Overcoming drug addiction can sometimes feel like an impossible feat. Yet, finding a way to get sober is the only option that you have for living a long and fulfilling life. Having an addiction to drugs holds you back from having healthy relationships, building a successful career and maintaining your physical wellbeing. If asked, most people with an addiction will even tell you that they wish they’d never picked up drugs. You may have also heard that people sometimes have to go to addiction treatment more than once, and there is a myth circulating in society that a long-term recovery isn’t even possible. You can rest assured that you can recover from even the most serious level of drug addiction, and relapses are common but not always inevitable. There’s several reasons why it is so hard to overcome drug addiction, and opening up a discussion about them makes it easier to avoid falling into common pitfalls.
The primary reason why it is hard to overcome drug addiction is that the chemicals that you put into your body impact you physically and mentally. Using and withdrawing from drugs has an impact upon how your body functions. Drugs such as heroin and speed alter how your brain responds to common experiences, and they change neural pathways to the point that your body senses that it needs the drugs to survive. When you quit using drugs, your body immediately goes into panic mode. This can lead to withdrawal symptoms such as the following:
- Muscular aches and pains
- Nausea and vomiting
- Shaking and tremors
- Insomnia or excessive sleepiness
- Hallucinations and/or seizures
On top of how you feel physically, you may also find that your emotions take a nosedive in the first few days after quitting drugs. Irritability and anxiety are common. These symptoms may be partially due to the physical discomfort you are experiencing, but they could also be side effects of your brain trying to function without the false sense of wellbeing that drugs provided. Don’t worry though, your body and mind will slowly get back to normal. Working with trained drug treatment counselors can also help you to find ways to deal with uncomfortable symptoms
The withdrawal process is just the start of reasons for why drug addiction is so hard to beat. You’ll also need to find ways to fill your time since boredom often creeps in during the first days of quitting drugs. There may also be underlying mental health issues that you’ve either not acknowledged yet or allowed to go untreated while you were using drugs. In some cases, you may have even been relying on drugs to help you mask your mental health condition’s symptoms. Accepting that there are some serious challenges that you must overcome to deal with your addiction is a good starting point for being successful.
Start Finding Solutions for Your Challenges With Overcoming Drug Addiction
If the thought of trying to help your body and mind recover from drug addiction seems too hard to do by yourself, then you are already a step ahead with your recovery. You don’t have to be overwhelmed by all of the things that can impact your ability to stay sober. These challenges are exactly what drug addiction treatment programs are designed to help with. During the intake process of going to rehab, you’ll meet with professional counselors who help you to explore what might be your biggest issues with leaving drugs behind. They’ll provide you with a physical exam and ask about your history with drug misuse. You will also undergo a mental health assessment that can reveal things that you may not know about yourself.
Uncovering your challenges is just the first step. Don’t worry about being left with a mess of issues to think about. Instead, your counselors will start offering you ideas for dealing with each one. Just the understanding that you are in competent hands and surrounded by support makes it easier to see the light shining through the clouds of your addiction. By the time that you start your addiction treatment, you’ll have a clear outline for addressing each challenge that can impact your sobriety. You’ll even spend time working on a plan for how you’ll handle things that come up at home. While you’ll still face challenges, knowing where to turn and how to get help is your biggest asset for making overcoming addiction possible.
Are you curious about how to handle challenges that could impact your sobriety? Give us a call today at 833-846-5669 to find out ways to conquer each one.