5 Myths About Drug Addiction

MYTH 1: Overcoming addiction is a simply a matter of ones own willpower. You can always stop using drugs if you really want to. Prolonged exposure to drugs alters the brain in ways that result in powerful cravings and a compulsion to use. These brain changes make it extremely difficult to stop using by sheer force of will.

MYTH 2: Addiction is a disease; that means you can't do anything. Many experts agree that addiction is a brain disease, but that doesn’t mean you’re a helpless victim. The brain changes associated with addiction can be treated and reversed through therapy, medication, exercise, and other treatments.

MYTH 3: Addicts have to hit rock bottom before they can get benifit from treatment. Addiction takes ahold at different stages in life and reovery happens at different stages of addictions. Some must go to the bitter ends but most seek help before its too late.

MYTH 4: You can’t force someone into treatment; they have to want help.Treatment doesn’t have to be voluntary to be successful. People who are forced into treatment by their family, employer, or the legal system statistically just as likely to benefit as those who choose to enter treatment on their own. As they sober up and their thinking clears, many previous resistant addicts to treatment decide they want to change.

MYTH 5: Treatment didn’t work before, so there’s no point trying again. Recovery from drug addiction is a long process that often involves setbacks. Relapse doesn’t mean that treatment has failed or that you’re a lost cause. Rather, it’s a signal to get back on track, either by going back to treatment or adjusting the treatment approach.