Innovative, In-Depth Sauna Detoxification Provides Vital Relief from Cravings for Recovering Addicts
It’s one of those “everybody knows” data: It’s the irresistible cravings that make drug or alcohol addiction so hard to beat. Cravings for addictive prescription drugs, illicit drugs or alcohol are so strong that addicts will feel like life itself is dependent on getting and consuming their addictive substance.
In fact, drug and alcohol abuse creates cravings in two distinctly different ways. Drugs and alcohol rob the body of essential nutrients and that depletion causes tiredness, pain and cravings that an addict may want to cover up with more drug or alcohol use. Plus these substances leave behind toxic residues stored in the fatty tissues that are easily reactivated by stress, exercise or intense emotion.
These stored residues can interfere with hormones that affect moods and energy levels. That disruption causes cravings for what the body lacks or a similar substance, such as the drugs that originally caused the disruption. The reactivated residues can also act as a physical trigger for memories of drug-related experiences and discomforts from the past, causing a desire for more drugs or alcohol at these times.
The solution? A thorough detoxification of residual drug or alcohol toxins with a carefully-monitored program of exercise, sweating in a sauna and nutritional supplements. This is the Narconon New Life Detoxification Program, developed by author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard in the late 1970s.
“The Narconon New Life Detoxification Program has been helping people eliminate their cravings for nearly 30 years,” stated Ryan Thorpe, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead, one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers. “Our sauna detoxification program is a major reason we have a seventy percent success rate two years after graduation from our program. It is such a powerful program that those on this program talk about smelling or re-sensing the drugs being emitted from their bodies while they are in the sauna.”
After receiving medical approval to start, and under continuous and close supervision, people on this program exercise to stimulate circulation, spend time in a dry sauna and take a specific regimen of vitamins and minerals proven to support thorough detoxification. The end result of this program is a person who can think more clearly and whose physical cravings have been alleviated. The positive effect of this program is clearly evident in this compilation of comments from those who completed it:
“My sleep is great, my thoughts are clear and I don’t think about drugs anymore…” “I had the scent of alcohol coming out of me…” “My senses have improved enormously…” “The aches and pains have subsided and I can sleep for eight hours straight…” “Depression is now a thing of the past…” “(The) sauna (program) has also made me more calm and has gotten rid of my compulsive thoughts about using drugs…” “I don’t have that foggy feeling in my head that I used to have…” “I am not an evil person like I was on drugs.”
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What Does Detox In The Addiction Treatment Program In New Mexico Mean?
The detoxification process or detox process plays an important part in the addiction treatment program in New Mexico. The detox process cleanses the body of the addict and removes all the residual addictive substance from the body of the addicts. The detox process is also done for those who have some or the other digestive problems. The detox process helps them to fight with their digestive problems by cleaning their digestive system.
Detox treatment can be done on the entire body or also on certain body parts like kidney or colon. The detox process in regards to the addiction treatment in New Mexico means the removal of the toxins that are accumulated in the addict’s body due to their addiction habits. The addictive substances like drugs or alcohol doesn’t get metabolized completely inside the body and hence there is a great chance of toxins getting accumulated in the addict’s body. The main body parts like liver, kidney and the digestive system are the main places where these toxins get accumulated.
These toxins that are accumulated inside the body are harmful and can anytime result into severe health conditions. Even if the addict stops consuming the addictive substance, the already accumulated addictive substance can make the health conditions possible. Hence detox process is performed on the addict in the addiction treatment program in New Mexico. The detox can ring the bodies of the addict back to their normal healthy self.
There are three main important purposes of carrying a detox treatment on the addict.
1. Due to the presence of the accumulated addictive substance in the body of the addict, the body of the patient may be already having certain health conditions. By removing those toxins, the detox will make it possible for the addict to be healthy again.
2. Many addicts can come out of their addiction without undergoing any treatment. But the already accumulated addictive substance in the body of the patient can anytime be dangerous for the addict. The detox treatment program in New Mexico will remove these substances from the body of the addict and thus help the patient come out of their addiction completely. Thus there is no future risk to the health of such patients.
