Drug Addiction: The Hard Truths

Contrary to an unfortunately prevalent belief, people who are struggling with a dependence upon or addiction to alcohol or other drugs are not demonstrating a lack of character, will power, or moral fortitude. Drug addiction is a real disease with potentially devastating results, a vicious cycle of compulsive behavior that requires professional intervention and treatment.

Many people who end up addicted to or dependent upon drugs first experimented with the substances for recreational purposes or to “self-medicate” physical or emotional pain. Drugs can provide temporary relief from the stresses and pressures of everyday life, and often offer the illusion of providing a means of escape from one’s problems.

The truth, of course, is that illicit substances are not the solution to – but rather the cause of – m any serious problems.

Complex & Compulsive

From the outside, ending an addiction to drugs may look like little more than “mind over matter” – but for the addicted individual, stopping the drug use without professional intervention is highly unlikely.

Depending upon the drug to which a person is addicted – and the amount and frequency with which that person has been using – very real chemical and biological changes within the person’s body prompt intense cravings that are virtually impossible to resist. The fact that an addicted individual’s compulsions will drive him to seek and use drugs even after he has experienced significant negative consequences are indicative of the lack of control that often accompanies addiction.

The destructive path of addiction usually progresses through the following five stages:

1. Use – Trying a substance for the first time, or using in limited, “controlled” amounts. Use may continue indefinitely – for example, many people are able to use alcohol on an occasional basis for decades without experiencing any negative side effects or developing a problem related to the substance.
   
   
2. Misuse – A step beyond use, which is often accompanied by the first negative repercussions. For example, a teenager who has experimented with (or used) alcohol once or twice at a party now begins to misuse the substance by binge drinking or skipping school in order to drink.
   
   
3. Abuse – After experiencing negative consequences, the person continues to use larger amounts of the drug with increased frequency. A person whose misuse of cocaine causes her to perform poorly at work – and be disciplined because of this effect – moves into the abuse stage when she is unable to stop using even after impacting her career.
   
   
4. Dependence – When the substance abuse ceases to be a diversion and becomes the focal point of a person’s life, that person can be described as dependent upon the substance. Dependent individuals will begin to withdraw from work, social relationships, and financial responsibilities as they pay greater and greater attention to seeking and using the substance.
   
   
5. Addiction – When attempted cessation results in withdrawal symptoms, the person is said to be addicted. In addition to feeling psychologically compelled to use a drug, an addicted individual has actually experienced chemical and biological changes that have affected her body to the degree that she will become sick if she does not ingest the substance to which she is addicted. For addicted individuals, thoughts of finding and using the substance are the primary focus of their lives.
   
   

It is important to remember that, except in extremely rare cases, no one begins using a drug with the intent of destroying his life or inflicting damage upon the lives of those who love, care for, or are dependent upon him. Addictions most often begin with the use of a substance for recreational or medicinal purposes, and result from an unhealthy interaction between the substance and the body of the addicted individual.

No Easy Answers

Though the mind of an addicted individual often becomes fixated on acquiring and using a substance, addiction’s effects extend far beyond the interaction between a person and a drug.

Addictions often prompt myriad unhealthy or dysfunctional behaviors, including family disruptions, failures at work or in school, criminal activities, and a wide range of physical problems. Also, many addicted individuals experience co-occurring disorders such as depression, anxiety, or other mental illnesses that may have led to or been exacerbated by their drug abuse.

As a person’s life begins to focus more and more on drug use, she is likely to withdraw from, lie to, or otherwise manipulate those who are closest to her, either to disguise the extent of her involvement with the drug or to secure their assistance in the continuation of her habit.

As a result, ending an addiction requires far more than merely breaking the destructive bond between a person’s body and the drug upon which he has become dependent. The addicted person must also receive effective professional treatment to help him address the aspects of his life that either drove him toward his initial drug use or which were worsened by his eventual addiction. Cognitive-behavioral therapy has been successfully implemented into many drug addiction treatment plans, as have family therapy, participation in a 12-Step or other recovery support group, and (in some cases), and the use of certain medications.

Success is Attainable

More than a generation’s worth of research and clinical results have demonstrated that a variety of drug addiction treatment methodologies can help free a person from the chains of addiction. Though there is no “magic bullet” or one-size-fits-all technique that will ensure complete recovery for all addicted individuals, the range of medical and therapeutic approaches – and the understanding that an effective treatment plan must incorporate a dynamic, intensive, and comprehensive effort – indicates that long-term success attainable.

Extensive scientific research continues to add to experts’ understanding of the nature of addiction, which leads to innovative and more effective methods of drug addiction treatment. From safe detoxification through the initial stages of drug abuse rehabilitation to the long-term recovery that allows formerly addicted individuals to pursue healthier and happier lives, drug abuse treatment programs and professionals have made significant strides in recent decades, and are poised to make continued progress in the years to come.