Quitting Drug Addiction Can Be Extremely Challenging & Here Are The Reasons

Drug addiction is as real as it gets. At first, it may not even occur to you that you are addicted to a specific substance. However, when you first attempt to quit the habit, it dies hard. Right now, you are wondering how and why you got addicted in the first place, and the chances are that you might not even know. This is okay. The good news is that you can quit both personally and through the intervention of professional help. It is vital to understand the emotional, physical and psychological causes that make quitting substance addiction difficult – even though achievable. These factors include withdrawal, tolerance, impediments and finally, guilt. More astounding is the fact that in the presence of these issues, risky behavior such as gambling and sex can create barriers for the quitting objective. Here are additional Facts

Tolerance

Withdrawal and tolerance are intertwined as far as substance cessation goes. Tolerance occurs as a result of familiarity with the substance under question. For example, experiencing the effects of alcohol consumption can be unsettling and overwhelming at first. However, as time goes by, and you continue to drink, you develop a tolerance for that particular liquor. The unpleasantness of taking liquor now shifts to other psychological issues such as security and company as the tolerance intensifies. Every addict begins with a “harmless” dose of drugs and alcohol. Over time, an addict will need higher doses to achieve the same effect of pleasure. The more the need for higher doses, the escalated the chances of dealing with withdrawal symptoms.

Tolerance and withdrawal are connected through the desire to meet a never-ending demand. These factors make it challenging to quit substance addiction because they bring out the emptiness of getting hooked to a habit. Even with such almost impossible to beat odds, know that quitting substance and drug addiction takes more than will power. Note that there are three types of tolerance: acute, chronic, and learned tolerance. Acute tolerance is a result of exposure over a short period. Chronic tolerance develops due to repeated exposure over months, while learned tolerance develops over the years.

The Battles of Addiction

“Self” Conflicts

The majority of drug and alcohol addicts want to quit the addiction. However, this is challenging because there develops a conflict between the motivation to stop and the urge for consumption. Addicts depend on drugs and alcohol to control several emotions such as distress, depression, anxiety, and so forth. Therefore, a part of them is convinced that they cannot survive without the addiction-related pleasures. Mostly, there is an imbalance within one’s self because mixed feelings develop between committing to quit and continuing with the addictive behavior. More so, the social environment makes it difficult for addicts to stop the practice. When an individual is in the company of people who use drugs and consume alcohol, the chances of him or her continuing with the behavior are high. Here there is a conflict between “self” and social environment. One primary role of rehabilitation centers is keeping addicts from the toxic, addictive environment.

Withdrawal

Withdrawal is one of the worst nightmares associated with addiction. Severe addiction causes the brain and body to function in a particular abnormal way. Concerning health, this is dangerous, but for an addict, it is a norm. For that reason, the journey to quitting comes with withdrawal symptoms, which are not easy to control. Such symptoms include shaking, sweating, stomach upsets, anxiety, depression, and uncontrolled rage, among others. Withdrawal is a serious issue because some of the symptoms can be dangerous to the addicts and the people around them. Hence, addicts need professional assistance to deal with withdrawal symptoms. This is why there are specific medications and therapies for alleviating withdrawal symptoms.

Keep in mind that withdrawal over drugs and alcohol may take several days or weeks to resolve. Addiction is a disease; thus, addicts cannot resolve these symptoms by themselves. The urge is so strong that the victims would end up having another glass or a dose of substances, and the behavior continues.

Addiction is not leisure, but a disease like any other health complication. That said, it would be best if addicts get medical assistance. At some point, every addict desires to quit, but all the difficulties that come with addiction make one insensitive to the toxic behavior. Addicts can quit, but with the help of medication, therapeutic procedures, and emotional support. Call us today at 833-820-2922.