Addiction to alcohol and drugs is a serious cause for worry because it threatens the life of the individual who becomes an addict. It is important to understand that addiction does not happen by using drugs or drinking alcohol once, rather it happens because these harmful substances are used over a long period, eventually turning into drug abuse. There can be several reasons for someone to become an addict including depression, anxiety, the pressure of the workplace, peer pressure, etc. It is much healthier if a person tries to find a healthy medium through which he can channel all his negative feelings and thoughts as it will help him see things from various other perspectives and he might even become able to find the solutions to his problems. As for peer pressure, it is one of the most dangerous things because a bad company of friends can ruin the personality of even a simple-minded individual and make him turn to drugs for no reason whatsoever. A person’s willpower and sense of values should be so strong that even if someone tries to force him or entices him to abuse alcohol and drugs, he can say no to his face because he knows that these things are not worth ruining his health over. Addiction can also happen as a result of any such event that affects the person to a great extent, for example, breaking up with someone, losing a job, or the death of a family member or a friend.
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The endless cycle of addiction
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The above-mentioned events are called activating events because they trigger the person’s cycle of addiction. Some negative and uncomfortable feelings like anger, sadness, helplessness, irritation, frustration, or hopelessness follow the activating event. No one can handle such adverse feelings for a long time, therefore, they try to find various methods to cope with their issues where some people employ hobbies, some other go for sports, and some other ones may opt for a worse option of choosing to find escape by drinking alcohol or using drugs in excessive amounts, simultaneously deteriorating their physical as well as mental health. The main thing that makes the cycle of addiction severely harmful is that if the person chooses drugs and alcohol to cope with his issues, then his problems will start increasing instead of decreasing; he will become irritable and senseless, his physical and mental stability will be lost, he might even end up losing his family and friends as there are numerous examples where drug addicts ended up hurting their families when they were under the influence. As these things are happening due to their drug abuse, these events will also end up becoming another activating event and that person will get stuck in an endless cycle of addiction and self-destruction unless he gets outside help or his loved ones try to get some professional help so that he can live a better life than this. This is the moment where his family must contact a suitable rehabilitation center for his well-being where the professionals will help him get rid of the toxins in his body and become clean. Look at this site https://impactrecoverycenter.net/
Recovery at rehab centers
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Rehab centers offer various treatment programs that are specifically tailored according to the needs of that individual. These centers have doctors and a complete professional staff who go through the complete medical history of the patient to check whether there are any health conditions or issues such as cardiovascular issues or diabetes, etc. that might hinder his progress of recovery at the center. Whichever treatment program is advised by the doctors to the patient, the first step will be the detoxification of the body to remove the harmful drugs from his body. He goes into the withdrawal stage where he gets sick and dehydrated and he is monitored continuously by the caretakers in case his condition becomes critical, which is very likely if his addiction had been severe and had gone on for a long time.
Relapse process
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Rehabilitation centers are considered very effective because they almost always help their clients become clean of drugs and healthy again. However, as life goes on, we are aware that it is not always all flowers and sunshine and from time to time, everyone has to go through troublesome circumstances especially when they lose someone close to them. Things like these are, of course, activating events, and if the convalescent trips and loses a little of his willpower, it is possible that he might fall into the addiction cycle all over again. This stage is called a relapse when a convalescent starts abusing drugs or alcohol again after his recovery and it is much harder to recover again after someone experiences a relapse.
The stages of relapse show that it happens gradually rather than abruptly. The person might not even be aware that he is about to experience a relapse and fall back into his old habits soon. Due to the unpredictability of life, a convalescent is always in danger of relapse, and just as becoming an addict takes a while, falling into a relapse also takes time. The start of this process is pretty much unconscious after which the actual abuse of alcohol and drugs might start after a few weeks or maybe even months.
Relapse prevention
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Relapse can be prevented if people make sure that they follow their treatment all through the end and also follow the aftercare plans suggested by their doctors. Moreover, support groups and therapists are a huge help as well because talking about his experiences and listening to other people talk about theirs will make him realize that he is not alone in his pain and some other people are going through similar problems, this process will serve as a catharsis to him. Furthermore, having productive hobbies, keeping active through exercise or yoga, and keeping a diary or journal can also help him if he experiences any difficulties. The most important thing of all is that he should never be afraid of asking for help if he feels troubled.
