Featured photo by Thing Vo
Are You Suffering From An Addiction?
“Trying it just once can get you hooked!” This is what we were all taught in school about addiction, right?
It was a scare tactic designed to keep us away from drugs, drinking and smoking and pretty much anything the grownups found objectionable. And, like many of those dire warnings we were issued as kids, this one is almost never true.
There are a variety of ways that addictions can take hold of a person. For some people, they are genetically predisposed to addiction, which means that they are more likely to become dependent upon alcohol, drugs, gambling, etc. Many others become addicted by accident.
It sounds silly, but the number of opioid addicts is skyrocketing because patients develop a dependence while being treated for legitimate issues. And of course, addiction can sneak up on a person over time. It starts with a few beers after work to take the edge off the day; you know the rest. This is why so many people have trouble figuring out if they really have a problem or if the people who surround them are just uptight and/or controlling.
Do You Have An Addiction?
Figuring out whether or not you are suffering from an addiction can be difficult. We have been conditioned to see addiction as a weakness and something in which we choose to indulge and not as the disease it truly is. It is this conditioning that causes us to fight against the idea of having lost control over our substance use, instead of reaching out for help when we start to notice that our lives have gone a bit sideways.
There are, thankfully, lots of resources out there to help you figure out whether or not you’re suffering from an addiction. BLVD residential alcohol treatment, for example, has published a quiz you can take to help you figure out where you stand, addiction-wise. You could also seek the insight from a doctor or a therapist. Yes, you can ask your friends but remember: your friends and your family love you and want to think the best of you. They might not tell you the whole truth.
Getting Help
There are lots of different methods and programs out there that help people treat and recover from addiction. Before we get into them, though, know this: you cannot recover from your addiction all by yourself. For one thing, detoxing can often be risky, even when overseen by a professional.
Going it alone could literally put your life at risk, depending on the drug from which you are trying to detox. For another, you need to have a support system in place to help you stay sober after you go through the recovery treatment program. Every recovered addict will tell you that you can’t just go back into your old life like nothing has changed. Trying to do so puts you at serious risk of relapse.
So which type of treatment is best? This is going to depend upon you and the substance to which you have found yourself addicted.
There is no such thing as one size fits all drug treatment.
In-Patient Rehab
If you can afford it, checking yourself into an in-patient program, like a Hollywood treatment center or other specialty centers is the best choice for most addicts. In-patient rehab gives you the ability to make a clean break from your old life–not just for yourself, but for your friends and family. It gives you all time apart so that you can breathe and focus on what you need to do, which is get sober.
Another big reason to opt for in-patient rehab is that being around other people also working their way toward recovery is profoundly helpful. It is a way to prove to yourself that you are literally not alone and that there are others who know exactly what you’re going through.
Outpatient Rehab
Outpatient treatment programs allow you to stay at home and potentially even keep working. You have to commit to a set schedule of meetings, checkups, and drug testing, though. Some outpatient programs operate sort of like a day camp. Others are looser, scheduling-wise.
Group
If you can’t afford a professional rehabilitation program, there are still resources available to you. Alcoholics Anonymous is the most famous of them. In addition to Alcoholics Anonymous you can often find support groups and drug treatment programs run through local churches and community centers. Some county-run programs also offer support free of charge to people who might have trouble affording or committing to intense in or out-patient programs.
Anybody can develop an addiction. It is a condition that does not discriminate based on any sort of demographic information. And if you have become addicted to something, what is important isn’t how you got here.
It’s where you go from here. You can get help. You can get sober. It might feel impossible but we promise: you can get better.
Identity Magazine is all about empowering women to get all A’s in the game of life — Accept. Appreciate. Achieve.™ Every contributor and expert answer the Identity 5 questions in keeping with our theme. Their answers can be random and in the moment or they can be aligned with the above article. As a team, we hope to inspire and motivate ourselves and inspire you to get all A’s.
1. What have you accepted within your life, physically and/or mentally? What are you still working on accepting?
That we have to all appreciate the little things and to not take anything for granted.
2. What have you learn to appreciate about yourself and/or within your life, physically and mentally? What are you still working on to appreciate within yourself and/or life?
I’m blessed to have loving family and friends in my life.
3. What is one of your most rewarding achievements in life? And what makes YOU most proud? Any goals and dreams that you still have?
Graduating from Arizona State University in 2013
4. We all have imperfections, so we think. The truth–we are all perfectly imperfect. What imperfections and quirks create who you are–your Identity?
Nobody’s perfect and it’s been hard to accept it. I’ve learned to embrace my curly hair, my curves and my quirky personality.
5. “I Love My…” is an outlet for you to express and appreciate all the positive traits that make you…well… YOU! Sharing what you love about yourself will make you smile, feel empowered, and uplift your spirit and soul. (we assure you!) Identity challenges you to complete the phrase “I Love My…?”
I love my unwavering intensity. Everything I do is 100 percent.
