Can Drug Addicts Be Cured?

Addiction is one of the most complex conditions that don’t have a single simple explanation of causes. You can develop addiction due to your environment, genetics, mental health, or experiences. In most cases, you will develop an addiction if you frequently use a particular substance. These substances could be alcoholic drinks, hard drugs such as cocaine or marijuana, or cigarettes. However, you can also develop an addiction to habits such as gambling, high-risk activities such as mountain bike riding, or even watching television.

Substance Abuse

Substance abuse occurs when you develop the habit of using alcohol, prescription medication, or other substances a little too much. It can also occur if you use these substances in the wrong way. The commonly abused substances include alcohol, over-the-counter medicines, heroin, marijuana, and tobacco products.

Is There a Difference Between Substance Abuse and Addiction?

Yes. Unlike addiction, if you have developed problems with substance abuse, you can easily quit or decide to change your behavior. While substance abuse is a habit that you can easily stop, addiction is a disease that will not be easy to cure despite your condition.

Alcoholism and Addiction

Alcoholism is a form of substance abuse that develops into alcohol addiction. It is caused by the inability of a person to handle their drinking habits. To better understand alcoholism, we can classify it into three categories.

  • Mild category – In this category, alcoholism is beginning to develop, and a person is gradually losing control over their drinking habits.
  • Moderate – Though you can stop the habit, a person has little control over their drinking. If not treated, the person can easily develop severe alcoholism.
  • Severe – In this stage, a person has no control over their drinking habits.

Tell-tale Signs of Alcoholism

Wondering how you can tell if you are developing alcoholism? The following are some of the signs that you might observe. • Lost ability to control the consumption of alcohol • Increased cravings for alcohol when you don’t drink • Prioritizing alcohol beyond other key needs • Developing the need for more alcohol • Feeling or behaving differently after taking alcohol • Spending huge sums of money on alcohol consumption.

Treating Addiction and Alcoholism

Can an alcohol addict be cured? Unfortunately, you cannot cure alcoholism. However, it is not the end of the road if you or a loved one has developed alcoholism. Essentially, though you cannot be cured of alcoholism, you can recover from the addiction. Additionally, treating alcohol addiction is dependent on personal circumstances. Primarily, these are the circumstances that led to the development of addiction in the first place. For instance, before treatment, your doctor might want to know about: • Your history of alcohol use and dependency • Medical and possible psychiatric factors • Your interest in the treatment options availed • A social and physical environment that surrounds you

Alcohol Addiction Treatment Process

Once you are ready for treatment, the following are the processes that you will go through.

  • Detox – In this process, the patient is taken through a process of withdrawal from alcohol use. Typically, it is a therapy that takes place in a treatment center. During this period of about one week, a patient might experience life-threatening withdrawal systems. Therefore, your doctor might prescribe various medications to prevent confusion, agitation, shaking, nausea, and other symptoms.
  • Rehabilitation – Once you are done with rehabilitation, the next step to recovery from alcohol addiction is rehabilitation. Essentially, you can get rehabilitation services either as an inpatient or outpatient. As an inpatient, you will check into a treatment center for less than 30 days. During this period, you will be taken through intensive treatment and behavioral training. As an outpatient, you can continue with your daily life while participating in a regular recovery program.
  • Maintaining sobriety – Completing the rehabilitation program is not the end of the recovery process. To attain complete recovery, you should seek to maintain your sobriety by attending counseling forums, support groups, and other routines.

Recovering From Alcohol and Drugs

Recovering from substance addiction is a process that involves extensive efforts and determination. Without the right treatment, the possibilities of relapsing are quite high. If you or someone you care about is going through addiction problems, you can help them reclaim their life by getting them into a recovery program. Just like treatment of alcohol addiction, drug addiction is also treated through detox, rehabilitation, and behavioral change.

Conclusion

Addiction is one of the most frustrating conditions. Apart from depriving you of important aspects of your life, it can put you in extremely difficult conditions. If you are ready to get started with addiction treatment, you can give us a call at 614-705-0611.