with other recovering addicts, also known as a sober living facility or halfway house. Specialized staff may offer education and employment aid, counseling, and access to caseworkers.

Co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment

For recovering addicts dealing with mental illness in addition to substance abuse disorder, this type of treatment is most effective. It is also quite common, as around half of substance abusers also struggle with mental illness. The co-occurring treatment combines two or more programs to address drug abuse problems successfully.

Telemedicine

As a much newer form of substance abuse treatment, telemedicine helps those who cannot get to a treatment facility on a regular basis. Counseling, support, and therapy can be done by phone, video conference, or a variety of internet services. While telemedicine cannot serve as the first step in recovery, it can be a critical tool for addicts who are far away from providers of in-person treatment.

If you need more information about certain treatments call us today. Our experts have tons of resources that can help make sure you choose the right type of treatment for you.

Recognizing Warning Signs

Certain situations, people, and environments can set off powerful cravings for users who are pursuing recovery. No matter what treatment plan is chosen, it is important to pay attention to the conditions that may lead to relapse.

Specific feelings, locations, and routines that can trigger dangerous behavior in addicts should be identified and avoided. Though it’s impossible to escape every situation that may trigger a former drug user, following a few simple steps can help contend with these feelings.

Stay away from locations where drugs are easily accessed.
Identify which strategies work best for preventing drug temptation.
Make new friends who do not use drugs.
Develop new interests such as painting, mountain climbing, or any other activity that can help distract attention away from drug use.
Find ways to relax and deal with stressors that do not involve drug use.

Having a Plan of Action

Creating a written plan of action solidifies your commitment to living a sober life. Because recovery is a lifelong process, establishing short- and long-term goals can help with the stress that accompanies a life of sobriety and learning how to control addiction. Make your goals as clear-cut and measurable as possible.

Short-term goals are achievable milestones set in the very near future. For instance, they may include a weekly call to a therapist, a commitment to start exercising, or abstinence from a drug for a relatively short duration such as three weeks.

Long-term goals are plans for your future that work towards ensuring lasting success. They might include re-establishing and repairing friendships or family relationships affected by drug abuse, pursuing a specific career, or making a resolution to remain sober for a year or more. However, it’s important to listen and adhere to controlling addiction tips as presented by your addiction treatment plan.

Finally, if you, or someone you love, are ready to get treatment or need more information call us today. Our experts will make sure you get the proper treatment. In addition, they will help you get sober and stay sober.

Start your new life today, call us now at (385)327-7418