Understanding addiction

Understanding Drug Addiction

“You can’t control it until you understand it.”

At Buckeye Clinic we believe addiction is a disease and needs to be treated as such.

Opioid addiction has many faces. Opioid addiction affects many people, from all walks of life. When understanding addiction it is important to learn about how opioid addiction affects the brain and take in consideration how a person can be persuaded by their environment.

It’s all in your head.

Manmade opiates interfere with naturally produced opiates in the body. These natural chemicals are used to help us cope during times of overwhelming pain and stress, or when we are recovering from an injury or being sick. External drugs bond to the brain’s opiate receptoers causing physical pain relief as well as a sedated effect of relaxation.

When prescription and street drugs are taken in higher concentrations than what your body naturally produces, a euphoric high is felt by the individual as the brain is overcome with “happy” neurochemicals such as dopamine and serotonin. This enforces the pleasure sensors in the brain and encourages the reward bias in the brain, reinforcing the addictive behavior of the substances. The consumption of opiates have a strong mental and physical power over an individual seeking the pleasure of these chemicals.

“The People and objects we surround ourselves with have the greatest impact our life experiences”

Family and friends can greatly influence an individual. If a person witnesses drug abuse as a child in their home, there is an increased chance of that child to develop drug problems of their own. Friends are very strong influences, especially during adolescence. Having friends that use drugs serves as a powerful influential force to use for a variety of reasons like acceptance or recognition from a particular group of people.

Take time to understand your addiction and finding the right treatment for you. Self- management and mutual support from counselors, friends, and family, is very important in the recovery process. Click here to learn about how to begin your recovery.

For more information go to our resources page.

Addiction is not just something that goes away. At Buckeye Clinic we believe addiction is a disease and needs to be treated as such.

Addiction is described an being unable to abstain from behavior that causes impairment because of the physical and psychological effects of a disease, affecting the emotions and relationships of said patient. Recovering from addiction is, like any other chronic disease, the potential to grow into a new life or relapse back into an addicted state. Without treatment and progressive actions toward recovery, permanent disability of motor skills and and potential death can occur – American Society of Addiction Medicine

HELLO?! Are YOU there?

Addiction affects you BEHAVIORALLY, COGNITIVELY, and EMOTIONALLY

Behaviorally

  • You may have little to no control of your behavior, although you persistently desire to do so.
  • You may have experienced an excessive amount of time lost either engaging in or recovering from using, affecting your interpersonal relationships.
  • Do you continue to use, despite health concerns either caused by or exacerbated by your using?

Cognitively

  • Are you preoccupied with your substance use?
  • Do you have altered evaluations of the benefits and detriments of your use? Making it acceptable?
  • Do you believe your problems are attributable to other causes, rather than being a predictable consequence of your use/ addiction?

Emotionally

  • Have you experienced increased anxiety, dysphoria, or emotional pain?
  • Do you seemed more stressed?
  • You may have a difficult time identifying your feelings and describing them to other people.
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