3 Good Reasons to Quit Your Addiction Now

When addiction takes hold of you, it can be easy to simply give up on recovery and think that you’re too far gone to be rescued. Don’t believe that lie. Addiction thrives in your despair, forcing you to believe that you are worthless and that you can’t quit. If you’re looking for some inspiration to take that first step to recovery, consider these three ways your addiction negatively impacts your life:

Poorer health

When you abuse alcohol or drugs, you lower your immune system and open yourself up to serious diseases and health problems. And that’s not all—intravenous drug users increase their chances of contracting or spreading deadly blood-borne infections. Meanwhile, those who smoke their drug of choice make themselves vulnerable to lung problems and respiratory infections.

Reasons Why Drug and Alcohol Become Addicting

The first step to understating drug and alcohol dependency is knowing why and how it happens. Addiction is a chronic disease that is compulsive. It is a misconception that people who are addicted to dangerous substances are immoral or that willpower is enough to overcome the addiction. There is more to substance abuse than behavior; it is a complex disease that requires understanding.

Addiction Develops Gradually

It can start out in small doses at first and it becomes a problem when drug or alcohol consumption cannot be control and becomes a need. The dependency soon becomes so intense that it can consume the person wholly.

Addiction Fulfills a Need

This is particular for prescription drugs. If they help a person calm down, sleep, make the feeling of depression go away, or to help in energizing you for the day, they become a normal part of life. The next thing you know you cannot function “normally” without your daily dose.

Drugs or Alcohol Fill a Void

The high that comes with substance abuse becomes comforting. It becomes an escape to a “better” feeling and the brain and body relies on the chemicals to feel good about any experience.

Substance Abuse Takes Control

All the chemicals that the body has been subjected to become normal. It is no longer a voluntary choice to take drugs or to drink excessively, it becomes a physical and psychological need.

It will not be an easy feat to overcome addiction and it is not all down to willpower. Seeking professional help will increase the chances of recovery. Finding a suitable place like a specialized drug rehab and alcohol treatment in San Diego will make the process a notch easier. Admitting there is a problem is the first step, asking for help is the next.

Alcohol Consumption Becoming a Problem?

There’s no definite way of determining if a person’s drinking has escalated to “serious” levels—no cut and dry tests that can accurately say you have a severe drinking problem. However, there are certain signs that can indicate if someone is beginning to go over the top with their alcohol consumption or is already dependent.

If you’re starting to drink more than you can handle, you need to evaluate your drinking and be honest if it’s something to be concerned about. Maybe someone has already pointed to you that your alcohol consumption is getting out of hand. This is your first sign that you need to pay attention to how much you drink.

Addressing Addiction: How to Talk to an Addict

Although as many as 20 million Americans struggle with a form of addiction, the topic still remains taboo for many people. For family members living with an addict, finding effective ways of communicating about the problem becomes a challenge. The addict and the concerned loved one constantly walk on eggshells and this causes confusion and resentment which becomes a trigger for abuse. Here you can learn how to approach this sensitive topic effectively.

Be Kind and Listen

If the initial response is aggression, do not add fuel to the flame. Instead show kindness and compassion to defuse the tension. Once an addict feels safe and comfortable, they might open up about their problems. When they do, always lend an ear to make them and their problems feel important.

Be Consistent and Predictable

Turn your words into actions. If you are dedicated in helping in the recovery process, be consistent in your intentions so that there is no miscommunication. Addiction is very unpredictable, if you are predictable in your treatment towards them, this will lessen the stress in the atmosphere.

Show Unconditional Love and Support

Overcoming addiction will be tough. Showing an addict that your love and support will not waver is a confidence boost. It will be their blanket of comfort through the road of recovery.

Do it Their Way, but Express Your Limits

Offering to help without being demanding will give them the feeling of control over their lives. Although it is important for the addict to go through the process at their own pace, you also have to set boundaries and be clear that you will not be an enabler.

Seek Professional Help

Getting the right treatment from a drug rehab and alcohol treatment center in San Diego will increase the chances of recovery. This will become a safe haven for those struggling with external triggers. It will be a hard journey, but showing dedication and support during and after the treatment can play a major factor in an addict’s full recovery.

Riverside Drug Rehab Center: Path to Recovery

Medications are produced to cure illnesses in prescribed dosages, but beyond that will cause adverse consequences both on the user and his environment. Drug addiction is often the cause of irrational behavior, violent crimes, and social hostility, among others. Despite these known effects, exact symptoms for this disorder have yet to be discovered.

The Start of Addiction

People with an addiction have lost control over what they are doing, taking, or using. Their addiction may get worse and reach a point at which it is harmful for them. They may persist doing it in spite of the damaging effects on their health, career, family and relationships. Addiction exerts a powerful influence in the brain that shows in three ways: craving for the object of addiction, its uncontrollable use, and continuing involvement with it despite the consequences.

From Liking to Wanting

No one starts out aiming to develop an addiction, but many people get caught in its trap. Behavior plays an important role, especially when it comes to strengthening a habit. The brain registers all kinds of pleasure in the same way, whether it’s with a psychoactive drug, monetary reward, sexual encounter, or a satisfying meal.

Dopamine in the brain does not only contributes to the pleasure, but also plays a role in learning and memory; two elements in the transition from liking something to becoming addicted to it. Ranch Creek Recovery provides quality recovery treatment services to patients who are needing to overcome their addiction. Move forward in positivity with us.

Methamphetamine Addiction and Treatment

Methamphetamine, popularly known as meth, is a stimulant drug that is highly addictive. It can be smoked, snorted, injected, dissolved in water or alcohol, or taken through the mouth. Medically, it can be prescribed by a doctor to help treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other conditions, though this is rarely the case.