Addiction is a big problem that affects all areas of a person's life. When someone is addicted to drugs or alcohol it can impact their relationships, their finances, their health, and their emotional well-being. The sooner a person is able to seek treatment and counseling for addiction and begin working on their problem, the sooner they can start seeing the positive changes that addiction recovery offers. There are a lot of misconceptions regarding addiction and recovery that you don't want to believe. By learning more about the misconceptions, you may better see how addiction counseling can really help. Here is more on three common misconceptions.
Misconception 1: Addiction is a choice, not a disease
Many people argue that addiction is a choice, and it is not a disease. However, addiction is a disease because it changes how a person's brain responds when a certain chemical is introduced. These changes are long-term ones and while there are treatments for addiction, there isn't a cure. Once a person becomes addicted to a certain drug, they will experience the symptoms of addiction even far in the future if they reintroduce that substance back into their body. This is true even if they haven't had that substance for a very long time. Addiction counseling helps addicts learn about addiction and learn tactics they can implement to gain control over their addiction.
Misconception 2: Some people are immune to addiction
It is true that some people are more resistant to addiction than others are. However, it is also important to understand that addiction can creep up slower on some people, so they can go from being an occasional user to an addict without warning and after any period of time using a drug. Addiction counseling can help addicts to understand that addiction isn't a one-size-fits-all thing. Counseling helps addicts learn different strategies for gaining control, regardless of how long they have been an addict and regardless of what drug they are addicted to.
Misconception 3: Someone needs to hit rock bottom before they can stop using
Not only is it false that an addict can only stop using after hitting rock bottom, but it is also an extremely dangerous belief to have. A person's 'rock bottom' may be overdosing, and this may also be something they die from. It can actually be easier for many addicts to recover if they got into treatment before their entire life was damaged. Addiction counseling can be effective for addicts with all histories of using and regardless of when they chose to get treatment.
To learn more about addiction counseling, contact your healthcare provider.
