Everything You Need to Know About Addiction

Presently, the United States is experiencing some of the highest levels of drug and alcohol addiction than at any other time in its history. Since 1990, the number of people illegally engaging in recreational use of prescription drugs has risen over 500 percent. Since 1980, the number of deaths related to drug overdoses has also risen over 540 percent. Addiction has invaded nearly every segment of our society like an epidemic of tremendous proportions. More than six million children are living and being raised with at least one parent with an addiction. Annually, drug addiction costs employers over 122 billion dollars in lost productivity and 15 billion dollars in health insurance. Drugs are cited as the instigating cause of emergency room visits in around 5.1 million cases each year as well.

The most commonly abused drugs in the United States are now alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs, cocaine, and hallucinogens. There is an estimated 22.6 million Americans over the age of 12 that currently are using, or formerly have used, illicit drugs, which is nearly 8.9 percent of the entire population. After alcohol, marijuana has the highest rate of addiction among all drugs, with more than 4.2 million Americans meeting the clinical criteria for dependence on marijuana. In addition, there are an estimated 21.6 million Americans total that need treatment for an addiction, but only about 2.3 million, less than 1 percent, are receiving the necessary treatment at a specialty facility.

Due to the increasing prevalence and alarming statistics, it is essential that individuals become more aware of addictions, as well as their dangers. Read on to learn more about the warning signs and how to overcome addiction. If you or someone you love are living with an addiction and co-morbid disorders, please seek help immediately from mental health professionals at an inpatient treatment center.

What Is Addiction?

While many people use substances and engage in recreational drug use without any significant consequences, others experience damaging psychological and physical effects as a bad habit turns down the dangerous road towards addiction. Addiction not only includes substances, but can also be basically anything else, including gambling, sex, and even the internet.

An addiction is characterized by an individual’s inability to control aspects of the use without help because mental or physical conditions are involved. Those addicted become dependent on the drug or activity to cope with their daily life, and it often becomes all-consuming on their behaviors. As a result, addictions often lead to severe problems with the addict’s home, work, school, and social lives. In most cases, the person attempts to give up, but is unsuccessful at stopping use when they experience withdrawal.

What Are the Warning Signs of Addiction?

The signs and symptoms of substance dependence and addiction vary according to the person, the substance, their genetics, and personal situation. Continued use of these substances leads to noticeable symptoms that can be detected by interacting with or examining the addict. The most common symptoms of addiction include:

• withdrawal symptoms, such as intense cravings, irritability, depression, insomnia, hallucinations, frustration, anger, and mood swings when the body has low levels of the substance
• continued use despite developed cancer, heart conditions, or other health problems
• repeated neglect of social and/or recreational activities that once were enjoyable, in order to participate in feeding the addiction
• spending excessive time, energy, and money to maintain a good supply for their next fix, even if on a tight budget
• engaging in risky behaviors, such as stealing, trading sex for substances, driving under the influence, and other dangerous actions from impaired judgment
• increased levels of secrecy and solitude, as well as isolation from friends and family members
• false beliefs that the individual needs to take the drug of choice to handle their problems
• denial that they are addicted to the substance, unaware, or refuses to acknowledge that there is a problem

What Causes Addiction?

Medical research has found a significant correlation between repeated use of an addictive substance and how the brain reacts to pleasure. When individuals take in their drug of choice, the neuron cells release neurotransmitters and chemicals that activate the reward system of the brain. After continued use of the drug for a long period of time, the addict does not receive the same high or pleasure as before. Therefore, he or she must increase the dosage as the body becomes more tolerant to the drug. Experts say that once this tolerance increases, the risk for addiction is drastically greater.

Although anyone can potentially have an addiction problem, certain individuals are at higher risk for developing an addiction than others. Those users that have a close relative with an addiction are at a tremendous risk for having one because of genetics. For instance, alcoholics are six times more likely than non-alcoholics to have relatives that are addicted to alcohol too. Other risk factors include mental illnesses, peer pressure, family environment, loneliness, stress, and age of first drug consumption.

Overcoming Addiction

One of the most crucial first steps for the addicted individual to overcome the problem is by acknowledging that they are dependent on the substance. After the person accepts that there is a problem, the next immediate step is to seek help from a trained and experienced health professional. Mental health professionals will often refer the addicted individual to a treatment program at an inpatient rehabilitation center.

Within the safety of the drug treatment center, the person can undergo detoxification to rid the body of the lasting effects of the drug and make it through the withdrawal period. Treatment will also include counseling, group therapy, self-help, and psychotherapy to deal with the underlying emotional or mental issues. If you or someone you know is suffering from an addiction, please seek help at one of the various inpatient treatment centers around the country. When addicts commit to overcoming their addiction with the help of these professionals, they are much more likely to avoid relapse and get on the road to a bright future in recovery.