Myth: Overcoming addiction is a simple matter of willpower.
Fact: Acute abuse results in powerful cravings and withdrawals. There may also be deep-seated emotions and unresolved traumatic experiences which serve as causal factors for addiction. People struggling with substance use disorders have to be prepared to handle real-life situations long after treatment. These combined factors are often too difficult to overcome by willpower alone.
Myth: Addiction is a disease that cannot be cured.
Fact: The causes of addiction can now be treated and reversed more effectively through modern therapy techniques and medication than in the past. While there is no magic “cure” for addiction, it certainly is treatable. The treatment works best when it takes a multi-disciplinary approach of psychologists, medical doctors (if medication is required) and family/interpersonal therapy.
Myth: People with substance use disorders must hit rock bottom before treatment will work.
Fact: Treatment works at any stage. Indeed, the longer the self-defeating process continues, the harder it gets to treat. To wait until the person has lost everything is definitely not a better option than early treatment.
Myth: Forced treatment is useless.
Fact: People who are pressured into treatment by families, employers or legal means will ultimately get the same benefit as those who volunteer recovery.
The problem is that treatment generally takes longer, if the person is resistant to the process of their recovery then formal treatment or help is seen as part of the problem to them and not the solution.
These tough love approaches can be highly detrimental to the care process that treatment services are intended to provide to people struggling with substance use issues.
After detox, the mind does start to clear and many people are able to make decisions for themselves. Only once they are able to make clear, progressive decisions for themselves, without the pressure will treatment start to work effectively.
Myth: Previous treatment did not work – there’s no point trying again.
Fact: Recovery is a long process and setbacks are part of the journey. A “relapse” just means you need to change tactics and adjustment in the type of therapy. The rehab centre you choose should offer modern dynamic techniques, instead of traditional, outdated methods.
Myth: People with chronic substance use disorders have no hope of ever being cured.
Fact: Millions of rehabilitated people are living free from some of the planets most “addictive” substances and enjoying happy lives. Sometimes it takes more than one treatment, but the success rate also increases, as the person starts to adopt a line of treatment that works for them as an individual.
More Information on Myths of Addiction and Recovery See The Recovery Direct Online Academy
This online program was designed with the simple goal for an easy-to-access, up-to-date, well-researched, smart method to help anyone meaningfully beat addiction forever.
Getting Help For Affected Patients
The life experiences each person goes through and the many decisions they make, uniquely define each personal journey. Consistently repeated actions such as addiction behaviours, programme the neural pathways and they become accustomed to potentially the detrimental habits. Have a chat to a Recovery Direct Rehabilitation Counselor today about how we approach addiction treatment.
