It’s not easy watching a friend or loved one suffer with a substance abuse disorder. To many people, drug and alcohol addiction seems like a choice; however, it is not. Addictions can alter an individual’s behaviour and impair their overall wellbeing. To summarize, addictive disease affect everyone involved.
If your friend or loved one has decided to seek help, it’s important that you remain supportive and dedicated to assisting them throughout their recovery. If you’re unfamiliar with substance abuse disorder and the recovery process, here is some important information that you should know.
Nobody chooses to be addicted to drugs or alcohol. Addiction is a disease, and it can manifest itself in physical or psychological dependence. Much like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a disease of the lungs, drug and alcohol addiction is a disease of the brain. It’s important to acknowledge this as it can go a long way in saving and changing lives for the better.
There is no cure for substance use disorder, and many will live with addiction for the rest of their lives. Counselling, support groups, and medications to treat anxiety and depression symptoms are treatment options designed to prevent an individual from needing and using substances and to help them remain productive members of society. While drug and alcohol addictions may not be curable, treatment plans allow addicts to find joy and purpose after they’ve stopped using.
Drugs and alcohol affect the brain in many ways - while they may provide temporary euphoria, they can also induce feelings of sadness, loneliness, and despair. This vicious cycle leads to emotional instability and fuels individuals’ desire to continue using their substance of choice.
Coming clean is not an easy task for any person addicted to drugs or alcohol. It’s an emotional process, and there will be peaks and valleys throughout the recovery. For example, a person with substance use disorder may display expressions of happiness and positivity one day, and then feelings of hopelessness and insignificance the next day. If you’re spending time with a friend or loved one who is attempting to recover from substance abuse, be prepared for these emotional changes. Remain objective, supportive, and offer them help in any way that you can.
As previously stated, addiction is a disease that affects millions of people from all over the world. Rehabilitation centres and addiction treatment clinics help those with addictive disease find a program that will stop them from using substances safely and reduce their risk of reoccurrence. For more information on addiction treatment clinics, contact Recovery Care.
