Alcohol or Opiates: Which is Harder for Addicts to Stop?

Overcoming a substance abuse addiction will never be easy, and no matter what your drug or substance of choice is, overcoming it and getting clean will be a long and difficult journey, but the reward far outweighs the pain and discomfort. Recovery from alcohol and drug addiction is a serious matter and must be approached with an open mind and a strong desire to be free from addiction. While all substance addictions are difficult to overcome, some are easier to defeat than others. Are opioids harder to quit than alcohol and other substances? This is a difficult question, and the answer has many levels.

The truth about overcoming a drug or alcohol addiction is that the dependency is both mental and physical. While some addictions are more mental than physical, opioid addiction has a very powerful physical addiction. Alcohol is very similar to opioids in that the body becomes severely dependant on the drug, and severe withdrawal symptoms occur if the body doesn’t get the drug it has become dependant on.

Overcoming Alcohol and Opiate Addiction

The truth of the matter is that alcohol addiction and opioid addiction are two addictions that are hard to quit. A huge part of recovery is the desire to stop using. If an addict has an intense desire to stop, then no matter how difficult the journey to recovery will be, they are willing to do whatever it takes to get and stay clean. During recovery from opioid abuse, you will undergo serious physical and phycological discomfort. The same goes for recovering from serious alcohol abuse. Quitting “cold turkey” from alcohol abuse is dangerous and can even lead to death. A treatment center is the safest way to stop using alcohol if the addiction is severe. Keep in mind that whether your addiction is mild or severe, it is always best to enter treatment. One thing about overcoming a substance addiction is that you can’t do it by yourself, and you have a much better chance of success with the help of a support group. A treatment center will help you build a support group of friends, family, and others in recovery who will help to keep you on track and prevent you from returning to old behaviors that can lead to a relapse.

A support group is crucial if you really want to get free from alcohol or opiates. Even after the physical symptoms of withdrawal wear off, you still have to deal with the mental, emotional, and psychological aspects of the addiction and dependency. People abuse drugs and alcohol for a variety of reasons. One reason is that it makes you forget your problems, traumas, and difficulties. A treatment center can help you to identify some reasons why you use drugs and or alcohol and help you deal with past traumas in your life, which will help you on your road to recovery. Overcoming an opioid addiction requires professional supervision during withdrawal and counseling from an addiction specialist to help you deal with the emotional issues associated with withdrawal such as depression, irritation, agitation, and depression. Giving up alcohol has the same emotional side-effects as giving up opioids. The substances you have depended on for comfort, pleasure, and coping with life are no longer there. You must learn alternative ways of dealing with life on life’s terms. A treatment center can help you learn to live your life without using drugs or alcohol to cope. Two key factors on how hard it will be to give up opioids or alcohol are: how severe your addiction is and how badly you want to be clean.

If you really want to be free from drug or alcohol abuse, then it’s entirely up to you. You can’t be clean and sober for anyone else other than yourself. While it’s good to want to be the best person you can be for family and friends, they can’t be the entire motivating factor for your desire to be free from drugs and alcohol. If you don’t want it primarily for yourself, then your chances of success are slim. Being clean and sober will not be easy., and while physically, there are some drugs easier to stop using than others, mentally all are the same as any other addiction. And like all addictions, you stand a much better chance of overcoming it with help and support. If you’re ready to reclaim your life and be free of drugs and alcohol, then call us at 833-820-2922. Our counselors are here to help you 24 hours a day.