Living With Addiction

Overtaken

Jodi Barber and Christine Brant have teamed up with Ashley Media to produce this documentary OVERTAKEN - the ongoing epidemic

The Truth About Addiction

Jennifer Fernandez  Examinar.com April 4, 2013

Addiction is not a character flaw and it most definitely is not a choice

Addiction is a biopsychosocial phenomenon that results in negative consequences and feelings of shame and guilt. Biological, psychological, and social factors culminate into a dependent relationship to a substance or compulsive behaviour as a means of coping with distressing emotional, psychological, and environmental states.

More specifically, addiction is characterized by several criteria:
  1. the inability to resist an urge to consume a substance or engage in a behaviour that is harmful
  2. an increase in tension or arousal before the act, followed by gratification and relief
  3. a noticeable increase in the amount and frequency of the act in order to achieve the desired effect (e.g. pleasure or escape
  4. over-investment of resources, such as time and money, to engage in the act

The emotions associated with addiction are one of the most notable elements. Shame, quilt and powerlessness are hallmarks of addiction and often lead to feelings of self-loathing and isolation. Individuals suffering from addiction are often misunderstood by their families and loved ones, causing them to lie and keep secrets.

Informing yourself can be the first step in gaining power over your addiction.

The 5 Myths About Addiction

MYTH 1: Overcoming addiction is a simply a matter of willpower. You can stop using drugs if you really want to. Prolonged exposure to drugs alters the brain in ways that result in powerful cravings and a compulsion to use. These brain changes make it extremely difficult to quit by sheer force of will.
MYTH 2: Addiction is a disease; there’s nothing you can do about it.
Most experts agree that addiction is a brain disease, but that doesn’t mean you’re a helpless victim. The brain changes associated with addiction can be treated and reversed through therapy, medication, exercise, and other treatments.
MYTH 3: Addicts have to hit rock bottom before they can get better. Recovery can begin at any point in the addiction process—and the earlier, the better. The longer drug abuse continues, the stronger the addiction becomes and the harder it is to treat. Don’t wait to intervene until the addict has lost it all. Help them realize they still have things to fight for. 
MYTH 4: You can’t force someone into treatment; they have to want help. Treatment doesn’t have to be voluntary to be successful. People who are pressured into treatment by their family, employer, or the legal system are just as likely to benefit as those who choose to enter treatment on their own. As they sober up and their thinking clears, many formerly resistant addicts decide they want to change. Interventions save lives.
MYTH 5: Treatment didn’t work before, so there’s no point trying again. Recovery from drug addiction is a long process that often involves setbacks. Relapse doesn’t mean that treatment has failed or that you’re a lost cause. Rather, it’s a signal to get back on track, either by going back to treatment or adjusting the treatment approach.