Drug Addiction And Maintaining Sobriety

Some people who get into drug addiction are either greatly affected by the past or who greatly worry about the future. However, in the addiction recovery process, you or your loved ones with addiction will help you or them understand the value of the “now”. With the line-up of activities and therapies, you would easily get the grasp of the “now”.

Clearly, having gone through something as significant as recovery from substance addiction, my idea of what my purpose in life is changed significantly some years ago. While I don’t intend to victimize myself for choices that were my own, its significance and impact on my life cannot be understated.

According to the Diagnostic Statistic Manual 5 (DSM-5) substance use disorder is when the individual has a dependency on alcohol or drug, followed by penetrating craving and antisocial behavior to acquire the substance. The terms substance abuse and substance dependence refer to substance use disorder, which has been separated into three classifications as follows

Addiction has a way of pulling your attention away from your basic needs and making it harder for you to succeed in life. It's a sad truth that I've seen happen to so many people over the years. These are good people, with good brains and real potential, but addiction takes over and they can only focus on that aspect of their life.

According to MedlinePlus, alcoholism is a disease in which a person has a physical or psychological dependence on drinks that contain alcohol. This can last for years or even last a whole life time. There are more than 3 million cases per year. Alcohol abuse can have many negative effects on family, friends, and the alcoholic. It can damage a person’s body, such as the heart, and the liver, health, and it can affect your life decisions.

“Addiction and Substance Abuse.” Issues & Controversies. Infobase Learning, 19 Nov. 2012. Web. 20 July 2016. infobaselearning.com. The argument is about the “War on Drugs” and if it is working. One side of the argument thinks that by not funding the “War on Drugs” drugs would become uncontrolled. They believe that by stopping the war on drugs it would cost a lot more money in lost productivity and crime rate. They state that rehabilitation can occur while the person in in jail, and it should not substitute their punishment. While the other side believes that though we have thrown billions of dollars into this war on drugs it has shown no improvement whatsoever. They believe that by legalizing drugs the government can better regulate

For this addiction assignment I attended meeting run by the oldest Alcoholics Anonymous group in Auburn, Maine. This group, the Auburn Serenity Group, was founded in 1959. I found this information on their page http://www.csoaamaine.org/groups/5/auburnserenity.htm when researching meeting information. I attended on Wednesday night (10/8/14) at St. Philips Church on Turner Road in Auburn. The meeting was chaired by a man named Paul.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) describes addiction as a, “chronic disease characterized by drug seeking and use that is compulsive, or difficult to control, despite harmful consequences” (“Understanding Drug Use and Addiction,” 2016). Long-term use can effect and change a person’s ability to learn, judge, and make decisions. Stress, memory issues, and behavior problems are also common side effects of extended drug use. There is not one single factor that can determine if a person will become addicted drugs. However, certain risk factors have been identified as predicting higher probabilities of addiction because of a person’s biology, environment, and development. Adolescents who abuse

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the relapse rate is 40-60%. Not only do we need better alternatives to recovery for alcohol and drug addiction, but we must lower the relapse rate. In order to successfully lower the relapse rate we must inform people on the effect gateway drugs can have on future addictions, educating about relapse and addiction and focusing on key factors to making a treatment a successful one. My research on lowering relapse rates taught me that the problem is not getting sober, its staying sober.

People are dying all around due to drug addiction and chemical dependency and unfortunately this is not a new problem. It is an ongoing problem that is escalating with very few results. With nearly one in 10 Americans over the age of 12 classified with substance abuse or dependence, addiction takes an emotional, psychological, and social toll on the country. The economic costs of substance abuse and addiction alone are estimated to exceed a half trillion dollars annually in the United States due to health care expenditures, lost productivity, and crime. “Is addiction a habit or a disease?”(Siegel). The most effective tools target cognitive and motivational processes such as self-determination,

1a. List the 13 principles of effective drug addiction treatment in your textbook. As much as

The video, “The Truth of Addiction – Side Effects of Alcohol Review” by Healthy2Fitness describes a personal experience with substance addiction and recovery, as well as the physiological processes that take place when addiction occurs (2013). The speaker begins by stating that as a child, he did not know that people did drugs or how drugs were taken (Healthy2Fitness 2013). Instead, he felt that parents and teachers warned him about drugs because they were paranoid. At the age of 15, he began chewing tobacco, drinking alcohol, and using recreational drugs (Healthy2Fitness 2013). This lead to a series of consequences and despite those, the speaker continued to abuse substances until realizing that in order to control his addiction,

The third and final stage of recovery is known as late recovery, and involves a client finding growth and meaning in life. In this stage, relapse may be less frequent as a sense of purpose is found. As this stage is found only by enduring great challenges, a client may not be as tempted by relapse and the act of back tracking in their recovery may seem tiresome and unworthy of their time. However, though a deep awareness of the consequences of substance abuse is profound, relapse is still possible if an addict forgets that he or she has a disease that is incurable and succumbs to the enticement of “just this one time can’t hurt” or has the thought that “I have been clean for so long. I am cured.” Bill W. stated in his book Alcoholics Anonymous that “This is the baffling feature of alcoholism as we know it-this utter inability to leave it alone, no matter how great the necessity or the wish” (pg. 34). Complete abstinence is the only choice for those with the disease of addiction, and so many recovering addicts forget this simple realization in the late recovery stage.

I envision my future career as managing or owning my own rehabilitation center for individuals who suffer alcohol or drug addiction. Upon graduation, I know I must start in an entry level position and work my way to my future position or goal. I would apply for a position in mental health so that I can help individuals whose emotional, psychological, and social well-being are affected by such factors as biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry. Life traumas or situations including physical or emotional abuse, or family history of mental health problems and to gain the experienced needed to manage or run my own facility or center.

Drug addiction is a serious problem in America. Over 20 million people need drug treatment every year in America. However, the good news is that it is very possible to achieve long lasting recovery from substance abuse. Below explains how and why this is possible.