3. Even if the accumulated substance remains in the body, the addict can anytime feel like having more of that substance. Thus the body can feel cravings towards the addictive substance in future. Thus unless and until the entire body is cleaned by means of detox treatment program, the addict cannot come out off their addiction. The detox will take care and remove all the addictive substances from the body of the addict and thus make the addict come out of their addiction.
The detox treatment is a very important aspect of any addiction treatment program in New Mexico. The recovery of the addict becomes a speedy process because of the detox treatment center. During the detox program, the patient will be asked to completely stay out of addiction. The patient will be given medications so that their body will not feel any need to consume the addictive substances.
Depending upon the level of addiction of the addict, he or she will start feeling the need to consume the addictive substance. The body of the patient will start showing certain symptoms in absence of those substances. These are known as withdrawal symptoms. When this stage arises, the healthcare providers will try to control the withdrawal symptoms by giving certain medications. Thus the patient will be bought back out of these withdrawal symptoms.
The patient will be given various medications for controlling their temptations to consume the addictive substance and also to make their bodies normal. These steps play a very important role in boring the addict out of their addiction. Thus the detox treatment is given more importance in the overall addiction treatment program in New Mexico. The length of the detox treatment is different for different patients.
The overall length depends upon the level of addiction of the patient, the age of the patient and the number of years the patient is into addiction. The detox treatment process for teenagers is lengthier compared to that for adults. The teenagers get more dependants on the addictive substance and hence they may have severe withdrawal symptoms. To bring their bodies back to their normal selves more than three weeks will be needed for completing the detox program. The normal length of the detox program is anything from three days up to three weeks.
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Addiction to anything is harmful. Some kind of addictions is less harmful, while some others can assume life threatening proportions. Alcohol addiction and drug addiction falls in this category. Alcohol abuse is a very common malady that is affecting even the best talented persons in our country. However, holistic addiction treatment methods are found to be fruitful to lead addicts on the path of recovery.
Most of the unfortunate souls caught in the tentacles of addiction never realise its dreadful impact till very late. Many end their lives as total wrecks. Another very pathetic aspect of alcohol or drug addiction is that it is not only the addict that suffers, but his family members, friends etc are forced to suffer the brunt. They never get a peaceful and fruitful life when such an addict is part of their life. This makes it all the more important to try addiction recovery treatment as early as possible.
Addiction is like quicksand. Once somebody falls into it, there is no recovery without any outside help. This outside help can come in the form of addiction treatment and rehabilitation centres. There are basically two types of addiction treatment. The effectiveness of these two differs vastly due to their varied approaches. The older type addresses only the physical aspect of addiction, while the new holistic approach treats the mind as well as the body of addict and rehabilitates him or her back into the society.
The speed of recovery depends on the level of cooperation from the addict himself. The emphasis is on self education. The addict is made to understand the pitfalls of addiction so that he willingly stays away from drugs or alcohol. The induction of holistic addiction treatment methods has greatly increased the reliability of rehabilitation. The number of recovered addicts in our midst vouches for this fact.
In most addiction cases, it has been observed, that the human mind plays an all important role in making a person an addict. Most people resort to alcohol and drug abuse to escape from the painful realities of life. So it is very important to help the addict gain a certain level of mental strength to cope with everything that comes before him. Holistic addiction treatment gives more emphasis to this.
Addiction treatment starts with the analysis and detox stage. Detoxification is a stage where the body of the addict is cleansed of any harmful remains of chemical toxins induced due to prolonged addiction. These toxins make the addict crave for more intoxicating substances all the time. This craving disappears after detoxification.
However, the real challenge starts here. If the addict is discharged at this stage, it is hundred percent sure that he or she would again relapse into addiction as the main culprit, the mind, is still not cured. The second stage, which is designed to address the mind, starts now. Proper counselling, group activities and the likes help the addict to gain self confidence, courage and wisdom. It is heartening to note that most addicts who went through this step of addiction recovery have found a new life after graduating from the asylum.
