We’ve all heard common myths about drugs: drug addiction is not a disease; you can detox on your own; or If someone close to you were addicted, you would know it. However, there are other myths about drugs that you may not know about. Furthermore, no one around you talks about them.
The more you believe a drug myth, the less likely you are to get help for your addiction at an addiction treatment center in NC. This is especially true if you believe that you can recover on your own. Below are some of the ‘hidden’ myths about drugs. Let’s take a closer look so that we can understand the nature of drug addiction a little more clearly.
Myth #1: Drug Addiction is Voluntary
One of the hidden myths about drugs is that drug use is voluntary. Drug addiction can eliminate the element of choice as you continue to take drugs. As your brain becomes more dependent on a substance, the cravings become stronger, and the need for it grows. This dependency on drugs grows slowly over time and results in convulsive behavior that is increasingly difficult to control.
For this reason, one of the first steps that an addict takes toward recovery is to admit that they are powerless over drugs. In other words, they need help. More specifically, professional help for addiction. Making a choice to overcome addiction is also voluntary and can reverse the power the drugs have over you.
Myth #2: Addiction is a Character Flaw
Drug addiction is not a character flaw. Rather, it is a disease that develops over time. One of the reasons we believe that addiction is a character flaw is due to the stigma or stereotypes we place on addiction. Also, drug addiction does not discriminate. It affects people from every gender, socio-economic background and ethnicity.
Addiction takes on many of the characteristics of a disease, including chronic medical problems, terminal diagnosis, possible relapse, alteration in brain function, and the relationship between the disease and the person. It goes beyond what we think of when we see an addiction.
Myth #3: For Treatment to Be Effective, You Have to Want It
There is not a single person that goes through an addiction treatment center that wants treatment. No one desires withdrawal symptoms during detox. Furthermore, they don’t want to spend 30 to 90 days in rehab. They do not want to incur the expenses from addiction treatment. Most importantly, they do not want their lives interrupted.
Most people that enter rehab, or at least complete treatment, do so because they recognize the need for change. The process of recovery takes work, adjustment, and determination – things we often don’t want to commit to. You do not have to want to get help for your addiction to move forward with it. You simply need to be willing to take the first step.
Myth #4: True Recovery Only Happens Once
For millions of people, recovery is a process, a process that can take weeks, months, or years. As a result, a person may relapse more than once before finally managing their addiction. Treatment for addiction does not guarantee that you will never drink or take drugs again. However, it does improve your chances.
Much of the success of recovery depends on the support system that a person has in place once they complete rehab. Addiction treatment centers in Asheville, NC, provide aftercare programs to help you with long-term recovery. Programs also include relapse prevention therapy to give you another opportunity for a full recovery.
Forget the Myths About Drugs and Start Your Addiction Treatment Today
Regardless of the myths about drugs, it is possible to recover from substance use. Red Oak Recovery® can help you every step of the way. Call us at 866.457.7590 to find out more about your treatment options.
