Thousands of creative and imaginative minds helped our country grow and prosper. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if those brilliant minds could also come up with a solution for substance abuse and addiction? If so, what kind of changes would occur in society without drug-related crime, deaths, and the resulting financial burdens? It may seem like a utopian dream that can’t come true, but let’s try to imagine what life in a drug-free society would be like.
The human brain is amazing. Unless something interferes with its functioning. Today, some of the things that hinder our brain’s potential are drugs and alcohol. In fact, more than 23.5 million people in America are currently addicted to those substances, according to government statistics. Sadly, that translates to millions of people who are unable to contribute to their families or communities. Many of these individuals become a burden to society. The costs involved in addressing crime, incarcerations, hospitalizations, or treatment are staggering.
How Would Life in a Drug-Free Society Differ from Today?
Sometimes dreams come true, so let’s explore some of the ways our lives would change if drugs and alcohol addictions were no longer a problem. Could it all be wishful thinking? How would your community or personal life be different?
The following are some of the most noticeable changes we could expect if substance abuse didn’t exist:
- Safer, cleaner streets, especially in large cities.
- Dramatic reduction in crime rates.
- Decreased domestic violence and child abuse or neglect
- Fewer children in foster care or orphanages.
- Families wouldn’t fall apart because of addiction.
- Overcrowding in ERs would decrease.
- Fewer homeless or missing persons.
- Jails and prisons would no longer be overpopulated.
- No more fear of being the victim of drug-related crime.
- Law enforcement could spend more time on other needs.
- Funds used for drug-related issues would be available for other things.
Of course, these are only a fraction of the ways society would improve without substance abuse. It’s worth striving for and doing our part to make it happen.
Facing the Harsh Reality of Addiction in the US
Some folks may wonder why we would waste time hoping for a society without drugs. So, to put it in perspective for those individuals, here are some reasons why we need to worry about today’s drug problem.
- Our government spends about $740 billion on drug-related costs. The costs include such things as lost productivity, healthcare, and crime. The national healthcare bill spends about one-quarter of a trillion dollars on issues related to substance abuse.
- About 30% to 70% of homeless people are alcoholics and 26% abuse drugs.
- Most property crimes, thefts, and burglaries are drug-related.
- More than 80% of prison inmates are doing time for crimes committed while high. Many others committed crimes to get money to buy drugs.
- About 70% of neglected or abused children live with parents who abuse drugs or alcohol.
These statistics continue to increase daily. The numbers are incomprehensible, especially when we realize that each number represents a life ruined or lost. They are or were someone’s loved ones. Most of these individuals didn’t think they’d become addicted. Yet, they became another statistic in the worst drug epidemic in America’s history. With these things in mind, how could we not worry about the scope of addiction today?
Here’s another way to look at the drug problem we face in our nation:
- 16 to 20 million abuse alcohol.
- 600,000 use crack cocaine.
- 15 million smoke marijuana.
- 750,000 abuse methamphetamine.
- 1 million use hallucinogens or ecstasy.
- 61 million smoke cigarettes.
- 494,000 or more abuse heroin.
- 15 million abuse prescription drugs.
These shocking numbers make it difficult to imagine that life in a drug-free society could ever be a reality. The best we can do is not give up trying to make a difference. In the meantime, helping people overcome addiction is a step in that direction.
Cycles of Change Recovery and Your Freedom from Addiction
The substance abuse crisis is an evolving and complex issue. For instance, drug trends shift from year to year, depending on the availability and popularity of substances. However, regardless of the drug involved, substance abuse compromises a person’s physical and mental health. So, an effective treatment plan must include components that address these issues at the same time for lasting results.
At Cycles of Change Recovery, we recognize that each person responds to treatment in different ways. Also, we know each person has their own reasons for substance use. So, to help our clients achieve lasting recovery, our program will adapt to their unique needs.
Help us do our part in bringing about life in a drug-free society. We seek to conquer addiction in America, one person at a time. If you’re struggling with drug or alcohol abuse, contact us today to learn more about our program. You’ll discover that our approach to treatment focuses on you.
We don’t just help you quit drugs or alcohol. We also help you heal the emotional, spiritual, and physical aspects involved. You’ll exit our program armed with the confidence, determination, and skills to manage any challenges you encounter on your path to recovery.