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Gambling addiction is an obsessive and compulsive behaviour which involves a person being addicted to gambling. Whether the gambling involves betting on horse racing, casino black jack tables or slot machines, the sufferer falls victim to compulsively seeking the ‘high’ gained from gambling.
Why do people become addicted to gambling?
Gambling addiction is like any other addiction. As with drug addicts and alcoholics, gambling addicts suffer from a disease – it is incurable and progressive. Yet with treatment and a daily programme of recovery, it can be arrested and maintained.
When a gambling addict engages in gambling and the related behaviours that go with it, they experience an escape from their feelings. Addicts are individuals who very often do not know how to cope with their feelings and emotions. Thus follows behaviour to take them away from the present, leaving their emotional capacity hollow. The disease of addiction can be described as a “hole in the soul” – a spiritual void which gambling addicts attempt to fill with destructive behaviour and short-term highs.
Surprisingly, many gambling addicts describe the pull of gambling addiction as involving losing at gambling more than winning, although winning does provide an incredible high. The loss of money and possessions fills them with a desperate need for hope of gaining control again, leading them to act out compulsively on gambling behaviour over and over again.
What happens when a person is addicted to gambling?
Unable to control their obsessive and compulsive gambling, addicts are taken to a very dark place, which grows increasingly worse over time. Losing families, jobs, houses, cars and all other possessions, but mostly self respect, the gambling addict is left in a place of total unmanageability where their life has suffered complete destruction. Suicide is common amongst gambling addicts as they see no other solution to their habit and loss of livelihood. Even though they want nothing more than to be free of their compulsion to gamble, they cannot stop, they do not know how to stop, and cannot see a life free of gambling.
How does a gambling addict recover?
As with any addiction, for a person who is a gambling addict to begin recovery, they will need to stop their gambling behaviours in order for healing to begin. However, the problems which a gambling addict needs to deal with are in fact, not gambling. The obsessive and compulsive behaviours are not the problem – they are a symptom of the disease of addiction, revealing that something is very wrong within the person. As with drug addicts and alcoholics, the behaviour is caused by the addiction. The behaviour is not the cause. Yet a gambling addict will need to stop the behaviours to begin recovery, as the behaviours provide the escape from their problems which they seek, allowing them to avoid the true problem.
Moving to other cities or locations (known as geographicals), staying away from casinos and other places associated with their addiction and other external elements which can be blamed may seem the right route to wellness. But the addiction is within the gambling addict and will surface wherever they are, no matter what they do, unless they treat the underlying problems and issues.
Gambling addiction and rehabilitation centres
Many gambling addicts are admitted to in-patient treatment facilities or out patient therapy programmes, depending on the severity of their problem. One on one therapy and group therapy in a nurturing environment is a highly successful treatment method for gambling addiction, allowing the gambling addict to address their underlying issues.
Treatment in a rehab facility is also beneficial as they are able to heal in a nurturing environment with other sufferers who can provide support, insight and relate to their problems and feelings. In a treatment facility, a gambling addict is able to learn a new way of life, without the need to use gambling as a way of escaping their problems.
However, learning a new way of life in a facility is just one part of recovery from gambling addiction. For a gambling addict to maintain abstinence from gambling, a programme of recover needs to be adhered to on a daily basis. As mentioned before, gambling addiction is an incurable and progressive disease. It will not ‘go away; but can be arrested and maintained through daily recovery and vigilance.
The Twelve Steps of Gamblers Anonymous
The use of a Twelve Step Programme as used in the Twelve Step fellowship dealing with gambling addiction Gamblers Anonymous (GA), as well as intensive therapy is a highly successful method of treating gambling addiction, whilst allowing the sufferer the introduction to continued recovery and abstinence they need. Relapses do happen, but with a Twelve Step programme of recovery, a gambling addict is able to harness tools to help them cope with daily life, the problems and feelings they have been avoiding and difficult times without reverting to the destructive obsessive and compulsive behaviours which accompany gambling addiction.
