Addiction

Addiction claims the lives of millions people every year and destroys millions of families.  It is an escalating problem in the United States and continues to worsen every year.  The ever increasing influx of illegal drugs into this country and the continuing rise and mass marketing and promotion of legal drugs has driven addiction rates to an all time high.  Millions of people are suffering and our nation is in distress.  Prisons and jails are overpopulated with drug offenders and continue to grow.  One may ask, “What can be done about this terrible epidemic?  The first step is being able to understand addiction and taking the necessary steps and preventive measures to combat it and also being able to effectively treat addiction once it arises.   

Addiction is a complex disorder characterized by compulsive drug use. People who are addicted feel an overwhelming, uncontrollable need for drugs or alcohol, even in the face of negative consequences. This self-destructive behavior can be hard to understand. Why continue doing something that’s hurting you? Why is it so hard to stop? 

The answer lies in the brain. Repeated drug use alters the brain—causing long-lasting changes to the way it looks and functions. These brain changes interfere with your ability to think clearly, exercise good judgment, control your behavior, and feel normal without drugs. These changes are also responsible, in large part, for the drug cravings and compulsion to use that make addiction so powerful.

The path to drug addiction starts with experimentation. You or your loved one may have tried drugs out of curiosity, because friends were doing it, or in an effort to erase another problem. At first, the substance seems to solve the problem or make life better, so you use the drug more and more. 

But as the addiction progresses, getting and using the drug becomes more and more important and your ability to stop using is compromised. What begins as a voluntary choice turns into a physical and psychological need. The good news is that drug addiction is treatable. With treatment and support, you can counteract the disruptive effects of addiction and regain control of your life.

While each drug of abuse produces different physical effects, all abused substances share one thing in common. They hijack the brain’s normal “reward” pathways and alter the areas of the brain responsible for self-control, judgment, emotional regulation, motivation, memory, and learning. 

Whether you’re addicted to nicotine, alcohol, heroin, benzodiazepines, methamphetamine, or other opiates like oxycontin or vicodin, the effect on the brain is the same: an uncontrollable craving to use that is more important than anything else, including family, friends, career, and even your own health and happiness.

Addiction is ruining millions of people and needs to be confronted and handled in a successful and effective manner.  If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, please don’t hesitate to seek out help today.