Sources:
- drugfree.org – New Data Show Millions of Americans with Alcohol and Drug Addiction Could Benefit from Health Care Reform
- drugabuse.gov – Trends and Statistics
Substance abuse or addiction can seem like an endless cycle. It’s a process with no clear beginning or end. Even if the individual wants to stop their drug use, they don’t know where to begin, so the cycle continues. In far too many cases, overdose or death occurs before the person gets a chance to make a change. So, what happens during the endless cycle of addiction that makes it hard to break?
Understanding the Stages Involved in the Cycle of Addiction
The stigma surrounding addiction suggests that substance users lack willpower. In truth, willpower is only a fraction of the complex process that leads to substance abuse.
The definition of addiction, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM):
“Addiction is a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual’s life experiences. People with addiction use substances or engage in behaviors that become compulsive and often continue despite harmful consequences.”
Addiction can occur quickly, depending on the substance involved. Or, it can take months or years to develop. But, the process involves a series of stages that make the cycle of addiction so difficult to break. For instance, some of the stages may occur together.
To better understand the cycle of addiction, familiarize yourself with the following stages:
Stage #1: Initial use of an addictive substance.
Each person has their own reasons for experimenting with drugs or alcohol. Whether the first-time use leads to addiction depends on several risk factors such as:
- Neglect or physical/emotional abuse.
- Dysfunctional living environment.
- Loneliness, depression, or other mental or emotional issues.
- History of substance abuse among family members.
- Peer pressure, social issues, low self-esteem.
Of course, these risk factors don’t always lead to substance abuse. But, when influenced by the other stages of addiction, the possibility increases.
Stage #2: Substance abuse.
In this stage, the individual begins repeated substance abuse despite adverse consequences. For example, someone who uses prescription painkillers will increase the dosage or frequency of use. An increased dosage can cause:
- drowsiness, sedation
- confusion
- shallow breathing
- nausea, vomiting
- anxiety, irritability
- muscle pain
- addiction
Substance abuse is the point where a person’s drug use is specifically for euphoric reasons.
Stage #3: Tolerance increases.
Repeated drug abuse causes changes in the brain that result in increased tolerance. What this means is that it takes more of the substance to produce the desired effects. The person using the drug will increase the dosage or frequency of use to experience the euphoria they seek.
As a person increases the amount ingested, they start on a path to the next stage of addiction.
Stage #4: Dependence.
In this stage of addiction, the brain can no longer function the way it should. The person no longer feels pleasure without the substance in their system (anhedonia). At this point, the individual needs more of the substance to feel “normal.” However, it’s important to note that dependence does not always signify addiction.
Stage #5: Addiction becomes obvious.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) states that addiction is comprised of specific symptoms and behaviors. The 11 signs and symptoms include:
- Using more of the substance than intended.
- Inability to stop using the substance.
- Relationship issues due to SUD.
- Seeking and using the substance is a person’s primary focus.
- Lack of interest in hobbies or activities that were once enjoyable.
- Unable to perform daily responsibilities.
- Intense cravings for the substance.
- Continued use despite negative health problems or other consequences.
- Engaging in dangerous situations or behaviors while using the substance.
- Increased tolerance for the substance.
- Withdrawal symptoms occur when the substance is withheld.
Generally, experiencing two or three of the above signifies mild substance use disorder (SUD). Four of five indicates moderate SUD. Someone experiencing six or more of the above has severe SUD or addiction.
Stage #6: Relapses are part of the endless cycle of addiction.
According to NIDA, about 40 to 60 percent of people in recovery from addiction will relapse. Relapse happens for many reasons depending on the individual and their unique situation. However, relapse is not a sign that the treatment failed. Furthermore, relapse doesn’t mean the individual has failed at recovery.
If relapse occurs, the best option is to seek further treatment or try another program. Sometimes, a person can benefit from a different approach or additional time in a secure, nurturing environment.
We Can Help You Overcome the Endless Cycle of Addiction
Each person experiences different responses to treatment. So, the programs should be flexible enough to adapt to their individual needs. At Cycles of Change Recovery, we offer a unique and proven approach to treatment. We can help you achieve the substance-free lifestyle you want and deserve. Our treatment options focus on establishing a solid foundation for you to build on as you progress through recovery.
Contact us today to learn more about our programs. You’ll discover that the endless cycle of addiction does have a finish line. You just need guidance in the right direction to find it.
Sources:
- asam.org – Definition of Addiction
- drugabuse.gov – Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction: Treatment and Recovery
Methamphetamine was developed from its parent drug, amphetamine, in the 20th century. Its initial use was to relieve nasal congestions and bronchitis. It may also be used as a treatment option for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methamphetamine is also classified as a highly addictive drug. It is now acquired illegally as a stimulant and has adverse effects on the nervous system.
