Many theories have been offered about the cause of addiction. Some say addiction is hereditary, some say the problem is neurotransmitters in the brain that need to be controlled or genetic codes that need to be altered. These are just a few of the ideas being thrown around. In addition to being unproven as the causes of addiction, the problem with these theories is that they take control out of the hands of the addicted person when, in fact, only by taking control over addiction can a person put an end to it. I'm not saying they can do it on their own – they often need drug detox and drug rehab to help them – but millions of people have an addiction addiction. And anyone can do it given the right tools.
Although there are many things we are not able to control – hurricanes, erupting volcanoes, the rise and set of the sun – addiction is not one of them. Parents and friends of addicts, and the addicts themselves, often feel hopeless. Especially when they've done everything they know to do.
Addicts attempt to get off drugs cold turkey, and almost never make it. They also sometimes go through drug detox and drug rehab programs only to relapse. Parents and friends of often feel they can not do anything about the situation – they've reasoned, pleaded and threatened, and none of it's done any good.
What does it take to really get someone off drugs? A complete program would include the following:
1. A good medical drug detox program. It is not always necessary – it depends on the drug, the degree of addiction and the difficulty of withdrawal for that individual. But many people who try to get off drugs without the help of drug detox quit trying once the withdrawal symptoms become too severe.
2. Getting the body into good physical condition so the drugs are out of their system and any damage done while on drugs is repaired as much as possible.
3. Discovering and dealing with the issues that caused the addiction in the first place, and working out how to resolve those issues.
4. Reviewing their environment, lifestyle, friends and associates to ensure that anything that needs to be changed is worked out before they leave.
Although nothing will actually guarantee that a person stays off drugs, with all of the above done relapse is much less likely. If these steps are not done, relapse is probable. It may happen within days of going into treatment, or it might not happen for months or years-but it occurs all too often.
If you or someone you care about needs help with drug addiction, your best route is to contact a drug rehab counselor who will help determine whether or not a drug detox program is needed, and can help find a drug rehab program that really does do all the above steps thoroughly.[ad_2]
Source by Gloria B. MacTaggart