If you are one of the millions of people in the US who have witnessed some of the consequences of drug addiction you probably already know why addiction treatment services are necessary for certain circumstances.
It is easy for somebody that is not familiar with addiction disorder to assume that all a person has to do is stop using – whatever it is that they are addicted to – and everything will be fine. Unfortunately, for many people that suffer from addiction, the solution is not so simple.
For the majority of the people that are suffering from the effects of their addiction the only way to break free of the chains that hold them captive is to get professional help. Without help, people that are blinded by their addictions tend to go to prison, get committed to institutions, and die.
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Becoming Aware
One of the biggest problems with addiction disorder is that most of the people that are affected by it are either unaware that they have it, or they live in denial about it. It is not uncommon for a person to deny that they have a problem. Whether it is drinking alcohol, taking pills, or using heroin, many people that are in the throes of their addictions claim that they can quit at any time.
This denial on its own causes an even larger problem than the addiction itself. In most cases where an individual can break free from their addiction, it is only because they have been able to become aware that they have the problem in the first place, then they can become willing to face their addiction and learn a new way of living.
Problems With Addiction
When a person is in the grips of their addiction they are not themselves. A great example of this is the difference between a person driving sober and a person driving drunk. When somebody is under the influence of alcohol and operates a vehicle they become a danger to themselves and everything else around them because they are living in a distorted mindset.
When you take that same person and see that they truly believe that they need alcohol to live and breathe so they can make it through the day it is not difficult to see that they are not living in a realistic mindset. When they believe they need that alcohol they will convince themselves that it is OK to do whatever it takes to keep drinking, after all, they believe they are not hurting anyone.
Addiction is not restricted to alcohol. People struggle with all kinds of addictions varying from marijuana to gambling. The one thing that connects all of these sources of addiction is that the people that suffer from them can go to extreme lengths to continue their use.
Some of the consequences that arise from addiction problems are:
- Vehicular death
- Stealing from businesses
- Stealing from family
- Selling drugs
- Overdosing
- Jail visits
- Hospital visits
Many of the people that suffer from addiction face some tough consequences. As millions of addicts throughout the country act out in their addiction it causes more issues than meets the eye.
Senseless deaths from car accidents. Millions of dollars in lost revenue because of thefts. Families losing their savings. Numerous deaths from overdoses. Millions of dollars in unpaid hospital bills. Millions of dollars of taxpayer money to fund court trials and jail housing.
The problem of addiction is not isolated to the addicts or the families of addicts. The effects of addiction ripple out to the rest of the world. Hospitals, prisons, and jails are full of people that suffer from addiction issues.
Although it may seem like a hopeless problem, there are plenty of organizations out there that offer various types of addiction services that have the potential to help pull struggling addicts out of their denial and get them back on their feet.
What Addiction Services Have to Offer
Although there is a wide variety of addiction types, every addiction service organization will be equipped to handle what they specialize in. For example, opiate addiction treatment will be different than alcohol addiction treatment. Yes, one organization can handle both types of addiction treatments, but they will handle the people in different ways.
While some skeptics and scoffers believe people that are addicted to drugs should just be able to stop, the truth is that many people that suffer from addiction literally can not stop without the threat of being seriously ill or even dying.
Addiction treatment centers can help with:
- Detoxification
- Counseling
- Rest
- Isolation from drugs
- A fighting chance by renewing hope
Detoxing
Alcohol and opiates are different from each other, but they have similar effects on the brain and the body. What causes the person to have to go through withdrawals from heroin and other opiates is that once they use the drug for a prolonged amount of time, the brain stops producing the chemicals in the brain that it would normally create to help people relax, fall to sleep, lessen aches, etc. When people stop using opiates, they usually go through a detox phase to help them get through the physical withdrawals they will endure.
People that have been drinking alcohol regularly, every day for a long time will usually have to be detoxed as well so that they don’t have to endure delirium tremens.
Detoxing will look different for each type of substance that the person is being weaned off of, but while in detox the person will receive medication, rest, nutrition, and what they need the most: a break from their drug of choice and help from a professional.
Counseling
When people are in the grips of their addiction, and want to stop but can’t, it helps if they have somebody to talk to and to listen to them. While most other people that communicate with them will tend to try to shame them for the things that they did while on drugs or talk them into doing more drugs a counselor that is trained in addiction disorder will be able to listen to what the suffering addict has to say and give them the kind of support that they need to move forward.
It is crucial that at the beginning of the recovery journey of an addict they have support and people to talk to about what they are going through. Many of the people that suffer from addiction have lived through some traumatic experiences. Memories of these experiences can be a reason why the addict kept using and trying to run away in the first place. Professional help through therapy, counseling, and support groups after detoxing will help them to understand the root cause of their addiction and find ways to overcome their trauma sober.
Rest
In many cases when a person is running wild in their addiction they go for long periods without adequate rest. Rest is one way that the body gets a chance to heal itself. As a person goes a few days without the drug that they have been depending on, their body starts to go through changes. As toxins leave them and their muscles begin to relax the entire body goes through a phase where the healing effects seem divine. Addiction treatment centers allow their patients to rest and heal before they expect them to face the “real world.”
The Importance of Addiction Treatment
We can’t stress enough how important it is for struggling addicts to get help when they finally decide to stop using drugs and alcohol. Addiction treatment centers offer the type of support that is not only effective but has the potential to harvest long-term success.
As we mentioned earlier in this article, addiction causes a plethora of issues throughout the United States and the rest of the world. The lives lost, the money wasted, the senseless pain and suffering that devours the struggling addict and everybody that they come into contact with.
While some argue that this type of treatment is a waste of money and is not necessary, the truth is that it has the power to change the world and create peace where there was once chaos. Countless people have struggled from the deepest pits of addiction that are now respected, successful, and helpful people of society.
There are lawyers, doctors, actors, sports professionals, business owners, homeowners, and successful parents that once were plagued with ugly addictions that landed them in jail, hospitals, and extreme debt.
Although there are millions of people out there that are struggling with their own addictions that may not be ready to stop yet, the fact that there are establishments available for them gives hope for the future and for the ones that are ready to change right now.