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What Are Some Family Issues That Obstruct Addiction Treatment In Nevada?
There are many things that create problems when it comes to joining a center for addiction treatment in Nevada. Out of all these problems the family of the addicts creates the majority of the problems. The family of the addict in their blind love towards the addict creates many hurdles in the success rate of addiction treatment program in Nevada. This happens mostly due to the ignorance of the family of the addict as they don’t know what all side effects of substance abuse their loved one need to face if he or she will not take timely treatment.
Some of the common problems during addiction treatment in Nevada that arise on account of the family of the addict are described here. If anyone in your family is into substance abuse, then take care that you are not creating any of these problems in the way of the addiction treatment program of your loved one.
Ignorance:
Many families in Nevada are ignorant about what addiction is and how dangerous addiction can be. The families think that no one from their family can get into addiction and it is something, which they never will have to deal with. This thinking of these families is creating the biggest problem when it comes to the addiction treatment in Nevada.
The ignorance of these families towards the substance abuse issue makes it difficult to now about the addiction of their family member. The family comes to know about the addiction problem of their loved one when it becomes too late. If the families will know before hand then the addict can be given treatment on time and this will save them from getting deeper into the addiction pit.
That is the reason there are various kind of centers who arrange education on this issue by conducting seminars and workshops in school place and workplace. The families will be given proper guidance and education on how to judge that signs and symptoms addiction. The families will also be told what they can do if they know about the addiction in one of their family member. The schoolteachers and school counselors make it a point to tell the parents in case their children are into addiction. The counselors will guide the parents what they can do to help their children come out of their addiction. In workplace also same logic is followed by the various centers that provide educational activities to educate people.
To make the families educated about the issue of substance abuse the addiction treatment authorities in Nevada have launched many awareness programs and the government is spending money by making it popular with the help of the media. This will help family to understand the problem of substance abuse and will also make them able to fight with it.
Codependency:
This problem is also commonly seen and it is playing disaster in the addiction treatment programs in Nevada. Codependency means any outside party is keeping the addict away from getting into a treatment program and get out of addiction. In many cases this outside party is no one but the family of the addict.
Some families know about that their loved one is into some or other kind of addiction but they try to cover things so as to hide their loved one’s addiction from society. They do so out of love, as they don’t want others to know about the addiction problem of their loved one. These families even ignore some of the minor offenses created by the addict. But by doing so the family is pushing their loved one more into addiction. The addict will feel anything they can do and their family still loves them. This behavior of the family members sends the wrong message to the addict that they are loved for their wrongdoings also.
Thus unknowingly the family is responsible for keeping the patient away from getting admitted to an addiction treatment in Nevada. For this reason the families in Nevada are being given proper counseling through all the educational workshops arranged by the addiction treatment centers in Nevada.
Emotional Problems:
The families of the addict take it to their heart when they come to know about the addiction problem of their loved one. The family members may face depression, anxiety, panic, and undergo stress. Thus the health of the family gets rocked and this in a way makes the addict feel worse and pushes them further into addiction. The family of the addict should be strong enough to handle the situation without getting panicky.
The proper training given by the addiction treatment centers in Nevada will make it possible for the families to take a hold of the situation and do the necessary arrangements for the treatment process of the addict.
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Causes and Consequences of Addictions
The task of defining addiction has challenged physicians, judges, clergy, addicts, their families, and the general public throughout history. There are as many potential definitions as there are groups with an interest in defining addiction. These definitions emphasize such things as physiological dependence, psychological dependence, family dynamics, behavioral problems, and morality. This list could be expanded at length, and NA could come up with its own definition and add it to the list. Addictions can be physical (of the body), psychological (of the mind), or both. In fact, almost any behavior can be termed an addiction if it becomes the primary focus of a person’s life, and especially if it results in harmful effects to one’s physical health and well-being. The term addiction is most commonly associated with a person’s compulsive and habitual desire to consume a chemical substance, such as alcohol or other drugs. The addict’s life is eventually dominated by the craving. It is estimated that up to 25 percent of the American population displays some form of addictive behavior.
Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that reduces inhibitions and anxiety. As the body becomes accustomed to a particular quantity of alcohol, more and more alcohol is needed to alter the drinker’s mental state in the desired way. Eventually, the liver (an organ that plays a key role in digestion, filtration of the blood, and the storage of nutrients) can become damaged by constant exposure to alcohol and its metabolites (by-products of alcohol’s breakdown). A damaged liver loses its ability to detoxify the blood, which can result in permanent mental changes, organ failure, and death.
Opiates (also called narcotics) are addictive drugs derived from opium, a drug made from poppy juice. They have a narcotic effect upon the body, meaning they dull the senses. In moderate doses, they relieve pain, promote a sense of well-being, and induce sleep; excessive doses, however, can cause coma or convulsions. Opiates include opium and its derivatives—morphine and heroin. Opium, a drug derived from the poppy, has been known since ancient times for its pain-relieving qualities and its ability to induce sleep. From the 1600s through the 1800s, it was widely used in Western medicine to treat a variety of ailments and was highly effective in deadening the sensation of pain during surgery. In China, addictive opium smoking was rampant by the late 1700s, where opium dens flourished. Some artists and writers of the nineteenth century claimed that opium use intensified their creativity by reducing their inhibitions.
Opium is grown around the world, and in some countries smoking the drug continues to be common, though it is outlawed except for medicinal purposes in most Western nations. Preparations of opium, such as paregoric, are sometimes prescribed for diarrhea. Codeine, an opium derivative, is an ingredient in many pain-relieving medications and cough syrups. Morphine is the active ingredient in opium. It is the most effective naturally occurring compound used for the relief of pain in medicine and surgery. Its narcotic properties also produce a calming effect, protecting the body’s system during traumatic shock. Once the hypodermic syringe (needle) was invented in 1853, the use of morphine injections for the relief of pain was adopted enthusiastically by the medical community. (Some doctors even taught their patients how inject themselves.) Morphine’s popularity extended to America’s Civil War battlefields, where the drug was used to treat wounded soldiers. Tragically, thousands of people worldwide became addicted to the drug.
In 1898, the Bayer corporation (the maker of aspirin) synthesized (produced by chemical means) heroin from morphine and marketed it as a remedy for morphine addiction. Heroin, however, proved to be even more addictive than morphine. Used in a powder form that is dissolved in water and injected into the user’s vein, heroin provides an immediate sensation of warmth and relaxation. Physical or mental pain is relieved, and the user enters a deeply relaxed state for a few hours. The powder also can be inhaled for a milder effect. Heroin is extremely habit-forming: with only a few doses the user is “hooked.”
Cocaine is a white, crystalline powder produced from the leaves of the coca plant, a South American shrub. It is extremely and powerfully addictive—some people need only a single exposure for addiction to occur. For centuries, South American -Indians have chewed the coca leaves for their stimulating and exhilarating effect. Cocaine came into use as a local anesthetic in the late 1800s because of its numbing properties. As a pain reliever and stimulant, it was a common ingredient in popular nonprescription medicines of the late 1800s and early 1900s. By the end of the twentieth century, cocaine was used only occasionally in the medical field, sometimes as a local anesthetic for some kinds of surgery. Most cocaine now is purchased and used illegally. The white powder is often inhaled (“snorted”), sometimes injected, and as free base is smoked. A solid crystalline form known as crack, the most potent form of cocaine, is also smoked. Unlike the opiates, which cause drowsiness, cocaine gives its users energy.
