A New State of Mind Through Addiction Treatment and Recovery
A New State of Mind Through Addiction Treatment and Recovery
Addiction treatment and recovery will make you proud that you have started a new life. Having an addiction problem is not something to hide. It is something to take responsibility for and get treatment to return to good health and sobriety. Addiction to drugs or alcohol is a condition that occurs in all facets of society and impacts every demographic. A worldwide problem, addiction to traditional drugs like cocaine and heroin remains high, and addicts today must also deal with the lure of new drugs like synthetic marijuana, methamphetamine, and prescription drugs. Each year it seems that a new drug has emerged as a new threat.
Commonly Abused Drugs
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there are four main types of prescription drugs in circulation today that a person may become addicted to.
- Pain relievers
- Sedatives
- Stimulants
- Tranquilizers
Pain relievers are the most abused prescription drug with at least 5.1 million people abusing this type of drug as of 2010 (the latest year for which such statistics are available). Unfortunately, prescription drugs have become a drug of choice for many adolescents. Statistics suggest that over-the-counter (OTC) medications are very popular with young addicts. Other drugs also remain popular as sources of drug abuse with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggesting that almost 8.9 percent of Americans over the age of 12 had used an illicit drug in the past month in a survey conducted in 2010. Additionally, approximately 7 percent of people over the age of 12 had used marijuana.
Other drugs also remain popular as sources of drug abuse with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggesting that almost 8.9 percent of Americans over the age of 12 had used an illicit drug in the past month in a survey conducted in 2010. Additionally, approximately 7 percent of people over the age of 12 had used marijuana.
Mental Illness and Substance Abuse
Millions of adults suffer from substance abuse, and millions of people experience mental illness. Many individuals deal with both at the same time. Recovering from a mental illness, while also dealing with a substance abuse problem, is incredibly difficult because of the way that the two issues feed off one another. A person who suffers from dual diagnosis can return to good health through addiction treatment and recovery.
Effects of Substance Abuse on the Body
The large pro-marijuana lobby is convincing millions of young people that smoking marijuana is a harmless activity. Unfortunately, this bad opinion about the effects of marijuana has spread to other drugs. People are trying drugs like methamphetamine and prescription drugs, assuming that it isn’t dangerous. Individuals believe that only hard drugs like cocaine and heroin are harmful.
Prescription drugs, when you use them correctly, help relieve pain and are necessary to assist with pain management and recovery from illness or injury. However, if you misuse them, they can become life-threatening. Abuse of prescription drugs may lead to heart attacks and coma as well as nausea, seizures, and psychosis. Hard drugs like cocaine may cause tremors and respiratory failure while marijuana may cause memory loss, cognitive issues, and infertility.
One of the most notable areas of the body that is impacted by drug use is the brain. Prolonged abuse may alter how the brain functions and sends signals through its various passageways. One of the reasons why addicts choose to use drugs intravenously (through the vein) is because the drugs reach the brain so fast and offer the most intense drug experience. Unfortunately, this habit also impacts the brain’s neurotransmitters and may render an individual incapable of regulating emotion or feeling happy.
Inpatient Addiction Treatment and Options
Mental health professionals often recommend inpatient treatment for people who are addicted to drugs or alcohol. Inpatient treatment is a focused environment where external distractions are kept to a minimum. A patient may work solely on entering into a state of recovery. However, there are different types of inpatient programs that vary in length and provide a different environment for patients. Inpatient facilities aid in addiction treatment and recovery by having many different programs from which to choose.
You can also receive addiction treatment and recovery through other programs. These programs are usually shorter but may provide outpatient treatment in the weeks after the initial assessment. These outpatient programs may require a person to spend his days at a facility and sleep at home under the watchful eye of a family member or parent.
Each addict will have different needs and a different recovery timeline. This means it’s vital that anyone who comes to a point where he or she wants to recover from an addiction must make an appointment to speak with a facility about a recovery program. Recovering without professional help is an insurmountable challenge for most people, especially if they are deep into their addiction.
Addiction Treatment and Recovery
Many former addicts who have been through addiction treatment and recovery feel that the recovery process is never actually complete and that recovery is a state that lasts forever. Incredibly, a survey suggests that at least 10 percent of adults have, at some time in their lives, been in recovery from an addiction to drugs or alcohol.
This means that over 23 million people in the United States have experienced problems with drinking too much alcohol or using drugs excessively but that those individuals were able to enter into treatment programs and lead healthy lives.