A continuous intake of methamphetamine causes addiction. According to studies, there is an increase in abuse of this drug in the United States. Methamphetamine abuse causes significant health complications that might be long-lasting. The drug intake can be through- smoking, injections, or orally. There are
short-term and long-term side effects associated with methamphetamine abuse.
Short-term Side Effects
- Weight Loss: Methamphetamine can also be used as a weight-loss treatment option. However, this prescription is rarely given by a health provider. By overusing, it can cause extreme weight loss, which is unhealthy. The drug reduces the need to eat. Therefore, abusers might go for a long while without a proper meal. It, in the end, causes a drastic loss of weight.
- Hyperactivity: When methamphetamine is overused, the abuser feels a sense of more energy. It, hence, causes them to do more activities than the body can handle. It, in turn, causes the body to break down.
- Heart Problems: When the potent drug is taken for a long time, it might cause irreparable damages to the heart. The heart problems that abusers get as a result of methamphetamine include heart failure and an irregular heartbeat. Records state that a lot of people abusing this drug seek treatment because of heart-related issues.
- Attack of Gums and Teeth: This highly addictive drug causes intense teeth and mouth problems. Due to this, the abuser might experience gum diseases and tooth decay. The damage to the teeth and gums is severe as it can be impossible to stop the cracks. Therefore, this can lead to massive teeth removal.
Long-term Side Effects
After using methamphetamine for a while, the pleasure aspect reduces. It, hence, causes the abusers to take more drugs to achieve the same feeling they had before. This causes intense side effects that can last a long time. Here are long-term side effects as a result of methamphetamine abuse.
- Addiction: Once an abuser is used to methamphetamine, it is difficult for them to withdraw from it. Even when they know the side effects caused by the drug, they cannot stop using it.
- Mental Disorders: Depression is one of the most prevalent mental issues that methamphetamine abusers have. It results from the reduction of dopamine levels in the brain, which causes their sense of pleasure to go down. The abusers, therefore, cannot experience joy.
- Kidney Damage: When individuals indulge in methamphetamine too much, they tend to forget their body needs for survival, such as food and water. When the body does not have enough water, it will decrease the blood flow, which causes low blood circulation to the kidney. The drug is known to cause muscle breakdown, which causes the release of toxic substances to the kidney. When this organ is not performing its function, the operation of the whole body is affected.
- Lung Failure: This primarily affects individuals who take methamphetamine through smoking. Since the lungs are affected, the drug abuser might experience pulmonary edema. This causes them to have difficulty in breathing and produce a wheezing sound. When there is a lack of enough oxygen in the body, the result can be death. Abusing methamphetamine can also cause bleeding in the pulmonary vessels, and an individual can get other respiratory diseases.
- Financial and Legal Problems: Once an individual is used to methamphetamine, they cannot retain excellent financial health. This might, therefore, cause them to use a lot of money in purchasing the drug. Due to some side effects explained, such as addiction, it might be challenging to maintain a job or perform it adequately. As a result, an abuser might lose their source of income and experience a hard time getting another.
Since it is necessary to have money to purchase the addictive drug, an individual might indulge in unlawful activities. The use of methamphetamine is illegal. Hence, when caught with them, the abusers can be charged and end up in jail.
Methamphetamine abuse has a massive impact on how an abuser leads their life. Since the side effects affect the health and physical aspect, it is impossible to make significant strides. However, by seeking the appropriate medication and going to inpatient rehabilitation, getting off the toxic drug is possible. It is important to note that some side effects as a result of the drug are irreversible.
Each of us is an individual, and more than this, we exist within communities, and we can affect the world around us. What this means is that I do not exist by myself in isolation. Rather, I am at the center of various relationships with others: friends, family, coworkers, and so on. Through my words and actions, I can effect change, for better or worse. My impact on the rest of the world around me is much more than just my personal experiences.
Beyond this broader concern of the world around us and how we affect it, each of us, in our individuality, is also much deeper than we often realize. Each person has dreams, desires, pursuits, personality, ways of interacting in the world, mental or physical gifts, deficits, etc. Each person is complicated and varied.
When addiction enters the story, these above realities are changed, but they do not disappear. Addiction impacts almost every aspect of an individual and their relationship to the world around them. It is for these reasons that counseling is an integral part of any treatment program. Helping someone detox and overcome withdrawal may get the drug out of the system, but it does not help heal all the other parts of the person that have been touched by addiction. It is not enough to get the drug out of your system; you must heal and help overcome the brokenness within yourself and the world around you that the drug has caused.
