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Breaking the Cycle of Drug Addiction

Nobody tries a drug with the expectation of becoming an addict. At first it just feels good, but as time goes on and the amount you have to use to keep that feeling increases, the damage of addiction has begun to set in.

Addiction affects people of every age, race, sex, religion, intelligence, and income level. What all drug users do have in common, however, are underlying feelings of pain and anguish, either physically, mentally, or sometimes both. Addiction, then, is the result of prolonged substance use in an attempt to alleviate distressing conditions.

The Canyon provides experienced, professional staff to guide you through the process of detox and rehabilitation in order to prepare you for a more positive way of life - a life free from the grips of alcohol and drug addiction. Individual counseling sessions seek to educate clients about the dangers of substance abuse while offering alternative ways of dealing with life's difficulties.

Looking for Relief from Drug Addiction

Problems and discomfort can take many forms:

• Difficulty fitting in/ meeting people
• Pressure from family, school, or work
• Divorce / financial troubles
• Injury, illness, or chronic pain
• Death of a loved one
• Undiagnosed psychological disorders

It's natural to want to ease our suffering, especially when it prevents us from living our life or keeping up with responsibilities. When a person chooses to try drugs, it's usually because current difficulties seem insurmountable, and few, if any, solutions are evident. A person continues using the drugs because it's an easy fix to a problem they're not really sure how to confront.

But if drugs make a person feel better, isn't that the outcome they're hoping for anyway? Yes, relief is the ultimate goal. However, in this case the short-term gratification far outweighs the long-term consequences.

How Drug Addiction Develops

Within a few weeks of using regularly, the body becomes become accustomed to the presence of an addictive substance. What the user observes is that more of the drug is needed to feel the same effects as before. This tolerance quickly leads to dependence on the drug in order to get through the painful times, which may begin to appear more frequently now.

Drug Addiction: Obsessive and Compulsive Behavior

When a drug user begins to experience an overwhelming urge to get high again, and can't stop thinking about it until it happens, he is now an addict. Side effects are intense when the drug begins to wear off. Denial and rationalization are used to make the problem seem irrelevant or nonexistent, even going so far as to justify why drug use is necessary. The original problem has been forgotten as the addict seeks to fill this constant need for drugs, no matter what the cost.

Drug Addiction: Physical Changes Caused by Addiction

Addiction happens when a substance causes changes in the way a person functions:

• Withdrawal from friends and family who are not drug users
• Unpredictable/ unreliable/ difficulty being reasoned with
• Strange behavior/ attempts to cover up evidence of drug use
• Frequent bouts of illnesses
• Wild mood swings (depression, lethargy, paranoia, rage)
• Lying, manipulation, theft
• Weight loss/ malnutrition
• Disturbing dreams/ hallucinations
• Repeated financial/ legal troubles

Physical, mental, and social impairments make it difficult to carry on any resemblance of a normal life, which in turn persuades the addict to cover up this new pain with more of the addictive drug and the cycle starts all over.

Breaking the Cycle of Drug Addiction at The Canyon

The Canyon provides medically supervised detox and drug rehab treatments that emphasize inter-dependent support networks, involvement in therapeutic pastimes, and open dialogue with therapists and counselors to uncover the driving force behind the addiction. Choosing to stop doing drugs isn't enough. Willpower alone cannot change the behavior of an addict, but it is the key to maintaining lasting sobriety.

If you want to stop, call The Canyon today to get help, and get started on a better way of life.