Addiction Treatment

Scientists continue to study addiction, and the views about this health condition continue to evolve and inform. It was once believed that having an addiction meant substance users had a moral defect of character or a lack of willpower to stop using.

Now, the view that addiction is a brain disease is more widely accepted, and scientists continue to study the brain’s response to addiction and the behavior that results from chronic use of addictive substances.

The American Society of Addiction Medicine’s short definition of addiction describes it as “The primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry.

Dysfunction in these circuits leads to characteristic biological, psychological, [and] social and spiritual manifestation. This is reflected in an individual pathologically pursuing reward and/or relief by substance use and other behaviors.”

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) explains that addiction is “A chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences.

It is considered a brain disease because drugs change the brain; they change its structure and how it works.

These brain changes can be long-lasting and can lead to many harmful, often self-destructive, behaviors.”

The institute also writes, “Addiction occurs when a person cannot control the impulse to use drugs even when there are negative consequences—the defining characteristic of addiction.”

Causes of Addiction

Pinpointing one specific factor that causes addiction is difficult to do. Many people engage in recreational drug or alcohol use, but that doesn’t mean they will become addicted to these substances despite the substances’ addictive potential. However, for other people, this recreational substance use can lead to substance use disorder and possibly addiction. In some cases, it only takes one use to become addicted. In others, recreational use gradually becomes an addiction. Each person’s struggle is different and should be treated differently.

There are a variety of risk factors that can cause addictions. The most common ones are:

Excessive use of addictive substances can cause lead to addiction. According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, psychological and environmental factors appear to be more influential in determining if someone starts to use substances. It also says biological or genetic factors appear to influence which people move from substance use to addiction.

The more risk factors that are present, the greater the risk of developing an addiction. Still, if all of these factors are present, it doesn’t mean one will become an addict.

Warning Signs of Substance Addiction

Addiction experiences vary according to the person but there are clues that signal when a person is battling a substance use disorder or addiction. Overall, addiction manifests itself in the following ways:

There also are common signs and symptoms that are unique to the substance being abused or at the center of a person’s addiction. Here are a few for the substances listed below.

If you or someone you know has any of these signs, you may want to consider getting professional addiction treatment at a licensed, reputable drug or alcohol rehabilitation center.

Withdrawal

As mentioned earlier, experiencing withdrawal signs and symptoms after use of a substance has stopped is indicative that an addiction is underway. Some of the common signs of substance withdrawal include shaking, sweating, trouble sleeping, anxiety, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, muscle aches, and flu-like symptoms can occur and last for days.

If you or someone you know is in withdrawal, get help immediately. Some symptoms can be mild and non-life-threatening, but some can be dangerous. Many people keep using substances because they don’t want to go through this rough period, but to get to sobriety, you have to let withdrawal run its course. It’s part of the process of getting better. It’s best to get professional help with these symptoms. To avoid treatment is to risk staying physically and psychology dependent on substances that can jeopardize your life.

Medical Detox

People commonly—and mistakenly—believe that treatment only involves a medical detoxification (detox for short)  or time in a facility akin to a prison that’s also known as rehab. Both are not true. A detox is the important beginning of addiction treatment, not the end. Detox is the right starting point for many people in recovery as it ensures these users will end their alcohol or drug use safety as they are weaned off toxic substances

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, medical detoxification is the process that safely manages the acute physical symptoms of withdrawal that comes when substance users stop their drug or alcohol use. A professional medical detox also:

The withdrawal process can last anywhere from three to 10 days or longer. Not everyone’s detox experience will be the same. Factors unique to the individual often determines what that person will experience once detox is started. Some factors that are reviewed before detox begins include:

It is also important to note that detox is a three-phase process. The three phases are:

Should I Quit Cold Turkey?

Recovering users are advised to pursue the medical detox route instead of the route of quitting their drug or drugs of choice abruptly. “Going cold turkey,” or suddenly stopping drug or alcohol use, can do more harm than good and lead to serious injury, relapse, overdose, and death. It might seem like a way to end addiction once and for all, but abrupt cessation will almost always result in severe withdrawal symptoms, and in some cases, they can be very serious. This is especially true when it comes to withdrawal from opiates or opioids, benzodiazepines, and alcohol.

Withdrawal symptoms can range from mild to severe, depending on what drug was used and how often. Symptoms that send people to detox include:

Severe and dangerous symptoms, some of which commonly happen when a person withdraws from alcohol or opioids, include:

Treatment can be a long and involved process, depending on the situation, and “rehab” is only one kind of treatment. What the addiction recovery process looks like depends on the person receiving treatment. Many will find that treatment centers have a healing environment that is warm, friendly, and supportive. They also will find a  community of compassionate and like-minded people who understand recovery and the process of rebuilding one’s life after addiction. According to NIDA, addiction treatment has a greater chance of being effective if it lasts for at least 90 days or three months. There are several kinds of treatment available, including:

Relapse

Relapse, the return of using addictive substances after a period of abstinence, is a real possibility for people in recovery, no matter how long they have abstained from drugs and alcohol. This is why treatment continues as addiction is a chronic disease. A one-time treatment likely will not be enough to deter recovering substance users from using addictive substances. Many people in recovery have to work at staying sober and must create a new life to support this goal in all facets of their daily lives.

The completion of addiction treatment is the beginning of the recovery process

Managing an addiction often is a lifelong process that requires remaining committed to changing daily habits, attending support group meetings, joining groups that share the recovery goals you do, and staying in tune with yourself and surroundings so you can recognize your personal triggers. Those triggers are warning signs that a relapse may be on the horizon.

Because of this, it is possible that addiction treatment may happen more than once or twice as recovering users work toward ending their substance use. The addiction community as well as in the science and medical fields all believe that relapse is not an indication that treatment didn’t work. Instead, it means treatment needs to be reinstated or adjusted, NIDA explains. It also may mean another form of treatment is needed.

Are You Battling Substance Abuse or Addiction? We Can Help

If you or your loved one is seeking addiction treatment in Florida, the Palm Beach Institute can help. We understand that the decision to get help for an alcohol or drug problem is an important one. Let us help you figure it out. We’ll guide you as you consider your next steps in how to pursue recovery from addiction.

For more than 40 years, The Palm Beach Institute, located in West Palm Beach, Florida, has been the place people turned to either start their lives over after battling addiction or find help for their loved ones who are struggling to end their substance dependence. We have helped thousands of people recover from addiction and leave it behind once and for all. We are a Delphi Behavioral Health Group facility. Our clients experience the Delphi Difference when they walk through our doors.

As with other Delphi facilities, we inspire wellness and growth in our clients with personal treatment plans that address their specific needs and keep our client-to-clinician ratio low so you get the individualized treatment you need and deserve. We make a long-term commitment to your recovery and offer you aftercare services to ensure you have what you need as you leave our facility and start life again post-treatment. If you need addiction treatment, there’s no need to wait because addiction doesn’t.