Terry Hurley is a retired educational professional and freelance writer with more than fifty years of experience. A former reading specialist and learning center director, Terry https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/13-common-myths-about-addiction-and-recovery/ loved her years working with children in the educational field. She has written extensively for print and online publications specializing in education and health issues.

• With all the highly-publicized cases of celebrity drug addiction and its frequent portrayals in the media, most of us think we know quite a bit about addiction.
• We would never disparage a person for taking insulin or blood thinners to control a disease.
• This doesn’t mean previous treatments failed, because the person with addiction still made progress overall in getting well.
• The cost of rehab with insurance can be much more affordable than paying on your own.
• An addiction doesn’t just simply taper off; it will continue to escalate until there is nothing left to lose.
• We also do everything digitally, which will make things easier (and faster) for you.

For the last six years, her writing focus has been on addiction and mental health issues. That said, with so many different types of substance use disorders and so many differences between individuals, it does not make sense for one type of treatment to work for everyone. No one expects a person to overcome other serious health issues such as asthma or diabetes through sheer willpower and substance use disorders are no different. Addiction is a chronic but treatable disease that requires help from medical professionals to manage.

Myth: « Addiction medications are just replacing one addiction with another. »

The most important thing is to find a drug and alcohol rehab program that works for you or your loved one. If you’re interested in learning more about our rehab center and the continuum of care we offer, please contact our admissions team today. Your doctor should always consider your health conditions, current, and past drug use, as well as alternative medications before prescribing a potentially addictive drug to treat your symptoms.

A recognized leader in addiction medicine, Gateway Foundation’s programs are based on medical and psychological research but tailored to meet each patient’s unique needs and challenges. Offering residential, outpatient and day treatment options, Gateway is committed to helping you find a way forward. You can select from various options, including access to group meetings, outpatient counseling services, sober living homes and programs to connect with other alumni for help and support. Connecting with support during and after treatment is essential to maintaining sobriety long-term.

Myth #1: I Only Need to Detox

Treating relapse as a learning opportunity instead of a failure makes it easier for people to admit they have gone off track and to return to recovery. More specifically, what you think you know, if it’s inaccurate, can hurt you, especially when it comes to substance abuse and recovery. When people picture an addict, they picture a perpetuated stereotype of a disgraceful person with no goals in life.

Whether through organized group therapy or informal get-togethers, joining others who are also recovering from addiction can help you combat isolation. Many patients also draw strength from realizing they are not alone. There is an unfortunate stereotype that a person who becomes addicted to alcohol or drugs is a “bad” person. There are many reasons a person’s body becomes dependent on chemical substances, but it goes beyond who they are inside. While it’s true that treatment programs have guidelines and rules you’re expected to adhere to, there is also a lot of freedom in our programs.

The Vital Role of Medical Supervision in Alcohol Detox: Your Path to a Healthier Future

Even if you don’t choose to join Groups, we want you to do well in your recovery. That’s why we made the Recovery Playbook, which you can download with no strings attached. Ultimately, love and support are what encourage change, not punishment and rejection. These overwhelming impulses help explain the compulsive and often baffling behavior around addiction.

• At Groups, many of our counselors have personal recovery stories.
• Many think loved ones will think less of them, it will affect their status at work, or their friends will judge them for their addiction.
• While MAT (medication-assisted treatment) does involve replacing one substance with another, you are removing a harmful, addictive substance in favor of one that is safe to use and FDA-approved.
• If you’re like most people, you’ve probably heard a lot about drug addiction, but you haven’t heard much about recovery programs or what happens to someone when they decide to fight their addiction.
• It is not uncommon for people to need multiple treatment episodes to maintain long-term sobriety.
• In reality, leading authorities and medical professionals agree that addiction is a chronic disease, like heart disease or cancer.

FDA-approved medications can be used to treat opioid use disorder and alcohol use disorder. Some people feel this merely swaps out one addiction for another. Don’t let these myths about addiction prevent you from seeking help.

At Gateway, we don’t offer a one-size-fits-all approach to treatment because we believe that each person is an individual who needs individual attention. Deciding to enter an addiction recovery program is courageous because it’s about more than just sharing your feelings or finding the willpower to quit using. Addiction recovery addresses your physical, mental and emotional needs, and that requires effort. Whether you are contemplating this decision or it’s already been made, you should be proud of yourself for taking this important first step. A similar misconception is that people believe that the power to stop lies within the person who is addicted, but that they just aren’t trying hard enough or don’t want to stop. Once addiction takes hold, brain chemistry can change, making it hard to control impulses or make rational decisions.

A shockingly low number of Americans who need addiction treatment actually receive it – only 2.5 million people out of 22.7 million. There are a variety of financial and emotional reasons why an individual might not seek treatment, but mistaken beliefs about addiction can also affect whether addicted people will pursue recovery. Here are five of the most common misconceptions about addiction. It’s true that people sometimes relapse after receiving substance use treatment. Addiction is a very powerful disease, and often, it will take more than one try or one method to fight addiction. But, that doesn’t mean that rehab isn’t effective or shouldn’t be an option when fighting addiction.

To some, using prescription medication during addiction treatment might seem counterintuitive. But there are marked differences between the prescription medicine in rehab and the drugs a person may be addicted to. When you enter into addiction treatment, you may encounter friends or family members who don’t understand what you’re doing or why you’re doing it. It’s important to remember how hard it was to take a step toward recovery, and it’s something to be proud of. Diseases sometimes don’t respond to the very first plan of treatment. We don’t call a diabetic or an asthmatic a failure if their symptoms return after treatment has begun.

Look out for quality addiction treatment programs that utilize biopsychosocial assessments to evaluate each client’s substance use, mental and physical health, trauma history, family dynamics, and more. Based on your gathered information, medical professionals can come up with a unique combination of addiction counseling/or wellness therapies tailored to fit your needs. Recovery is a lifelong process that requires patience, dedication, and a willingness to change. Addiction changes the way a person’s brain and body functions, inhibiting their ability to resist their substance of choice. When drugs are abused, pleasure chemicals are released in the brain, and over time, this release of chemicals modifies the parts of the brain that control pleasure, motivation, and memory.

Common myths about addiction

No one cares what happens to people who are addicted to drugs. When you’re a member at Groups, you’ll get access to resources that can help you grow. We have a whole group of people called Care Navigators who help our members solve problems like access to food, housing, and education. People who work in recovery have no idea what addiction is really like. At Groups, many of our counselors have personal recovery stories. Recovery looks different for everyone because each person is a unique individual.