Overcoming the impossible .
Karol Palomares
Recovery is not instantaneous; it is an ongoing, lifelong process of learning to live without that substance. By learning to manage life’s daily stress and by developing strategies to deal with the challenges that arise, one can maintain sobriety and prevent relapse. Although millions of people struggle with drug and alcohol addiction everyday and the numbers of abuse are rising, dependency can be overcome through medical treatment, awareness of genetic pre-disposition to addiction, personal commitment, family and community support, and continual aftercare. Addiction is difficult to overcome and a large percentage of people do not make it, but addiction does not have to mean death.
The specifics of drug and alcohol addiction are hard to define, but there is no denying that it is a worldwide epidemic. The American Society of Addiction describes addiction as, “ A primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Dysfunction in these circuits leads to characteristic biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations.” Drug addiction is a self-defeating and self-perpetuating problem. Addiction is a vicious cycle that overcomes your body and mind; it prevents you from establishing any real, intimate, healthy connection with other individuals and it destroys the important relationships you do have.
“20,000 people a year die from their addiction.” As stated in the Alcoholism and Drug Addiction website. Quitting “cold turkey” is not always feasible and in some cases may result in death. The longer a person has been using the more crucial it is to safely wean him or her off of that substance. That is not always possible without medical intervention. The medications for different addictions are monitored by medical personnel to help relieve discomfort from withdrawals and keep a patient safe from harm. In some cases, medical treatment is the only viable way to initially detoxify an addict’s body from dependency on that substance and that is the first step to recovery.
People become dependent on drugs and alcohol for a whole slew of definable and imperceptible reasons, but some individuals are more susceptible to addiction based on proven research. Some of the proven factors that cause a person to be more prone to drug and alcohol addiction are drinking at a young age, genetics, environmental factors, childhood trauma (sexual/physical abuse), and psychological disorders. According to an article by Addiction and Recovery.org, “Addiction is due 50 percent to genetic predisposition and 50 percent to poor coping skills”. Although we cannot control our genetics, we can control our environment and our awareness of predisposition to drug and alcohol abuse. If people are educated about that risks it can help prevent them from becoming addicted and can help them recover. As members of the human race, we are highly influenced by our families, peer groups, cultures, financial status, educational background, and the media.
An addict’s personal commitment to recovery is the underlying factor for success. Hamilton, a local recovering addict with three years of sobriety under his belt attests to this “If you go back to the same environment and same people you’re more likely to start using again.” The biggest challenge for Jordan was completely disassociating himself from his old life because he did not want to give up his friends or move away from the place he grew up, but he knew that was the only way to fully recover. “After you get out of rehab you begin to romanticize about your old life and the next thing you know you start telling yourself it wasn’t that bad and that you can control it this time” but that outlook only causes a person to fall back into his old ways of using (Hamilton). Based on Hamilton’s experience and the opinion of many psychologists one cannot overcome an addiction without a total “psyche change.” It is determination and drive that allows an addict to recover fully.
After recovery people need to take advantage of every available resource. Support groups are vital for continued sobriety. Participating in Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, church groups, and having a sponsor is critical to success because they require accountability and provide comfort in the fact that others are having the same experience. Support groups offer a variety of sober activities that help an addict form a healthy peer group. Community support and involvement is the key to clean-sober living.
Family support is a huge factor in recovery for an addict. One problem with users is that often they have turned most of their family against them by lying, stealing, and physically and emotionally abusing them. Establishing trust again is essential but can be a difficult obstacle to overcome. Once an addict comes out of rehab it is important for the family to be counseled so that everyone is able to help facilitate recovery. Unfortunately, family members are generally contributors of the addiction by enabling the addict’s behavior. Therefore they need guidance in how to approach the situation in a healthy way that promotes sobriety and positive living. Your family is your most important connection in life and consequently it is crucial to receive the security of their unconditional love and encouragement.
For some users, the cycle of addiction seems impossible to overcome. The hopelessness of genetic predisposition, continual relapse, and an overall negative environment can overwhelm a person to the point where recovery is not feasible. The malaise of people growing up in poverty, surrounded by abuse with no hope of social economic growth can give them the impression that escapism through substance abuse is the only possible way to live. Many addicts have been victimized from a young age and have become hooked on drugs and forced into a corrupt life of drug-use and drug-dealing by drug cartels, family and by governments. For the people in this position, the chance of recovery is virtually unattainable because in order to escape their addiction and lifestyle they will be killed. This is a real scenario and a reason that recovery is impossible for some.
In conclusion, despite the fact that a slim percentage of people actually fully recover from addiction there is hope. Life for an addict can be good again by following the proven steps for recovery including medical treatment, education of genetic predisposition, personal commitment to recovery, family and community support, and continual aftercare. It takes a re-birth of your consciousness and a spiritual awakening to the belief that there is something bigger than your addiction and bigger than you guiding your destiny in order to fully become a person who fulfills their life plan. In AA they have a saying “Let Go and Let God” this summarizes the faith needed for addicts to regain hope.
