People who are addicted to drugs and know they’re addicted to drugs understand what they’re doing is wrong. They can see the consequences from their drug use. When you lose your job, family and financial well being because you’re addicted to an illegal substance, you know you have a problem. Yet, you can’t stop using drugs. This begs the question, “Why is quitting drugs so hard?”
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Halting substance abuse isn’t as easy as just saying you want to quit because you’re dealing with the physical and mental components of drug addiction. Your body builds a tolerance to drugs over time, increasing the amount of drug intake it takes for you to feel normal. As your tolerance grows and your body increasingly depends on drugs, the more difficult it becomes for you to quit.
This is because your mind says, “No, these drugs are bad. You don’t want to do this. Look at what they’re doing to your life.” In your head, you know this to be true. The logical decision is to quit. But when you decide to quit and stop using drugs, your body takes over.
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Your body demands the drugs. If you don’t give your body the drugs like your brain tells you to, your body will fight back. That’s when you will start to feel withdrawals from the drugs. You’ll become sick and unable to perform daily tasks. Without proper detox supervision, you almost have no choice but to continue using the drugs, just to function properly.
But let’s say you do seek help at a drug treatment center like Prominence Treatment Center offers. A detox program for your withdrawals isn’t the end-all-cure for your addiction. That’s because there is still a mental aspect that needs to be treated.
Your brain has been trained to demand the drugs. You want to quit, but your brain makes associations between drug use and everyday activities. For example, if you got high every time you went out to a concert with friends, then whenever you see a show, you will crave the experience of the drugs. That’s why counseling and therapy is needed to work through your addiction on a mental level.
This is why Prominence Treatment Center focuses on the underlying reasons behind addiction. Treating the short-term symptoms is a short-term solution. It will help you quit drugs for a little while, but at some point, you’re going to yearn for the drugs again. The addict’s brain becomes programmed to do this. But if you treat the root of your struggle, you can overcome addiction in the long term.
If you or someone you know is having problems with drug addiction, contact Prominence Treatment Center as soon as possible. One of our representatives will be available to discuss your current situation and what the best course of action is.