Understanding drug and alcohol recovery is essential for successful treatment. Addiction is a chronic brain disease that affects reward, motivation, memory, and other circuitry. Neuronal cells become damaged. The desire to use substances takes precedence over all other commitments. For instance, plans may be postponed or forgotten because the addicted person cannot stop thinking about using substances. Rationalizations may be based on the addictive behaviors of the addicted person.
Addiction is a chronic disease of the brain.
While addiction is often associated with an individual’s morale and self-worth, the fact remains that it is a disease of the brain. This new definition of addiction may break the social stigma attached to the disease. It also shows that early substance exposure is a risk factor for later addiction. Traditionally, the diagnosis of addiction has been based on outward behaviors and standardized questionnaires. This new definition focuses on brain activity and hopes to understand the disease process better.
According to Impact Recovery Center, the brain is a complex organ, and a disorder in any part can affect an entire organ’s health. The disease process is difficult, and there is no single cause or treatment. Rather, various factors are involved, including genetics, culture, peer dynamics, and financial resources. Furthermore, the nature of the drugs can affect a person’s risk of addiction. Therefore, the slogan, “Addiction is a chronic disease of the brain,” is inaccurate.
Addiction affects reward, motivation, memory, and related circuitry.
According to an online suboxone clinic, the frequent use of addictive drugs disrupts the normal homeostasis of neuronal cells, altering their biochemistry and function.
It is known that the brain is involved in the processes that lead from use to abuse and dependence to relapse. Patients with substance abuse disorders often exhibit parallel processes of use and misuse that can influence the brain’s reward, motivation, memory, and related circuitry. For example, addiction patients experience abnormal emotional states and compulsive urges to abuse. In addition, they are remarkably resilient to the consequences of drug and alcohol use, which may hurt their recovery.
Research has indicated that the reward system, particularly the frontal cortex, can be prone to addiction because addiction changes how the brain processes rewards and other signals. Alcohol affects multiple neurotransmitters, including serotonin, and dopamine, which combine to produce a rewarding profile. This pattern of tips is highly prevalent in drug and alcohol addiction, and the addiction process is a chronic process that requires treatment.
Addiction causes physical changes to neuronal cells.
The frequent use of addictive drugs disrupts the normal homeostasis of neuronal cells, altering their biochemistry and function. This, in turn, leads to psychological dependence and compulsive drug seeking. The withdrawal symptoms have been replaced by the irresistible desire to use drugs. These effects are largely due to addiction to alcohol and other drugs.
Alcohol abuse alters brain chemistry and affects the central nervous system. The brain is particularly vulnerable to alcohol-induced neuroimmune changes, and excessive consumption results in various neurological diseases. Alcohol also interferes with the blood-brain barrier’s defense mechanism, disrupting the tight junction between endothelial cells and a change in white matter thickness.
Treatment options
While there are several treatment options for substance abuse, talk therapy is the most common. During therapy, people learn new ways of coping with negative emotions, resolving conflicts, and regaining a sense of self. In addition to meeting with a therapist, people may also work with their partners, family, or peers to address the underlying issues that have contributed to their substance use. Several types of therapy exist, and each has its benefits.
Residential and inpatient rehabs offer structured care plans for some time. The duration of these programs varies, from a few weeks to several months. Some programs include 24/7 monitoring. For longer-term treatment, a person may need to switch to an outpatient program after completing an inpatient program. However, both programs are designed to help individuals recover from substance abuse. When choosing an addiction treatment facility, consider the following factors to decide which is best for you.
Relapse rates
Relapse rates in drug and alcohol recovery are high, but they don’t have to be. Studies suggest that the relapse rate is lower than in other chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and asthma. The rates for these chronic diseases are often higher than those for addiction, falling to as low as 50% or 70%. Relapse in addiction recovery is not an indication of failure but a common setback in the long-term recovery process.
Many factors can contribute to relapse, including peer group influence and family problems. For example, patients who had to stay in the hospital for one or two months were 1.5 times more likely to relapse than those with more than one substance. Relapse rates were also higher in those who lived with family or peer drug dealers. Aside from peer influences, other causes of relapse included financial and geographical barriers. Furthermore, patients living in an environment with high levels of stress were more likely to relapse than those who did not.
