Are you thinking to yourself, “why can’t I stop abusing drugs?”, and ‘why don’t I stop my drug abuse?’. Read the following excerpt to learn why addicts can’t stop using without professional support, mentorship, and recovery knowledge and tools.
The Addict Cannot Stop Their Drug Abuse
“Binge users can prioritize needs and desires, and while he may occasionally oversleep due to heavy drinking the night before, he also wants to maintain his job and can postpone using again until a more appropriate time.
Addicts Feel Motivated to Keep Using Despite Negative Consequences: As the sufferer continues to use, he or she begins to experience medical symptoms that are uncomfortable, embarrassing and even physically painful.
For the addict, it isn’t about choice, but instead about an immensely powerful internal drive to get high now. The same way you need a breakfast sandwich or oatmeal before you go out and tackle your day, the addict experiences a deeply rooted compulsion to get high or drunk.
Remember, as internal brain circuitry begins to change abnormally, the user becomes more dependent, and his priorities shift. Health and relationships lose value as the disease evolves into a full-blown addiction.
Food, hygiene, sleep, and finances are no longer motivating factors in one’s life – drugs are.
Essentially, the brain is tricked into believing that the substance is more important than anything else. Have you ever heard someone describe an addict as unwilling to change? A more accurate statement is:
Addicts are unable to change without medical and psychological interventions that provide insight into the causes of addiction and what they can do to live balanced, healthy and drug-free lives.
What appears as lack of motivation is the brain’s inability to think about anything other than drugs. Once an addict uses, brain chemistry reinforces a positive response, and the vicious cycle continues.
The next time you pass by a homeless alcoholic on the street or hear another story about your neighbor who keeps making bad choices due to addiction, think about the biological and chemical components of substance abuse. A means for fun and socialization likely spun out of control and developed into a full-blown medical disease.
Think about substance abuse from the eyes of an addict and you will discover a new perspective that provides valuable knowledge to your community. With that awareness, we can improve lives.”
Next Steps
At drug and alcohol recovery centers in Louisville, KY we believe that you can overcome addiction. It won’t be easy but our inpatient addiction treatment center will provide you a safe, comfortable and relaxed setting to regain your sobriety. Caring staff will provide support and challenge you to persevere when things feel a bit uncomfortable. Comprehensive individual, group and family therapy happen regularly to ensure you are prepared for discharge. Don’t wait. Call Today!