Caffeine is a stimulant found in coffee, tea, chocolate, and cola drinks. It has been part of the human diet for many centuries and is one of the most widely used central nervous system stimulants in the world. In recent years, researchers have raised questions about possible risks associated with high caffeine intake, but no definite conclusions have been reached about the harmfulness of moderate amounts. However, some experts consider drinking large amounts of coffee or cola beverages evidence of a true addiction to caffeine. Nicotine, the active ingredient in tobacco, is highly addictive, and cigarette smoking is among the most difficult habits for people to break. Many societies throughout the world have prized nicotine for its mood-altering properties: it is said to produce either relaxation or arousal, depending on the user’s state. Addiction to nicotine results in more than 400,000 premature deaths each year from smoking-related illnesses such as emphysema and lung cancer.
Withdrawal symptoms are caused by psychological, physiological, and chemical reactions in the body that are brought on as the amount of the addictive chemical in the blood begins to fall. Abrupt withdrawal from alcohol can result in uncontrollable bodily shaking, hallucinations, and seizures. Withdrawal from cigarettes can cause irritability and intense craving for nicotine. A coffee drinker may experience headaches and mood changes without the beverage. The hard drugs such as heroin and cocaine produce intense, sometimes violent, withdrawal symptoms. Abdominal pain, nausea, chills, tremors, sweating, hallucinations, and panic increase until eased by more of the same drug or treatment with medication to relieve the symptoms.
Interestingly, in addition to chemical addictions there are many physical addictions too which we either love to crave for out of our ignorance or appreciate and strive to rush for due to lack of proper information to the effect. Few of them may be cited here as prototype cases. Compulsive gambling begins with placing small bets on horses or playing low-stakes card games or craps. As the gambler experiences the exhilaration of winning, he or she engages in bigger, more frequent, and more irrational betting. Gamblers place ever-larger bets to make up for their losses and have been known to lose their jobs, their homes, and their families as a result of their addiction.
Among addictions, no other is so willingly embraced than that of a workaholic, or a person addicted to work. On the surface, it might be difficult to tell if a person is a workaholic or just a hard and loyal worker. However, if work overshadows all other responsibilities in a worker’s life, then the results can be telling. Focusing on work, workaholics tend to neglect their families, leaving the responsibility of raising their children solely to their spouses. All other social obligations are often neglected, as well. Finally, workaholics tend to neglect themselves, experiencing deteriorating health as they push themselves to the limit at work without regard for sleep or food. Counseling to identify the reason a person throws himself or herself into work is key for overcoming this addiction.
The Internet connects people all over the globe, exposing them to new cultures and offering vast amounts of information. But when the computer world begins to rival the real world, it becomes an addiction. Internet addiction insulates people from intimate settings and relationships. Some people would rather commune with a computer than with their spouses and children. Many marriages, families, and even promising careers at work have been lost because an individual has become addicted to the Internet. Other compulsions or addictions include exercise, especially running. Running long distances triggers the release of morphine like substances in the brain called endorphins, producing a feeling of euphoria or happiness. This is the “high” that runners often describe. The high feels so good that the compulsive runner may engage in his hobby despite bad weather, injury, or social and family obligations. Excessive weight loss can also occur as a result of compulsive exercise.
The single characteristic common among all addicts—whether their addiction is chemical or nonchemical—is low self-esteem. Some experts believe that certain people are born with the predisposition (tendency) to become addicted to drugs or alcohol, particularly if one or both of the biological parents was a substance abuser. Social and psychological factors also may lead an individual to addiction. A desire to fit in, an attempt to relieve anxiety, an inability to cope with the stresses of daily life—all of these factors have been cited as possible springboards to addiction.
Treatment of chemical addiction includes medical care of symptoms related to substance abuse and enrollment in a drug or alcohol rehabilitation program. In addition, participation in a self-help group such as Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous can provide the emotional support an addict needs to stay away from drugs or alcohol. Psychological counseling and self-help groups can also be effective in treating nonchemical addictions. It is often difficult to break the psychological and physical grip of addiction. Success depends upon the willingness of the addict to admit that a problem exists—and possession of the strength and determination to overcome it. Many former addicts have enough resolve to avoid drugs and alcohol for the rest of their lives, but studies show an equal number will take up the habit again.