The Purpose of Individual Counseling
If, as I have said above, addiction is affecting every facet of one’s life, then it is only reasonable that treatment must do the same in response. In many cases, individual counseling, group counseling, or both may help address some of these issues. Many factors can lead to addiction, but we are not aware of them in many cases. Though we may not always think about it, the reality is that we are not always transparent to ourselves.
I mean that sometimes we do and say things and do not fully understand why we have done and said them. We must take a moment and reflect on the situation and think through things. In some cases, we may go years or even decades without considering the motivations and factors that led to different patterns and behaviors in our lives. Many of these things can be connected to addiction and substance abuse.
Counseling can help with this as it allows you to think back and reflect on your past and different choices. A good counselor is also skilled at helping individuals work through these issues and habits and helping them to locate the motivating factors of different actions and behaviors.
Perhaps this does not seem so important, but it is often the case that we continue in self-destructive and dangerous habits because we have scars and wounds from the past that have not healed or that we have not yet worked through. Sometimes, aspects of our personality need to be addressed, such as an inclination for living recklessly. Counselors are trained to work with patients through issues of this sort.
Once someone has worked through detox and withdrawal, it is in these counseling sessions that they will work to address the mental and psychological aspects of recovery. These things work together and are often combined with other things, such as meditation, yoga, or music therapy, which function as practices that can help with addressing physical side effects and instilling positive habits.
In practice, individual therapy sessions will often include some of the following features:
- Discussing the current state of recovery progress
- Addressing possible or actual barriers to sobriety
- Exploring interpersonal relationships and how they affect the recovery process or the individual
- Seeking ways to manage and address cravings and withdrawal symptoms
- Integrating new coping mechanisms or maintaining current ones
- Setting goals for the future, particularly close and attainable goals
These are obvious and definable goals that can help in working through things practically. Group counseling can also be helpful for these and other ways of making progress in recovery. Individual counseling can often have the added benefit that you can get direct one-on-one attention and can often share comfortably. The individual format helps remove the peer pressure or sense of comparison that may arise in having others around. This may lead to being more vulnerable or comfortable sharing. On the other hand, group counseling can be useful for finding camaraderie and support. Group sessions provide a context for connecting with others with similar struggles, and each of you can support each other.
The Importance of Individual Counseling
The importance of individual counseling builds off the two preceding sections. As we noted first, each person is more complicated and affects more around them than they realize. Likewise, addiction affects most or all these areas of our personhood and experience in the world. Second, we have seen what some of the reasons and purposes of individual counseling are. The importance, then, is that it becomes increasingly difficult to adequately address how addiction has affected your life without individual counseling.
You are complicated and affect so much of the world; addiction impacts this negatively. It causes strain on relationships, jobs, passions, pursuits in life, and so many other things. Counseling is a way of addressing some of these issues. Detox and withdrawal are important steps; yoga, meditation, and exercise also are essential; but counseling is often the way all these things are brought together. The counseling sessions provide the primary point of reflection for the individual who is addicted. It is the opportunity and chance to synthesize everything that is being worked on in the recovery process.
Suppose detox and things like yoga and exercise address the physical, counseling can address the psychological components of recovery. Many of those struggling with addiction will also find things such as religion and meditation useful in addressing the spiritual components of themselves and their recovery. These are important steps in recovering. There are countless stories of individuals who go through a detox or treatment program that is very brief, get out, and immediately go right back to the addiction. While these situations are complicated, a big component of such behavior is that there are deeper underlying issues that have not been addressed. Seeking out individual counseling is a way of combatting the potential for relapse and giving recovery your best efforts.
Addiction is often conceived of as a problem that an individual has. To an extent, this is true. However, in many cases, the problem of addiction is much larger and more complicated than this. No person exists in a vacuum; everyone has friends, family, and loved ones impacted by their choices. This is true, even when someone is at odds or separated from their family. In many cases, substance abuse issues can cause great rifts or pain in the relationships the addicted individual has with others.
This can look different in different situations. In some cases, individuals struggling with addiction may live with family members, spouses, and/or children in their homes. The relationships of the addicted person with those in the home can become problematic very quickly. Even when someone lives alone or with friends, the relationships with those around him are important.
When we talk about “family” here, it is useful to understand that this does not just refer to those related by blood. For family addiction therapy, the term “family” can refer to immediate and blood-related family members, close friends, mentors, in-laws, or anyone else who has a familial relationship with the addicted person.
