The fact, however, is that the disease of addiction makes specific changes to the brain and body that make it impossible for one to assert control over their use.
Understanding this central fact about the disease allows one to move past the shame of their drug use and begin working effectively toward recovery. Sun Tzu once said, "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles". Therefore, as suggested by 12 Step recovery programs, we seek out this power in something greater than ourselves.
Polysubstance use can lead to deadly interactions. For example, combining two or more forms of depressants, such as benzodiazepines, oxycontin opioids addiction, and alcohol, increases the depressant effects of each drugs, and can quickly lead to respiratory failure and death.
The disease of addiction is such that willpower is not enough for us to overcome our dependence on substances. Men and women suffering from addiction rarely only use one substance. The legal status of alcohol may influence some people to think of it as a "safe" form of intoxication, but alcohol abuse and addiction carry devastating neurological symptoms.
Unless an individual suffering from alcoholism chooses to enter into a life of sobriety, there is little chance that he or she will not face at least some of the possible neurological consequences of alcoholism.
Alcohol lowers inhibitions and cognitive functions, making intoxicated people more likely to engage in reckless behaviors like drunk driving. Fortunately, through recovery, it is possible to avoid the possibility of early death as a result of alcohol-related injury or illness. The physical symptoms of alcoholism and excessive alcohol use may resolve overtime when a person chooses to embrace a life of complete abstinence.
Getting involved with 12-Step recovery while in treatment makes it more likely that an individual will continue to be involved with the recovery community after they have left treatment. Although substance use disorders commonly occur with other mental illnesses, it's often unclear whether one helped cause the other or if common underlying risk factors contribute to both disorders."
Recovery is possible for anyone, even if it requires multiple attempts.
Dr. Shahram Heshmat, in a 2017 Psychology Today article entitled 10 Patterns of Addictive Behavior, explains, "The psychological concept of operant conditioning suggests that if a behavior is followed by a rewarding experience, an animal (or individual) becomes more likely to repeat the rewarding behavior at a later time. According to the National Institute of Health, "Compared with the general population, people addicted to drugs are roughly twice as likely to suffer from mood and anxiety disorders, with the reverse also true.
Many people attempting to recover from addiction and alcoholism make several attempts before they are finally able to live a life of sobriety.
We can see what was working and what wasn't working for us, and apply that to our next attempt at recovery.
Some experts suggest that if a person continues to engage in the activity to achieve this feeling of well-being and euphoria, he/she may get into an addictive cycle. In so doing, he/she becomes physically addicted to his/her own brain chemicals, thus leading to continuation of the behavior even though it may have negative health or social consequences."
The persistence of this illusion is astonishing. Many men and women struggling with addiction enter into addiction detox treatment in orange county because they have lost control of their drug use, but they are still unwilling to accept abstinence as the only solution.