5 Myths of Substance Abuse Addiction

Posted by Austin Swim on Oct 30, 2014 4:44:02 PM

Elevated Billing exists not only to serve your substance abuse billing needs, but also to spread awareness that it is a disease, that people continue to maintain misconceptions of. We've put together a few common myths around substance abuse addiction, and aim to hopefully clear up some confusion. If you know of someone in need of help reach out to them.

1. People effected can stop whenever they want

Actually drugs can change the brain physiologically to the point where the individual starts to need the drug. It many cases when an individual stops using they will experience withdrawal and become ill. There have even been controversial clinics in Europe which aim to give drug abusers a controlled environment, protected against overdose, to get their fix. This is a stark contrast to mainstream treatment, but illustrates the seriousness of addiction.

2. Addiction is only an issue for the substance abuser

In addiction to the obvious problems for the drug abuser there are real problems for the addict's friends and family. Some substance abuse rehabilitation facilities may have specially designed family programs, equipped with different treatment models for treating individual family circumstances.

3. After Treatment the Disease is cured

Addiction is a life-long battle. Individuals with a substance abuse addiction are given tools in treatment to fight the disease for the rest of their life. For example a recovering addict may use Dialectical Behavioral Therapy to control his or her emotions during treatment in relapse situations, yet continue to use these skills when tempted by social situations years after.

4. Drug Treatment is The Same For Every Situation

Not necessarily. One of the first steps in drug treatment is investigating the cause of the disease in the first place. Once the cause is determined clinicians can provide the necessary personalized treatment plan.

5.  People that relapse during or after treatment are lacking will power

Actually the statics show that 70 to 90% of recovering addicts will have a form of relapse over the course of their recovery (David Sack, psychologytoday.com). Relapse occurs after experiencing a trigger that puts the brain in a state of mind leading to using illicit drugs. The most difficult part of addiction treatment is retraining one's brain chemistry to act a different way.