Unhealthy Behaviors
When it comes to addiction and the family, some behaviors or patterns are very unhealthy or dangerous, most notably codependency and enablement.
- Codependency: The behavior of codependency occurs when the addicted individual and someone close to them has adapted their relationship in a dysfunctional way in response to addiction. Sometimes this will manifest as constant fear or worry by the loved one for the addicted individual to the point that it disrupts the loved one’s life; this can also manifest in the form of denial, low self-esteem, unhealthy behavior such as over-eating or shopping; additionally, this may show up as changes in mood that are dependent on the addicted individual.[i]
- Enablement: When it comes to these behaviors, it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish between enabling and helping. In many cases, it may not be unclear. In general, enabling relates to assisting someone addicted to things that they would normally do for themselves or allowing them to avoid consequences that they would normally receive. Helping, on the other hand, generally relates to things the addicted individual with things they would not or could not do by themselves. The line between these is difficult, and it can often be helpful to consult a counselor or wise family and friends for assistance in making significant decisions.[ii]
Benefits of Family Therapy
- Improved Communication: Communication between one who is addicted and their family can be a difficult process. Addiction can cause each person to say and do things differently than they would otherwise. Family therapy provides a safe context in which healthy communication can happen. The counselors who lead family therapy sessions are trained to facilitate and encourage honest but loving communication between those struggling with substance abuse and their loved ones.
- Awareness of Family Dynamics: In many cases, the dynamics and relations between the person addicted and their family can go unnoticed. Changes in the ways people relate can happen subtly and quietly. In the context of family therapy, however, there is an opportunity for the nature of the relationships and the family dynamics to be more clearly revealed. Sometimes there are unhealthy ways of relating, including codependency or enabling tendencies that neither is aware of initially.
- Clarification of Ways to Get Help: Family therapy can also provide a place for both the addicted and their family members to receive help and find ways of receiving help. Many of the struggles relating to healthy relationships involve both persons needing help and either not getting it or not knowing how to get it. The person addicted may know they need help but will often be wrong in understanding what and how they need help. Many times, family members and loved ones desire to help and support the addict, but they do not know-how. Even more unnoticed, however, is that often the family members themselves need health. There will be physical and mental exhaustion, among other consequences, that come with supporting and dealing with someone who is addicted.
- Establishment of Boundaries: Beyond these things, family therapy is beneficial for helping those addicted and their families as they set to establish effective and useful boundaries. This is important to help avoid the negative behaviors of codependency and enablement. When boundaries have not been set appropriately, the result is negative for both parties. Boundaries can sometimes feel restrictive or feel like we are not helping our loved ones who struggle with addiction, but the reality is that the boundaries are for the good of the addicted. There is a difficult but important balance that must be found between having empathy, loving, and supporting the addict and allowing them to continue in their behavior without experiencing the natural consequences.
- Opportunities to Safely Share Feelings: Because of the difficult nature of substance abuse and the guilt and shame it often brings with it, addressing feelings can be extremely challenging. For the one who is addicted, often the feelings may be repressed or avoided. When they are not avoided, they can surface as overwhelming shame and embarrassment. When confronted, this guilt and shame can manifest by anger and hurt, sometimes including making the one confronting the addict feel guilty for bringing it up. These are natural but harmful things. For the family member trying to help a loved one, there are often feelings of being taken for granted, of exhaustion from constantly supporting the loved one or providing for the home without the loved one. Addressing this with someone in the midst of addiction is, at the very least, difficult. Family therapy can help in these situations by providing a safe context and a wise, trained professional to guide and support the discussion.
- Chances to Build Trust: Finally, family therapy can provide opportunities to build trust. The reality is that addiction causes a lot of fractures in relationships, and trust is often eroded and damaged very quickly. For obvious reasons, this is not the place where we want relationships to stay. The hope is for restoration and reconciliation. This requires the rebuilding of trust. Family therapy, often by addressing the things listed above, can help begin this process of building trust and restoring relationships.[iii]
Sources:
- [i] Lesser, Ben. “Substance Abuse and Codependency.” Dual Diagnosis. https://dualdiagnosis.org/codependency-substance-abuse/. Accessed 5/21/2021.
- [ii] T., Buddy. “How to Stop Enabling an Alcoholic or Addict.” Verywellmind. https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-stop-enabling-an-alcoholic-63083. Accessed 5/21/2021.
- [iii] Edited by Dan Wagener. “Family Therapy for Substance Abuse & Addiction Treatment.” American Addiction Centers. https://www.recovery.org/treatment-therapy/family/. Accessed 5/21/2021.
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