To be addicted to something is not a deliberate behavior or decision but an illness one can’t control. And even in the course of recovery, a patient may still relapse and go back to old habits. That’s why addiction treatment must be done in a continuous cycle; otherwise, the illness can get more intense.
Today, there are many types of addiction and ways to treat them. It’s a complex disease affecting the brain, so there’s no one-size-fits-all treatment method. Ideally, patients should seek the professional help and treatment they require before they spiral down, making the addiction more difficult to treat.
What Is Addiction?
Addiction is the complex dysfunction of the brain affecting the circuit related to the reward system. Those addicted to substances or unusual behaviors may find it difficult to stop despite the harmful and dangerous consequences.
On an average individual, the reward system functions by prompting the body to seek what it needs. If you’re hungry, you will feel your stomach grumble, reminding you to eat something. Once you’ve eaten, you’ll feel contented and satisfied. And it’s a cycle that goes on.
But once you’re addicted, say to a substance, even if you’ve had your fill, you’ll keep looking for the high because the neurotransmitter dopamine is overstimulated. The substance hijacks its regular transport to the brain’s reward pathway. In time, this irregular disturbance on the dopamine receptors will lead to tolerance to the substance. Your dosage could also drastically increase. Unfortunately, this could lead to an overdose if not treated right away.
The Different Types Of Addiction
The most common addictions are drugs and alcohol. Globally, about 300 million people suffer from alcohol addiction, and one in every 20 people dies yearly.
But aside from that, the different types of addictions also include:
- Nicotine
- Gambling
- Food
- Sex
- Technology
Addiction can lead to long-term well-being consequences such as heart disease, depression, and neurological damage if left untreated. And once it’s out of control, your social and economic status can also be affected. That said, it’s best to address addiction immediately. If you want to know more about the treatments available, you may go to this website as a good start.
The Benefits Of Completing Your Addiction Treatment
Once you complete treatment, your life can have a metamorphic and substantial change, and the benefits are immeasurable. Once you’ve turned your life around, you can expect the following:
1. Improved Relationships
Once you get your mind sorted out and your life in order, you can expect positive outcomes in your relationships with those around you. You can see the beauty of relationships and value what these people can bring to your life.
When you are addicted to substances, you often overlook the goodness of people around you as you focus on just feeding your addiction. This can put a strain on relationships and affect how you interact with other people. With that, it would be best to seek treatment as soon as possible. This way, relationships will not get damaged beyond repair.
2. Build Your Dreams
Addiction has a way of snatching your dreams from your hands. Once you focus on sustaining your addiction, you tend to neglect to focus on your dreams and goals because your priority is to acquire those substances and get your high. But after receiving treatments, you can slowly go back to your life and build your vision and see it unfold before your eyes.
3. Pursue Your Passion
An individual passionate about something can lose direction once addiction settles in. It’s a story often told and repeated. For example, an up-and-coming actor or a rockstar with much potential gets derailed by drugs and alcohol and succumbs to depression.
Since drug and alcohol addiction can coexist with depression, it can become a dangerous combination that often leads to tragic and miserable outcomes. If you have a passion, it can go to waste once you get addicted to substances, but if you have opened yourself to treatment and sought help, you can continue to pursue your passions, and live your life, who knows, become the person you’re meant to be.
4. Watch Your Children Grow Up
Parents who have given in to their addictions often get into dangerous situations leading them to commit crimes to nourish their vices and addiction. And once incarcerated, their children often go into the system and grow up to foster families.
Because of abandonment and neglect, the future of these children can go haywire. These children can also become addicts like their parents, especially if they fall into the wrong hands. But if you’ve decided to get help early on, you may see a future with your children and build a meaningful relationship with them.
5. Become An Inspiration To Others
A great story of survival and redemption is worth being told repeatedly. And many hard-core and long-time addicts who have successfully turned their lives around can become pillars of inspiration to recovering addicts today.
Even if you feel you have led a wasteful life and destroyed many relationships along the way, it’s not the end of your life’s journey. Your life and the way you beat the odds is a story that could inspire others. Whether in a small group setting or on a large stage, as in the much-talked-about TED Talks, you can reach millions of people and share your message of hope.
6. Have A Healthier Body And Positive Outlook
Those who have become addicts have treated their bodies with such disdain that it led their bodies to suffer deterioration and misuse. This can lead to debilitating cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological illnesses. But once you cleanse your body of harmful substances, it can return to being better and stronger.
If you’ve finished your treatment and live a healthier life, you can have a better life with fewer illnesses, happy memories with your loved ones, and a happier disposition.
7. Experience New Things
Addiction can limit you from experiencing things in life that could make you happy. Since your addiction can consume your thoughts and cloud your mind, you’re likely thinking about your next fill instead of living your life fully. This can rob you of precious moments in your life.
But with the decision to seek treatment, you can slowly change your ways and transform your life one step at a time. You can travel the world, be in a relationship, rediscover your passions and interests, and even get your dream job, to name a few.
Conclusion
Addiction is an illness that can be treated. Once you have identified and accepted that you’re addicted to something, the succeeding steps can be more manageable. However, it would be best to catch the illness early on and get treatment soon so you can continue to live a hopeful life without these substances holding you back. And if you get treatment, make sure you continue until the end, so you don’t suffer from a relapse.
