The Process of Drug Addiction Posted by Into Action Treatment on September 1, 2015 in Articles The process of addiction involves a deep craving for a drug or alcohol that is so intense that nothing else will matter. The person will lose control of their use of the drug or alcohol and in spite of impending consequences, they will continue down the path of destruction.
An addiction changes how the brain perceives things. It starts out subtle and over the course of time it becomes very intense. Addiction will change the desire to learn and live and turn it into an intense ‘need’ for the drug or alcohol. It alters how people perceive pleasure in the brain and corrupts the normal activities.
Left untreated, addiction can be so strong that the person completely alters their personality. They become bound to the drug or alcohol. Breaking free of their addiction is a tough challenge, but it can be done with diligence and perseverance.
What is the Process of Drug Addiction Addiction means ‘bound to’. A person who is an addict is bound to their drug of choice. It may be alcohol or it may be something else. Addiction is very powerful. It’s like a magnetic pull sucking the person into a vortex.
The first use may or may not be smooth. After the first use, the brain begins to crave the substance of addiction. Over the course of time the brain must have its fix.
In spite of adverse consequences, the person loses control and must have their drug of choice. According to neuro imaging, the brain begins to alter and what once caused pleasure now is expected, even anticipated.
Many addicts, especially alcoholics, suffer from a condition called co morbidity. This is where there is more than one addiction going on. It could be alcohol and drugs, sex and drugs, gambling and alcohol etc.
The Development of Addiction As an addiction begins, the addict’s brain registers pleasure normally. However, as the addiction progresses, the body and the brain begin to rely upon the extra endorphins that are released when the person is high.
In time, the brain gets confused and wants it more and more. This is true no matter what the addiction may be. It can happen with drugs, alcohol, shopping, gambling, sex and anything else that the person relies upon for their high.
The more the addiction is fed, the worse it is for the person. As the brain releases more dopamine and more endorphins the persons body and brain begin to associate that release with the addictive substance. The body and brain begin to expect this reward and thus the cycle of addiction is developed.
Further, the method by which the drug enters the body also has an effect on how strong the addiction is. Drugs that are smoked or injected instead of swallowed are much more likely to produce a stronger high and thus a stronger addiction.
Intervention and Recovery The sooner the process of intervention is begun, the sooner the process of addiction recovery can be begun. Recovery is much easier and faster in the earlier stages of addiction.
The brain must be retrained to learn how to release dopamine and endorphins naturally verses via drugs and alcohol. Over the course of recovery, the brain will change and find that the drug and alcohol aren’t
really what the person needs. However, the person can readily change that if they again drink or do drugs.
For many, the pull and lure of the drug or alcohol is so psychologically strong that they simply cannot quit on their own. It will take a lot of intervention, time and effort for them to remain in recovery. After recovery they must safe guard themselves against relapse.
The process of alcohol addiction is just the same as a drug addiction or a shopping or sex addiction. The more they have, the more they want. It can seem like an uphill battle to remain in recovery.
The body will always have in the back of its mind the fact that when using drugs or drinking alcohol they had a bigger high than they do when they are simply doing things they enjoy. Drugs, as an example, can cause the brain to release anywhere from double to ten times the amount of dopamine.
For this reason, the person will have to be wary of anything that may send them back down the path of destruction. Even the simplest pain medication may send them back down that path.
Thesaurus Addiction When considering addiction, there are many ways that the word addiction is referred to. Here are a few: • Monkey on your back. • Sweet tooth. • Dependence • Enslavement • Hooked • Hang up • Fixation
• Jones (the term “jonesing” is used when a person needs a fix). • Monkey • Obsession • Shot • Meds or Medication
Addictive Process There are many steps in the process of addiction. They begin like this: • Obsession: The person becomes obsessed with the drug of choice. • Persistence: The person is inflexible in their search for the drug. They also repeat said behavior. • Immunity To Consequences: The person ignores the rules of consequences and doesn’t seem to care about whether or not they are caught or have serious consequences. • Ignoring Of Facts: The person ignores the fact that they are an addict and beings to believe that this is ‘normal’ behavior.
Addictive behavior is sometimes equated to infatuation. The first stages of love; where everything is bliss and perfect (even though it really isn’t). The person begins to believe that everything is roses and that there will be no ill consequences. Everything else in life will begin to suffer as the addict begins to focus more on their addiction and less on the things that used to mean something to them in life.
When it comes to addiction, there are many pathways to recover. They will all require that the addict give up the drug of choice and that they be willing to modify their behavior. For some, this is a difficult road. They must not only stop the drug, they must learn to avoid it and redirect their attentions.
It’s not enough to simply say ‘no’. The person must learn to say ‘yes’ to new behaviors and to their life. They must learn to avoid situations in which they would be tempted.