Addiction destroys lives. There is no compromise or halfway measure that will solve this. This is why it has to end. The million-dollar question is: HOW?

Knowing that it can destroy life and health, it is logical for most people to want to quit. Usually the decision to quit comes when they realize that the addiction has gone beyond their control and is destroying what they value in their lives—their most important relationships, their health, careers, and future.

However, quitting isn’t easy. It can’t happen overnight. The process of disentangling from the sticky webs of addiction can be a long, tortuous journey. Entering rehabilitation or medically assisted detoxification is just an affirmation that the journey toward a better life has started—there is still a long road of challenges to face. If you feel you’re serious and ready to embark on a successful journey, arm yourself by working on permanent resolution with the right counselor.

Some Hard Truths about Addiction: What You Need to Know

Addictive substances can alter brain chemistry.

Addiction isn’t easy to overcome, but knowledge about how it affects the brain is improving methods of treatment and prevention. For instance, it is now known that the effects of drugs on the brain are difficult to reverse because drugs can mimic the brain’s natural chemicals called neurotransmitters, such as dopamine.

Dopamine functions in the regulation of certain brain processes, including “emotion, motivation, and feelings of pleasure. When activated at normal levels, this system rewards our natural behaviors. Overstimulating the system with drugs, however, produces euphoric effects, which strongly reinforce the behavior of drug use—teaching the user to repeat it.”

Certain addictive substances can flood this part of the brain, so that your brain’s reward system is modified. These changes can persist even after rehabilitation; this is why relapse is a real risk. This is also the underlying reason why addiction can be considered a chronic or long-term disease.

The effects on the brain qualify addiction as a chronic medical condition.

Despite your best effort to complete rehabilitation, you may find yourself relapsing again and again. Relapse can weaken your resolve to quit drugs, alcohol, or other addictions. Discouraged, you can feel hopeless and helpless. This is why it is important to acknowledge that it is a chronic medical condition and has nothing to do with being weak, having low morals, lacking education, being poor, etc.

PsychCentral says, “Addiction affects the lives of people of all ages, ethnicities, cultures, religions, communities, and socioeconomic statuses.” In fact, most people hooked on an addictive substance behave in a manner that encroaches upon their principles, morals, and values.

Accepting that addiction is a medical condition and that relapse is part of the equation can reinforce your determination to seek help. Being a medical condition, it needs to be treated by a professional. So, do not “throw in the towel” or give up just yet. It isn’t true that you can’t do anything about it. There is hope. “Research shows that the brain damage resulting from substance use can sometimes be reversed through abstinence, therapy, and other forms of treatment.” The realistic thing to do is to seek professional help.

Professional aftercare can sustain and guide you through after rehab.

Long-term use of addictive substances can give rise to multiple issues and needs—psychological, medical, social, etc. Thus, no single treatment or intervention can truly address every need that you or a loved one may have. Addressing these needs is critical to return to productive functioning and reintegrate into your family, circle of friends, workplace, and society in general, as easily as possible. Thus, in many rehab facilities, the treatment programs usually incorporate several approaches, including counseling/therapy.

Recovery from the effects of addiction, however, has to go beyond the rehab facility. It is a journey. The benefits of medically assisted detoxification can’t be underestimated, but the struggles of a rehabilitated patient continue after it is over. It is seldom sufficient to avoid the threats of relapse or sustain your continuing abstinence. This is what an aftercare provider near your home can do to help you.

“Breaking a habit and making a change may not be easy.” To start living a clean life and keep it that way, it will be productive to seek a therapist who can guide you through aftercare. Aftercare is professional counseling that offers additional support after you complete treatment in a rehab facility. The goal is to prevent or reduce the risk of relapse, which is typically 50 percent or higher for the initial five years after rehabilitation. It can be considered a positive approach to adjustment issues.

In the Hands of a Reliable Professional

Relapse is a powerful and monstrous obstacle that you will likely need to deal with. This is when you will need all the help and support you can get. One important way to find the strength to go on is through an aftercare program with a professional counselor.

If you think you are strong enough to win this battle on your own, congratulations! There is a risk in this thinking, however. It can make you shy away from the professional help that you need to systematically address your issues related to relapse and the long-term effects of addiction. Remember that it has nothing to do with your weakness—you need professional help to be treated for its effects on your brain and body. In North Carolina, reliable help is available from Carolina Counseling Services — Sanford, NC.

Addiction should not stop you from picking up the pieces and recapturing your plans and dreams. Let a capable, understanding therapist independently contracted with Carolina Counseling Services — Sanford, NC, journey with you to defeat relapse and the other challenges you will face in order to become the productive person that you once were.

Related Articles:

• Aftercare: Staying Clean and Sober After Rehabilitation