Recovery is not instantaneous; it is an ongoing, lifelong process of learning to live without that substance. By learning to manage life’s daily stress and by developing strategies to deal with the challenges that arise, one can maintain sobriety and prevent relapse. Although millions of people struggle with drug and alcohol addiction everyday and the numbers of abuse are rising, dependency can be overcome through medical treatment, awareness of genetic pre-disposition to addiction, personal commitment, family and community support, and continual aftercare. Addiction is difficult to overcome and a large percentage of people do not make it, but addiction does not have to mean death.
The specifics of drug and alcohol addiction are hard to define, but there is no denying that it is a worldwide epidemic. The American Society of Addiction describes addiction as, “ A primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Dysfunction in these circuits leads to characteristic biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations.” Drug addiction is a self-defeating and self-perpetuating problem. Addiction is a vicious cycle that overcomes your body and mind; it prevents you from establishing any real, intimate, healthy connection with other individuals and it destroys the important relationships you do have.
“20,000 people a year die from their addiction.” As stated in the Alcoholism and Drug Addiction website. Quitting “cold turkey” is not always feasible and in some cases may result in death. The longer a person has been using the more crucial it is to safely wean him or her off of that substance. That is not always possible without medical intervention. The medications for different addictions are monitored by medical personnel to help relieve discomfort from withdrawals and keep a patient safe from harm. In some cases, medical treatment is the only viable way to initially detoxify an addict’s body from dependency on that substance and that is the first step to recovery.
People become dependent on drugs and alcohol for a whole slew of definable and imperceptible reasons, but some individuals are more susceptible to addiction based on proven research. Some of the proven factors that cause a person to be more prone to drug and alcohol addiction are drinking at a young age, genetics, environmental factors, childhood trauma (sexual/physical abuse), and psychological disorders. According to an article by Addiction and Recovery.org, “Addiction is due 50 percent to genetic predisposition and 50 percent to poor coping skills”. Although we cannot control our genetics, we can control our environment and our awareness of predisposition to drug and alcohol abuse. If people are educated about that risks it can help prevent them from becoming addicted and can help them recover. As members of the human race, we are highly influenced by our families, peer groups, cultures, financial status, educational background, and the media.
An addict’s personal commitment to recovery is the underlying factor for success. Hamilton, a local recovering addict with three years of sobriety under his belt attests to this “If you go back to the same environment and same people you’re more likely to start using again.” The biggest challenge for Jordan was completely disassociating himself from his old life because he did not want to give up his friends or move away from the place he grew up, but he knew that was the only way to fully recover. “After you get out of rehab you begin to romanticize about your old life and the next thing you know you start telling yourself it wasn’t that bad and that you can control it this time” but that outlook only causes a person to fall back into his old ways of using (Hamilton). Based on Hamilton’s experience and the opinion of many psychologists one cannot overcome an addiction without a total “psyche change.” It is determination and drive that allows an addict to recover fully.
After recovery people need to take advantage of every available resource. Support groups are vital for continued sobriety. Participating in Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, church groups, and having a sponsor is critical to success because they require accountability and provide comfort in the fact that others are having the same experience. Support groups offer a variety of sober activities that help an addict form a healthy peer group. Community support and involvement is the key to clean-sober living.
Family support is a huge factor in recovery for an addict. One problem with users is that often they have turned most of their family against them by lying, stealing, and physically and emotionally abusing them. Establishing trust again is essential but can be a difficult obstacle to overcome. Once an addict comes out of rehab it is important for the family to be counseled so that everyone is able to help facilitate recovery. Unfortunately, family members are generally contributors of the addiction by enabling the addict’s behavior. Therefore they need guidance in how to approach the situation in a healthy way that promotes sobriety and positive living. Your family is your most important connection in life and consequently it is crucial to receive the security of their unconditional love and encouragement.
For some users, the cycle of addiction seems impossible to overcome. The hopelessness of genetic predisposition, continual relapse, and an overall negative environment can overwhelm a person to the point where recovery is not feasible. The malaise of people growing up in poverty, surrounded by abuse with no hope of social economic growth can give them the impression that escapism through substance abuse is the only possible way to live. Many addicts have been victimized from a young age and have become hooked on drugs and forced into a corrupt life of drug-use and drug-dealing by drug cartels, family and by governments. For the people in this position, the chance of recovery is virtually unattainable because in order to escape their addiction and lifestyle they will be killed. This is a real scenario and a reason that recovery is impossible for some.
In conclusion, despite the fact that a slim percentage of people actually fully recover from addiction there is hope. Life for an addict can be good again by following the proven steps for recovery including medical treatment, education of genetic predisposition, personal commitment to recovery, family and community support, and continual aftercare. It takes a re-birth of your consciousness and a spiritual awakening to the belief that there is something bigger than your addiction and bigger than you guiding your destiny in order to fully become a person who fulfills their life plan. In AA they have a saying “Let Go and Let God” this summarizes the faith needed for addicts to regain hope.