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Addiction Psychology
an edited extract from ‘Understanding Addiction’
Addictive logic is summed up in the phrase “I want what I want and I want it now.” Emotional needs often feel very urgent and compulsive. Such emotional logic works to satisfy this urgency even if it is not in the best interest of the person.
At the very heart of the addictive psyche is the false belief that the objects or events associated with the addiction can bring genuine spiritual and emotional satisfaction. Becoming an addict is a gradual process in which the addict becomes emotionally seduced into believing that he or she can find satisfaction through the object or event – be it sex, gambling, alcohol, work etc.
The truth is that we only get temporary relief from these objects and events, but we don’t get real long-lasting satisfaction from them.
All of us have issues, pains, frustrations, and memories we would rather not have to face. At times, we have all used objects or events to avoid facing these. Addiction, however, becomes a lifestyle in which the person loses control of the use of these objects and events and gets locked into an emotional avoidance of real life. Addicts keep delaying life issues as a way of nurturing themselves.
All of us have the potential to form addictive relationships with any number of different objects or events, especially during stressful times when we would welcome a promise of relief and comfort. However, avoiding reality and responsibility by the addictive use of objects and events is ultimately an ineffective way of healing pain and anxiety. The mood change created by acting out an addiction is very temporary, and only creates an illusion of real satisfaction.
For example, the food addict binges after a fight with his partner and finds the illusion of peace. For the moment, he feels full, both physically and emotionally instead of empty. During such moments, there is an intense sense of comfort. In a similar way, the compulsive gambler gets lost in the action and feels excited, confident, and sure of herself. This time she knows she has picked a winner.
Slowly, addicts start to depend on the addictive process for a sense of well-being and personal identity. Their lives become ruled by the pursuit of their addiction.
Addiction starts out as an emotional illusion that is entrenched in the addict before others around the addict or even the addict himself realizes that an addictive relationship has been formed. The addict starts to build a defense system to protect the addictive belief system against attacks from others, but only after the addiction is well established on an emotional level. On a thoughtful, intellectual level, the addict knows that an object cannot bring emotional fulfillment. Alcoholics have heard the old saying “You can’t escape into a bottle.” Workaholics know “there’s more to life than just work.” Addictive spenders understand “money can’t buy happiness.”
The illness of addiction begins very deep within a person and his or her suffering takes place on an emotional level. Intimacy, positive or negative, is an emotional experience that is not logically evaluated. Addiction is an emotional relationship with an object or event, through which addicts try to meet their needs for intimacy. When looked at in this way, the logic of addiction starts to become clear. When compulsive eaters feel sad, they eat to feel better. When alcoholics start to feel out of control with anger, they have a couple of drinks to get back in control.
Addiction is very logical and follows a logical progression, but this progression is based on an emotional logic, not intellectual logic. A person who tries to understand addiction using intellectual logic will become frustrated and feel manipulated by the addict. Talking one-on-one with only a counsellor and without a support group is usually ineffective in convincing addicted persons to end their destructive, addictive relationships.
Addictive logic can be summed up in the phrase “I want what I want and I want it now.” Emotional needs often feel very urgent and compulsive. Such emotional logic works to satisfy this urgency even if it is not in the best interest of the person.
For example, a compulsive gambler tells himself he is done gambling for the week. Shortly, however, he has a rough day at work and feels uneasy, so he looks over his racing form to try to ease his feelings, still telling himself he won’t gamble anymore this week. While reviewing the racing form, he starts to hear his emotional logic telling him he has found a sure bet. “Why didn’t I see this before?” he says. “It would be crazy for me to miss this opportunity!” Thus, he becomes pitted against himself – one side believing in his ‘sure thing,’ the other reminding him of his promise not to gamble for the rest of the week. Inside, the emotional pressure builds. Because addiction involves the deep need to have emotional needs met and emotional pressures relieved, he finally must give in to his urge, especially after he has convinced himself he would be stupid not to grab this opportunity.
