If any topic has gotten the lion’s share of myths around it, it could very well be drugs and addiction. Myths are just what they are; stories, not based on fact or data, that attempt to explain social or natural phenomena. Eventually, myths become common false beliefs prevailing among people.
This read will attempt to debunk the most common myths related to addiction.
Myth: Drug use is voluntary.
Fact: While the first-time use of a drug is usually voluntary, extended use becomes an addiction. Somewhere along the line, voluntary behavior becomes a compulsive behavior. This happens because drugs affect the brain. The changes in the brain can be toxic at times and more subtle during other times. Either way, these changes create uncontrollable behavior. Every type of drug of abuse has its own individual mechanism for changing how the brain functions.
Myth: You can become addicted from a single use.
Fact: Patients suffering from all sorts of ailments are given drugs, but that doesn’t necessarily lead to addiction. Patients are given opioids before surgeries or childbirth but don’t become addicts. Others may use drugs regularly, including regular alcohol consumption, but they don’t become addicted or alcoholic. This is why addiction is viewed as a disease. Some people get inflicted, others not.
Myth: Prescribed drugs are always safe and don’t cause addiction.
Fact: Benzodiazepines are a class of drugs used to treat a range of conditions, including anxiety and insomnia. They’re the most prescribed type of medicine, and can be highly addictive when misused. You can read more here to gather more facts about these drugs, their commercial names, and how to be treated if you or someone you know is addicted to these prescribed drugs.
Myth: Addictions cannot be treated.
Fact: Many addicts can feel addiction is a life sentence. Yet the fact remains that every day people commit to undergoing a recovery plan using every available tool. After the initial detoxing period, there is an abundance of help for the millions who suffer from addiction. Help can be in the form of therapy, group and one-on-one meetings, learning new sets of skills to help you identify what triggers your cravings, learning many other strategies you were not familiar with before.
Myth: Treatment will not work unless you voluntary want to get treated.
Fact: Almost every addict wants to quit. At one point they’ll realize that quitting needs time and dedication. Besides that, many addicts might be forced by court order to seek rehabilitation, or taken to a facility by their loved ones. Seeking treatment reluctantly or willingly is not the deciding factor if the treatment works. The deciding factor is your commitment to the ongoing process, regardless of the reasons you began with.
Understanding addiction
Addiction is complicated and these types of myths only complicate it more so. Treating addiction is not an easy task, but neither is it impossible. Most of the work will depend on you and your own commitment to recovery. A professional staff can help you and explain to you what addiction is and guide you through the steps of recovery to start living a healthy drug-free life.
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