The causes of drug addiction are something that everyone should know about. Even if you have never used drugs, you should know in case someone you love is in trouble. Your child may need to you to know this too, when he is young and needs to be educated. From teen drug addiction to life threatening severe cases in adults, the causes of drug addiction are indications that your condition needs attention. In fact, once you learn the causes of drug addiction, drug and alcohol addiction recovery can begin.
How Does It Happen?
If you are someone looking in from how drug addiction happens, do not be too harsh to judge. All it takes is one experiment, one time of wanting just see what the big deal is to make a serious problem start. The high that people get from drugs is something that draws them back for maybe just one more time. Soon it becomes something that they can no longer shake. The experiment is now out of their hands.
The causes of drug addiction are not the things that we can control, like that experiment. Although it may seem harmless, within just a few times of trying it out, it can become lethally addictive. That is where the problem truly lies. Once the experiment has gotten to this level, it is out of the person's control.
What you will learn about alcohol and drug detox is that it is not about the person's will to stop doing what they are doing. It is more so about the actual problem that lies within the brain during an addiction. What you will learn through your drug and alcohol addiction recovery is that the brain needs to be retrained from the addiction. The brain will demand the drugs. That is because the brain is now much different, transformed even. It is different in both its functions as well as its structure.
Every time you reach that high from a drug, you are in fact changing your brain's chemistry. This is what causes drug addiction and this is what makes it inevitable that those that continue to use drugs will in fact become addicted to it. Drug abuse is not something anyone sets out to do, but once that one experiment leads to a few more; it is a sure path to becoming addicted.
With this being the cause of drug addiction, the brain's ability to function is severely limited. Every time things can be worsened. You should consider drug addiction a disease of the brain in which over time it becomes more and more damaged by the toxins. Eventually, if the user does not seek drug and alcohol addiction recovery, he or she will experience a range of health problems including the slow destruction of the brain.
The good news is that with a successful drug and alcohol addiction treatment program, the user can put a stop to this destruction.
Entering and growing in recovery or working on sobriety is much different than abstinence, simply stopping the use of drugs and alcohol. Becoming sober is a process, not an event. Some people enter treatment, complete it and believe they are done; that is no so.
Achieving sobriety and growing in recovery is a progressive, developmental process. There are phases of recovery which are moved through, each with its unique tasks, lessons and skills to be acquired. The first building block of sobriety, the cornerstone in fact, is achieving abstinence. Here is what is meant by abstinence:
Abstinence -
Becoming abstinent, stopping the use of all mood altering drugs, is the necessary first task that must be accomplished in working toward a life in recovery. However, it is not by itself sobriety. It is like paying the admission fee at the amusement park, not the attractions themselves. Abstinence is an all or nothing proposition, either you have quit absolutely, or not. To enter into sobriety requires total abstinenceof all mood altering substances. This is the first building block of sobriety.
Sobriety -
Sobriety can be described as living a full, rewarding and meaningful life without the need for drugs and/or alcohol and without their use. There is movement from a life of dependence, destruction, and being unfulfilled to one of emotional, physical and spiritual health. Sobriety can be described as a way of life that involves healthy relationships, communication, and personal growth. Entering recovery is about learning and refining a new set of sober living skills.
Underlying fundamental beliefs of sobriety.
There are some fundamental principles that most would agree need to be identified, processed and accepted, in order to form a firm foundation in recovery. Here they are:
1. Sobriety is a process, not an event; in fact, it is a lifelong process that is not easy but definitely possible.
2. One is never at a standstill; you are either moving away from a drink or drug or closer, your actions determine your direction.
3. Complete abstinence + growth in recovery = sobriety
4. Sobriety is a pro-active program. A thought is just a thought, nothing happens unless you take action. Simple intellectual acceptance is not enough.
5. There are underlying principles of recovery that must be learned, the first is rigorous personal honesty and integrity.
This is only the briefest of introductions, there is much more to be learned.
Both Jim Johnson & Bill Urell are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Bill Urell has sinced written about articles on various topics from Web Development, Health and Online College. And now I would like to invite you to access our complete gallery of resources on alcohol and recovery at our Authority Site. You may also claim our Fre. Bill Urell's top article generates over 74000 views. to your Favourites.