Help for a Loved One

In order for your loved one to truly beat an addiction, the help of an addiction rehab program might be vital. There are some people who can control their addictions on their own, without the help of a formal treatment program. However, according to a study in the journal Addiction, most cases of so-called “spontaneous” recovery might not really be called recovery at all, if people looked a little closer at what really happened to these people. For example, in spontaneous recovery cases, 78.6 percent of people reported low-risk drinking and 46.2 percent reported limited drug use. While these people did improve, on their own, they are far from healed. After all, they’re still using the substances they once abused.

Why Do Addictions Happen?

Once, people thought that addictions were character flaws, caused by weakness or laziness. In this model, people who have addictions just aren’t as capable as those who do not have addictions, and those addictions could be effectively addressed if people would just work a little harder and try just a little bit more.

In other words, a person might make a choice to use drugs or alcohol, but if the person is hardwired to experience a huge reaction to those substances and everyone in the community is also using drugs, that experimentation could become habitual use. Over time, as the brain becomes accustomed to drugs, chemical changes take place that lock the addiction in place. Now the person no longer feels “normal” without the drugs. The use becomes compulsive. This isn’t a mere personal failing. Instead, it’s a complex disease that needs the proper care and management. That’s what rehab programs can provide.

Are Relapses Inevitable?

Many people who develop addictions obtain treatment, stay sober for a short period of time, and then relapse to drug use. It’s a disturbing thought, but treatment can help to break the cycle. For example, a study in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs found that many alcoholics relapse to use when they’re under severe stress, and that those who had strong social networks and an ability to perceive high-risk situations were able to stay abstinent more frequently than were those who did not have these attributes.

It’s important to note that these are just the sorts of lessons that are provided during a standard addiction treatment program. Here, people learn how to spot triggers to relapse, and they work with friends and family members on repairing the damage done during the course of the addiction. It could be remarkably beneficial in helping people to break the cycle of addiction and relapse.

Let Us Help

In order to help the person you love, you’ll need to learn more about addiction and how it can be effectively treated. This website could be quite helpful to you in that regard, as we’ve pulled together a significant amount of information about a variety of addictions, as well as common treatment methods. If you have questions that aren’t answered by those articles, just contact us at 760.548.4032. At Michael's House, we specialize in providing help for addictions as well as underlying mental health issues. We're happy to answer any questions you might have about obtaining care for the person you love.