Learn the truth about common myths surrounding addiction and recovery and find out how seeking help can lead to successful long-term recovery. There are plenty of therapies and medicines that exist to help those struggling with addiction, but they aren’t where recovery ends. That’s not to suggest medication doesn’t work as it has an important place in many rehabilitative contexts, particularly to ease withdrawal symptoms and assist in recovery. But success in recovery relies just as much on intervention in a person’s mental health, the development of healthy coping strategies, and a supportive community.

• This includes sharing stories of recovery and correcting false information.
• In some cases, people are genetically predisposed to become addicted to something — if they begin to use alcohol or drugs, they are more likely to become addicted to them.
• Many people think that people with addiction must reach “rock bottom” before they can get help.

For example, I broke my arm in a blackout once and just told everyone it was because I was wearing high heels and tripped. The truth is that these negative consequences are not only not normal, they are dangerous. You https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/13-common-myths-about-addiction-and-recovery/ do not have to hit rock bottom in order to change your life and quit alcohol and drugs. There is no way to fully eradicate the myths surrounding substance abuse, but there are ways to combat them in a productive way.

Myth #9: If I Enter Recovery, There’s Something Wrong With Me

Prescription medication, alcohol, and marijuana are often categorized as “safer to use” because of legalization and normalization of use. Hard drugs tend to carry heavier social stigmas, while other substances may get a pass. Despite these advances, we still do not fully understand why some people develop an addiction to drugs or how drugs change the brain to foster compulsive drug use.

Dual diagnosis is common in substance use disorder, thus mental health must be addressed during treatment. Recovery needs support from healthcare professionals and loved ones. Treatment should be affordable and accessible to everyone seeking recovery.

Myth #2: I Don’t Need Treatment for Withdrawal Symptoms

If you’re looking for assistance, Purposes Recovery offers the best medical detox in Los Angeles. Follow us on social media to find out about our medical detox program, and learn what options we have that are right for you. A common narrative, particularly for crack cocaine, is that you become addicted right away. In reality, although we haven’t been able to quantify exactly how addictive a drug is, we know drugs like crack cocaine are very dangerous and have a higher risk of addiction.

Anybody who’s grown up in the United States, particularly in the wake of the War on Drugs, has seen anti-drug abuse PSAs warning kids about the dangers of peer pressure. These programs often repeated the same warnings, urging children to say “No” in the face of pressure from a peer. Although those snippets https://ecosoberhouse.com/ are dated from a stylistic perspective, the PSAs about peer pressure remain relevant today. Adolescents who use social media are at higher risk of being pressured to partake in order to feel like part of the group. “My doctor would never prescribe a medication that’s harmful or addictive, right?

STAY or GO? You can Trust your judgement. Addiction and Relationships

People do not choose to become addicted any more than they choose to have cancer. Genetics makes up about half the risk of addiction; environmental factors such as family life, upbringing, and peer influences make up the other half. Similar strategies can and should be applied to reduce harm among people with AUD.

• Our peer coaches help teach concerned loved ones how to positively impact their unwell loved one while avoiding detachment and confrontation.
• In conclusion, addiction is complex and some details are yet to be understood.
• Factors like age, income, ethnicity, religion, family, and job can play a role.
• AA is just one of many pathways to recovery, and it is not a requirement for being sober.
• It means making huge changes in lifestyle and creating healthful methods to stay sober.

It can also be designed to include your family and support system so they can learn more about what you’ve been dealing with and how to encourage you in your recovery. In some cases, these symptoms can be so uncomfortable that a person will seek to return to their addiction simply to ease their pain. In other cases, if a person is going through withdrawal and experiences more severe symptoms such as a seizure, they are in danger of serious injury or death if they attempt to face this alone. “I didn’t like becoming groggy at two in the afternoon.” In other words, he had other matters to attend to with which narcosis interfered, and therefore he wasn’t inclined to savor the drugs’ effects. Modern science has shown that addiction is a disease, not a choice. Keep in mind that most people with addiction who experience a recurrence will return to recovery.