Doing it alone when trying to beat addiction is a risky bet.
It’s certainly doable with colossal willpower but it’s a major uphill battle when you consider everything you’re up against.
Kicking the habit while being in the same location, with the same negative influences and triggers as well as easy access to your drug of choice is a recipe for relapse. Not to mention the fact that getting through the withdrawal and the associated pain and discomfort may well be a life-threatening endeavor depending on what substances you’re on and the severity of your addiction.
If you’ve ever had the inclination to stop but haven’t been able to muster the strength to do so and found yourself contemplating the question, “how do I find a drug addiction rehab near me?”; now is the time to act on that and seek an answer.
What Is a Drug Addiction?
Addiction works in insidious ways and the reason many, many people need help overcoming it lies in what it does to the brain.
As defined by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) as a “chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use despite adverse consequences. It is considered a brain disorder because it involves functional changes to brain circuits involved in reward, stress, and self-control. Those changes may last a long time after a person has stopped taking drugs”.
Therefore, they note, “it is considered both a complex brain disorder and a mental illness. Addiction is the most severe form of a full spectrum of substance use disorders, and is a medical illness caused by repeated misuse of a substance or substances”.
The key takeaway and idea to grasp is the fact that the brain is literally being rewired as the addiction carries on; functional changes to the brain circuits as they put it.
On top of that, to add insult to injury in a sense, you very well could be battling against your genetics too.
Is Drug Addiction Genetic?
NIDA found that “family studies that include identical twins, fraternal twins, adoptees, and siblings suggest that as much as half of a person’s risk of becoming addicted to nicotine, alcohol, or other drugs depends on his or her genetic makeup”.
A 2009 study pointed out that “both genetic and environmental variables contribute to the initiation of use of addictive agents and to the transition from use to addiction. Addictions are moderate to highly heritable. Family, adoption and twin studies reveal that an individual’s risk tends to be proportional to the degree of genetic relationship to an addicted relative”.
This was confirmed by another study in 2012 which noted: “twin studies indicate that genes influence each stage from initiation to addiction, although the genetic determinants may differ”.
In other words, if addiction runs in your family, you’re likely at a higher risk for it yourself and it makes it that much tougher to beat it.
Benefits of Going to a Drug Addiction Rehab Near Me
At this point you can clearly see how simply wanting to quit just isn’t quite going to be enough for most people. Overcoming your genetics, undoing the changes in the brain and in essence reconfiguring those wires takes time, energy and a supportive team.
The benefits of going to a drug addiction rehab center like Valley Recovery Center at Agua Dulce are that you get all of that and more.
Your treatment happens in a luxurious, soothing environment free from the stressors and triggers that you would have using in the past. You’ll be guided through a personalized rehab plan utilizing evidence-based methods and administered by a team of caring, dedicated and trained addiction specialists who are passionate about seeing you progress.
Reach out to us today to learn more about how we can help you.
