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Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Drug and alcohol abuse is becoming an increasingly common occurrence in our modern society. Rates of drug and alcohol abuse are rapidly rising all across the United States and the rest of the world.  Often times it can be difficult for those who are addicted to drugs and alcohol to realize that they need treatment to become free of the addictive substance and relearn how to live a sober life free of addiction. The hardest part of getting an alcoholic or drug addict to receive treatment for the addiction is getting them to admit that they have a problem. Many people who use drugs or alcohol mistakenly convince themselves that they are not “real” addicts or alcoholics. They convince themselves that they cannot be addicted because they are too “smart” or too educated to become an addict and that they can stop at any time, but they just happen to choose to not stop. Some addicts are in such denial that they think that because they may be male or female or of a certain age that they are not the “right gender” or are “too old” or “too young” for addiction to occur. Drug addiction and alcoholism can occur to anyone who uses drugs or alcohol.  Regardless of where someone lives, how they were raised or how much money they make, when someone starts using alcohol or drugs they are susceptible to becoming addicted, as is every human being on the planet.  Once someone starts using, the more that they use drugs and alcohol the more that they will need to obtain the substance and the more damage that they will do to their body, mind and spirit. This denial on the part of the addict is a key feature of addiction and can be one of the hardest parts of convincing the addict or alcohol that they need help. Drug and alcohol abuse will continue until the addict or alcoholic admits that they have a problem and that they need help. Drug and alcohol abuse are both considered to be diseases of addiction by many, while there are still some who disagree. Regardless of how drug and alcohol abuse are categorized, once someone becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol, there are changes in the body that occur that makes the addict both physically and psychologically dependent on the substance. In time, addiction will likely damage every organ in the body, especially the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys and brain. Eventually addiction can result in the death of the addict. Ironically, suddenly stopping the use of an addictive substance can also result in severe withdrawal symptoms that can also result in extreme physical issues, hallucinations and even death as well.  This is why drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs are often necessary for the addict to receive the treatment that they need so that they can successfully and safely detox and withdraw from the addictive substance and also learn the many different skills and coping mechanisms that are necessary to help them break their psychological addiction and relearn how to live their lives without drug and alcohol abuse. This is a difficult, but many addicts make the decision each day to enroll in structured addiction treatment plans so that they can reclaim their lives and begin to heal from the extensive damage caused in their lives by drug and alcohol abuse.