9 Common Myths About Substance Addiction All You Need to Know

Addiction comes with a lot of guilt and embarrassment so many develop behaviors that allow them to effectively hide their addiction, at least for a period of time. It is a force that takes hold no matter what your life circumstance. Addiction itself can cause someone to become a person who steals for more money or drugs, isn’t available to friends or family, or makes irresponsible choices that they wouldn’t have made otherwise. Once addiction takes hold, the brain chemistry can actually change making it hard to control impulses. The substance becomes a craving, an obsession that can become more important than other aspects of life. There are a variety of factors that go into why someone would struggle with addiction.

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If someone with alcohol problems also battles depression, their symptoms may worsen when drinking. Similarly, people with anxiety who drink heavily may experience stressful emotions that can cause a change in the stomach’s enzymes, which affects how a person breaks down alcohol. Your body absorbs alcohol more slowly when you have food in your stomach. Those who drink on an empty stomach will feel the effects of alcohol more quickly. A person who has not eaten will hit their peak blood alcohol level between 30 minutes and two hours after consumption, depending on the amount of alcohol consumed.

• People living with a drug or alcohol use disorder are about twice as likely to already exhibit symptoms of a mental health disorder.
• It takes time for individuals to recognize their addiction, seek help, and commit to the recovery process.
• 7 in 10 adults who ever had a substance use problem considered themselves to be recovering or in recovery.
• When our content undergoes a significant revision, we summarize the changes that were made and the date on which they occurred.
• People with addiction have often become very disconnected from healthy activities and relationships.
• When used under a doctor’s supervision, prescription drugs can be effective for treating pain or other conditions.

Myth #5 Rehab doesn’t work.

With all this in mind, and in an attempt to course-correct, we’ll be debunking twelve recovery myths. Whether you’re currently struggling with substance abuse, have a loved one who is, or don’t even know anyone at all, it’s never a bad idea to get a better understanding of the realities of addiction and rehabilitation. This can’t myths about addiction and recovery last forever, but in many cases, loved ones don’t find out about the problem until it has completely spiraled out of control. High-functioning addicts may be able to function for a while, but in the end, the truth always makes itself known. At one time, we believed that most addicts had one drug of choice and stuck with it.

Myth #1: If you have an addiction, you don’t have enough willpower.

But success in recovery relies just as much on intervention in a person’s mental health, the development of healthy coping strategies, and a supportive community. When it comes to addiction and recovery, myths are harmful to everyone involved. Only when people understand the truth about substance abuse, addiction, and recovery can long-term healing begin. We offer below seven common addiction myths and the realities behind them.

I’ve been sober for nearly 3 years now, and I can say in all honesty, I’ve never experienced fun the way that I have in these past three years. There are so many ideas and thoughts and stories about sobriety floating around, and it’s hard to know what to believe. When you start your journey with Perennial Recovery, you gain a partner for long-lasting recovery. With both vulnerable populations, black and white, dismal failure is the constant companion of our “best” efforts in the addiction field. “You mean people quit using painkillers when they no longer feel pain? These overwhelming impulses help explain the compulsive and often irrational behavior around addiction.

The simple truth is addiction is a chronic, progressive, and potentially fatal yet treatable disease, much like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. And they deserve empathetic and supportive treatment just like any other sick person. Hopefully, as the above myths are systematically debunked, an increasing percentage of addicted individuals will seek out the assistance and recovery they desperately need. There are many people who can use multiple substances and never develop an addiction, while others can use a substance only once and quickly spiral out of control.

• Many of us take the “that could never happen to me” when it comes to addiction although the data has repeatedly shown this to not be the case.
• Over time, many become dependent on drugs or alcohol to feel “normal”, and they often experience varying extremes of physical or mental pain when use stops.
• Recovery is characterized by continual growth and improvement in one’s health and wellness and managing setbacks.
• Although eating before a night of drinking will slow down alcohol absorption, it will not keep you sober as you continue to drink.

This reflects both the depletion of neurotransmitters and the structural damage that occurs as a result of chronic methamphetamine use. Individuals who use drugs like methamphetamine are often at greater risk to have accidents or become involved in assaults that lead to traumatic brain injuries. Of course, having the combination of a traumatic brain injury and a chronic history of methamphetamine use will result in a number of potentially serious neurological issues. Although the exact cause of most mental illnesses is unknown, most develop as the result of a combination of biological, psychological and environmental factors. The specific traits of different personality disorders vary significantly; however, the symptoms of all personality disorders tend to be generally stable and consistent over time. For example, someone with an anxious temperament and demanding parents might develop a rigid and fearful way of relating to the world that later becomes avoidant personality disorder.

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But his lawyers say he did not consider himself to be an “addict” at the time he filled out the gun purchase form in 2018 to buy a revolver. Jill Biden has been a regular presence in the courtroom, buttressed by a rotating cast of other family members. Since success tends not to occur all at once, any improvements are considered important signs of progress. Increasingly, programs are available to help those who recognize that they have a substance-use problem but are not ready for complete abstinence. The severity of the condition is gauged by the number of symptoms present. The presence of two to three symptoms generally indicates a mild condition; four to five symptoms indicate a moderate disorder.

Addiction Myth #4: Every person that uses drugs is an addict.