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What To Know About Drug Use Disorder And Addiction
November 08, 2024
No one ever plans on developing a drug use disorder, but this complex disease impacts millions of Americans every single year. Drug use disorders alter your brain and body and can devastate your life. Fortunately, there is help for anyone struggling with drug use. Specialized drug addiction treatment is accessible in the Toms River area and can help you take back control of your life. Continue reading to find out more about drug use disorders and addiction and how individuals and their family members can overcome these conditions with specialized support.
What Is A Drug Use Disorder?
Numerous people take illicit drugs for recreation or strong prescription drugs to address medical conditions. But at what time does drug use transform into a life-altering disorder?
Typically, drug use transforms into a disorder when someone exhibits troubling patterns of use and loses control of their use. Drug use disorders are mental health disorders that range from mild to severe. These disorders disrupt your life and severely impact your wellbeing.
There are different facets of drug use disorders:
- Dependence occurs when your system becomes so reliant on a drug that it struggles to function in its absence. You will suffer unpleasant withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking the drug.
- Addiction is a mental dependence. Addictive drugs modify your neural chemistry so that you continuously crave those substances and feel urged to consume them increasingly. You are no longer in command of your thoughts and behaviors. Addiction is the most extreme form of substance use disorders.
All levels of drug use disorder are hurtful to your body, mind, relationships, and happiness. If you are concerned that you or a person you care about has a drug use disorder, find skilled support for recovery. Everybody deserves help.
What Drugs Are Addictive?
Dependency-causing drugs contain powerful chemicals that modify your brain. Various ones are hazardous enough to be illegal. Others are legal medicines but can turn unsafe when used improperly or consumed too frequently. Below are some of the commonly found addictive drugs in the US:
- Narcotics dull the senses, which makes them powerful pain relievers. Even so, some also take them to minimize other unwanted feelings and can get addicted swiftly. Narcotics are often grouped as opiates or opioids. Opiates are plant-sourced substances. Opioids are synthetic. Heroin is a well-known prohibited narcotic. Legal substances like OxyContin, Vicodin, Percocet, fentanyl, and morphine have medical uses but are addictive and often abused.
- Benzodiazepines are mood-altering drugs often given for psychological disorders. Even so, they can give rise to addiction when not used appropriately. Their calming qualities cause you to feel relaxed. Valium and Xanax are familiar benzos.
- Stimulants encompass medications like Ritalin and Adderall, as well as illicit drugs like methamphetamines and cocaine. They energize your central nervous system, making you feel focused, invigorated, and elated. Excessive use of stimulants can be life-threatening.
Each of these sorts of drugs can result in a drug use disorder. They all possess the capacity to disrupt your life and cause life-endangering medical conditions. Seek support for yourself or a loved one at the earliest sign of substance dependency.
How Does Drug Addiction Occur?
There are numerous reasons why individuals begin using addictive drugs. Some do so for pleasure because they like the sensations those chemicals produce. Some people become dependent on prescriptions they're using for medical purposes. Additional people start using drugs to self-medicate untreated mental illnesses and experience short-term respite.
Whatever the primary factor for first trying these substances, the path to addiction is usually the same. Your body forms a dependency to the drug, and you get unwell when you don't take it. You ingest more just to operate. You may slowly need larger amounts for the drug to have an impact. You like how it makes you feel. You feel desperate without it and continue using it. Eventually, those chemicals overtake the reward system of your brain, and you are unable to feel normal unless that drug is active in your body.
Once you're addicted, obtaining a consistent supply of the drug is the only thing that matters. Multiple people destroy relationships, experience health problems, lose jobs, and take serious risks as a result of drug addiction. Your addiction controls you and everything in your life, and you are helpless to quit without specialized assistance.
What Are Some Indications Of Drug Addiction?
You might surmise that a drug use disorder would be clear. However, these disorders can manifest differently among individuals, and loved ones will frequently try to hide their drug use from family. If you have doubts if you or a friend have a drug use disorder, reflect on these warning signals:
- Having an irresistible urge to take the drug
- Unsuccessful attempts to cut back on or stop using the drug
- Dedicating a great deal of time and energy obtaining the drug, taking it, or dealing with its effects
- Using a prescription drug for longer timeframes or in greater amounts than intended
- Unable to fulfill commitments due to drug use
- Abandoning cherished activities to take drugs
- Continual use of the drug even when it harms relationships
- Persistent use of the drug even when it negatively impacts your mental and physical health
- Requiring more of the substance to feel its effects
- Going through withdrawal when trying to quit
- Putting yourself at risk to get or take the drug
Drug use disorders can look different among individuals. If you or someone close to you are displaying any signals of drug addiction near Toms River, speak with a local doctor or addiction treatment specialist.
Where To Get Drug Addiction Treatment In Toms River
Drug use disorder treatment is a multi-step process. Many people will slip up and have to revisit steps multiple times. While there isn’t a “cure” for drug use disorder, numerous people enter recovery and implement what they discuss during treatment to maintain a healthy, drug-free life. The solution is getting expert, evidence-based treatment that matches your needs.
No two addiction recovery avenues are identical. Even so, treatment usually includes the these steps at licensed treatment facilities:
- Drug detox is the method of letting your body cleanse itself of substances. Your system will do this automatically as long as you abstain from taking more drugs. But, if you have a drug dependence, your body will go into withdrawal without drugs. To safely complete detox, you should enter an inpatient detox center that supplies 24-hour medical supervision and takes steps to keep you comfortable.
- Drug rehab programs also offer inpatient support. During rehab, you’ll keep living at a treatment facility and enjoy access to medical care for any ongoing withdrawal symptoms. Daily, you go to different sorts of counseling sessions with the aim of understanding your addiction, learning new beneficial habits, and treating any co-occurring mental disorders. You should stay in rehab until you feel physically and psychologically ready to depart that sober environment.
- After you leave rehab, you should still receive intensive addiction support. Outpatient addiction and mental health therapy will help you live your life without drugs. These programs offer continuing counseling and medication management. Initially, you might attend outpatient support each day and head home every evening. Over time, you’ll require less care and could only attend therapy on a weekly basis or less.
Everyone has a right to specialized, supportive addiction treatment. No matter how severe your addiction might be, recovery is possible. Pursuing appropriate support at a qualified facility is essential for your future. You don’t have to battle addiction on your own. You have multiple choices for drug addiction treatment near Toms River.
How Can Families Assist A Loved One Struggling With Drug Addiction Near Toms River?
Those with a drug use disorder need all the support they can get. Family and friends can play crucial roles in addiction recovery. If you are close to a person with a drug use disorder, here are some ways you may support them:
- Help them enter a treatment facility
- Help them pay for treatment
- Go to family counseling with them
- Play an active role in aftercare planning
- Give them a safe, drug-free setting to reside in
- Don’t pass judgment
- Set boundaries around their substance use
- Provide transportation to outpatient treatment appointments
Find Help For Drug Use Disorders Near Toms River Today
No individual should confront drug use disorders by themselves. If you or a family member are battling with drug addiction, recovery is possible. Turn to Evolve Recovery Center Toms River at 732-629-9672 or submit the contact form on this page. Someone will respond promptly to explore treatment. All communications are free and secure. You can reach us 24-hours a day, every day of the year. Find help today. We are ready for you.
Author
Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, Stephen Cooke brings over a decade of experience in international and American healthcare communications to Praesum. A prolific writer and published author, Stephen has dedicated his career to promoting health and recovery across various organizations.