Three Myths About Drug Addiction and Recovery
Our society has dreamed up so many myths about drug addiction and drug treatment. When you hear discouraging things from people you know and sources you trust, it’s hard to know what the truth is. Let’s take a look at three myths about drug addiction. Before you read each paragraph, consider what your first reaction is to each myth.
Drug Addiction Recovery Is About Having A Lot Of Willpower
Maybe you’ve heard discouraging comments from friends, “You just need to get over it, man.” Or, perhaps your family can’t understand why you don’t just stop when you see your drug use hurt your life. You may even believe the negative lies your mind is telling you – that you are weak and hopelessly incapable of doing one simple thing like not using drugs. The fact is you need help to overcome something as powerful as a drug addiction. The mistake is in thinking you have to do it alone. Caring drug treatment professionals know this and will help you get started with a sober lifestyle.
Cheating Once In A While Won’t Hurt
Once you establish your sobriety, it’s easy to think that you have total control. The illusion of control may lure you toward the idea that you could really cheat just once, just one joint or just one little hit of heroin, and it wouldn’t matter. While there may be a handful of people out there that could use a few times causally and still avoid total relapse, that number is very small. The chances are much greater that using again, even once, could pull you back into the whole drug environment and mindset again. The risk just isn’t worth it, and using again would go completely against the point of a sober lifestyle. You may have cravings and longings for certain parts of your past, but don’t believe for a second that it would be OK and “no big deal”.
If Drug Rehab Didn’t Work Once It Can’t Ever Work
Thankfully, this really is a myth. Of course there is still hope if you have been through drug rehab once before. People continually change and evolved as time passes, even if the change seems slight. Doing drug rehab five years ago wouldn’t be the same experience as doing it today or ten years from now. Different circumstances, different age, different relationships, different drug rehab center – all of these factors make each drug rehab experience unique.
Even if you didn’t feel your first time in drug rehab didn’t lead to consistent sobriety, chances are good you picked up something that time that would make a difference the next time around. Just having done it once already takes some of the unfamiliarity away from the process. Perhaps that leaves you with more energy to focus on recovery rather than just getting adjusted. Rest assured that it is not uncommon for people to go through drug treatment more than once in their lifetime and still have many months and years of sober life in between.
Drug Rehab Can Work For You
Drug rehab isn’t a one-size-fits all type of thing. There are hundreds of rehab centers and outpatient programs across the United States, thousands more across the world. They come in all kinds of formats, locations, residential settings, gender groupings, and treatment focus. It may take a little time to find the right one for you, but don’t give up. And don’t believe any of the myths stated above. You can have a sober life with drug rehab.
photo credit: BurningQuestion
Tags: Drug Addiction, drug rehabilitation, drug treatment, drug-rehab, myths and facts, Three Myths About Drug Addiction