Thus addictive logic pits the addict against himself or herself.
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Drug addiction is a condition which is widely misunderstood in society today. The effects of substance abuse are far reaching, impacting negatively on not only the addict, and all those close to them too.
Because addiction begins with a choice to pick up the substance, most people blame drug users completely for their condition and show very little empathy, which adds to the stigma and compounds the problem.
What may have begun as a bad choice can escalates into a vicious downward spiral of loss of control of the substances the person’s addicted to, until the drug addict cannot break free, but needs professional help and support to break out of the cycle.
It becomes almost impossible to simply give up drugs and both professional drug addiction treatment and community support may be necessary.
Why Do Drug Addicts Keep Using Drugs?
Most individuals who become addicted to drugs believe in the beginning of their drug using careers that they can give it up at any time. Most often they’ll attempt to give up on their own without getting professional help and drug addiction treatment.
Some may find a measure of success, however many people fail to reach long term recovery. Substance abuse which has been ongoing generally results in the brain altering to new patterns which continue even after the person stops using drugs.
The changes in the brain can result in behavioural consequences, such as a loss of control of drug use even in the face of the negative effects.
Intense cravings for drugs can be triggered from things like work related stress, family issues, mental illness, pain caused by medical problems, old friends from drug using days, and environmental reminders of drug abuse. (places, smells, objects, etc.) Sometimes the individual is not even consciously aware of the trigger.
It is advisable for an addict to consider treatment for giving up drugs. Help is available and participation in treatment is beneficial to recovery in addicts, even severely addicted people.
Drug Addiction Treatment
Drug addiction treatment depends on the type of drugs being used, the length of time they have been used and the characteristic of the addict. The best treatment usually has a mix of treatments and services. The purpose of the treatment is to help those who are addicted to stop their lifestyle of drug abuse.
Treatment can take place in different settings and forms and it can be done over different lengths of time. The best treatment is that which is developed individually for a person. Addiction is prone to relapse, so treatment should be long term and have follow up group support when it is completed.
Drug addiction treatment which is most effective usually combines behavioural therapies (individual and group therapy) and medication which is monitored by medical staff trained in substance abuse. Many drug addicts also suffer from other health problems and have issues to deal with regarding family, work and social problems. All of these also need to be addressed during treatment.
Different medications help to ease the patient through withdrawal of different substances. These need to be monitored by professionals as most drug addicts use more than one substance. Sometimes antidepressants or other such medications need to be administered as well.
Along with the medication, therapy is essential to help people with motivation and to teach ways to cope with cravings. Therapy also guides patients on how to avoid future drug use and prevent relapse or deal with relapse if it happens. Therapy also deals with all the relational dynamics which the person deals with in life including family, friends and work colleagues. A combination of group therapy and individual therapy is usually effective.
Is Drug Addiction Treatment Effective?
The purpose of drug addiction treatment is for the patient to change their lifestyle of substance abuse and return to productive functioning in society. Research has shown that most people who receive long term treatment for drug addiction recover and fit back into society in an improved way. Individual treatment, however, depends on the severity of the addiction, the appropriateness of the treatment and the relationship between the patient and the treatment centre staff. With regard to relapse, drug addiction relapse follows a similar pattern to that of other chronic disorders like diabetes, asthma and hypertension.
Drug addiction should also be seen as a chronic disorder, like diabetes, which can be managed successfully. Treatment deals with the effects of drug abuse on the brain and allows the patient to return to a productive drug-free lifestyle. Of course, relapse is always a possibility, as with most chronic disorders, however it does not mean that treatment was a failure. Successful treatment generally requires continual monitoring and modification, where necessary.
Drug addiction treatment is the best way to reach recovery and improve the lifestyles of addicts and all those close to them. The ideal scenario would be where society supports the recovering addicts and the general negative mindset of the public changes to one of understanding and empathy, seeing addiction as a chronic disorder which needs treatment.
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