If you are struggling with addiction, it’s crucial to remember that addiction to drugs or alcohol is not a character flaw, a weakness, or a moral failing; substance use disorders (SUDs) are chronic mental health conditions characterized by an inability to control your drug or alcohol use. While the decision to first use drugs or alcohol is often voluntary, repeated problematic use may be accompanied by brain changes that ultimately make it very difficult for some people to quit using the substance. Fighting addiction is not a matter of willpower or desire – it’s a matter of recognizing a problem and seeking help.1
Just as every person is unique, the manner in which you go about recovering from addiction must be unique and tailored to your specific needs to be optimally effective. If you want to know how to heal from substance abuse issues, and co-occurring mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety, you should understand that it may take time and persistence to recover, but recovery is well worth the effort. Taking back control of your life and starting the path to recovery is one of the best things you can do for your overall health and wellbeing. If you’ve chosen to recover from substance abuse issues, we’ve prepared various methods and tips to assist you in your decision.
Why Are Drugs Difficult to Quit?
Certain drugs are highly addictive because of the way they change certain types of brain functioning. For example, many drugs can result in changes to the way your brain relays messages through a process known as neurotransmission. The activity of one neurotransmitter in particular, known as dopamine, increases in association with several types of substance use. A drug-related surge in dopamine activity can have reinforcing effects, making compulsive use of that drug more likely.2
Fighting addiction is not a matter of willpower or desire – it’s a matter of recognizing a problem and seeking help.1
Many of the most common drugs of abuse have an impact on dopamine activity throughout the brain’s reward centers. Dopamine neurotransmission is thought to underlie feelings of motivation, pleasure, and reward, and is believed to play a key role in the development of addiction.2,3
Typically, people release dopamine in response to performing pleasurable activities, such as eating or having sex. However, many drugs cause a surge in dopamine activity, which can result in a rewarding euphoria, and ultimately encourages the drug-using individual to repeat the experience. This is why many drugs are referred to as “reinforcing” and one of the reasons why drug addiction can be so challenging to recover from.2
Dopamine isn’t the only component that plays a role in addiction, however; the manner in which drugs affect the brain represent a complex phenomenon that is dependent upon several factors. Imaging studies have shown that certain types of addiction may be associated with reduced activity in the frontal cortex, which is the part of your brain that helps you make decisions. This essentially means that quitting some drugs might not just be a matter of making the decision to stop, even when you are familiar with the consequences of drug abuse and experience its negative effects.4
Even though it can be a challenge, the benefits of overcoming addiction far outweigh any perceived benefits of continuing substance use. Quitting drugs or alcohol can help improve your mental and physical health, reduce your risk of chronic diseases, enable you to repair your relationships and family life, help you prevent further negative consequences at work or in school, increase your energy levels, improve your appearance, and help you save money.5 Quitting drugs and receiving professional help for substance abuse, in total, can help you reclaim your life and embody your full potential. And American Addiction Centers is here to help you do this.
Which Drugs are Hardest to Quit?
Some substances are notoriously addictive; and, some drugs may be harder to quit than others. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) says that some of the most commonly used addictive substances include marijuana, synthetic marijuana (K2 or spice), prescription opioids, prescription stimulants (like Adderall), sedatives, tranquilizers, and hypnotics.6
Tips to Help You Overcome Addiction & Cravings
If you want to know how to heal from addiction, the most important thing is to realize that you don’t have to do it on your own. Support is available to help you from the moment you choose to get help, to the moment that you enter a drug rehab facility or seek another kind of care, and all the through aftercare, which can help you stay sober after you’ve completed treatment. Effectively recovering from addiction usually involves a series of steps that may include:4,9
- Admit to the fact that you have a problem. Recognition that you need help may go a long way toward actually seeking such help.
- Speak with a physician. Your physician can help assess the problem and assess any potential signs of withdrawal or withdrawal risks and advise you about the type of detox or treatment settings that may be best for your needs.
- Call an addiction treatment center (or a rehabilitation center). You can ask any questions or concerns you may have about treatment and discuss your situation to see what type of treatment setting (i.e., inpatient or outpatient) might be advisable. Once in a treatment program, you may learn coping mechanisms, attend therapy treatments, and get the help you need in a highly supervised environment.
- Speak with a therapist. A qualified therapist, preferably one who specializes in drug and alcohol addiction, can also assess your needs and provide advice about how to proceed with getting the help you need.
- Identify your triggers. Being aware of the specific issues, places, people, emotions, and other factors that cause you to want to use drugs or alcohol can help you make a plan to avoid these triggers so you’ll be less likely to use.
- Follow a continuing care plan. This is a plan put in place, usually by a treatment center, to help you achieve your sobriety goals.
- Tend to and get evaluated for any co-occurring disorders. People who struggle with addiction and mental health disorders need to address both issues in order to increase the chances of success.
- Attend a peer-support group. This can include 12-step groups like Narcotics Anonymous or non-12-step groups like SMART Recovery. They’re designed to help you stay sober through the mutual support provided by others who are also in recovery and who know what it’s like to be in your shoes.
Overcoming addiction is possible but it often requires a combination of approaches to achieve the best outcome. Treatment may include:10,11
- Medication and Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), which can vary depending on the substance (or substances) you used. For example, opioid addiction may be treated with methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone, while alcohol addiction may be treated with naltrexone, disulfiram, or acamprosate. Medication is often used as a part of a medication-assisted treatment approach. This approach involves a combination of medication and behavioral therapy to promote recovery.
- Varying forms of evidence-based therapy. You may undergo various research-supported behavioral interventions to help you develop insight, learn to change unhelpful behaviors, stay motivated in treatment, and help you achieve your goals. These therapies can include:12
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, or CBT. This is widely used form of therapy designed to help people identify irrational or unhelpful thoughts and make positive behavioral changes.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT. This is used to help you change destructive behaviors, manage intense emotions, and improve relationships. It involves components of mindfulness and acceptance.
- Contingency Management. This is a rewards-based form of treatment that provides incentives (such as vouchers you can exchange for tangible goods) for positive behavioral change.
Remember that, if you are suffering from a drug overdose, be sure to call 911 immediately or make your way to the nearest physician.
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