If your loved one is struggling with addiction, one would suppose the natural course of action is to send a person to treatment, and rightly so. Though more often than not, people wonder what good it will do. One can only imagine how bad things can get when living with a person addicted to drugs or alcohol. The stories are many. The emotional drama, anxieties, worries, hopelessness, criminality, etc., are all part of this issue. It’s only normal that these should be addressed by professional counseling. Yet, our current society has inserted the idea that addiction to drugs or alcohol is a disease. Reviewing this statement by various professionals in the different fields of the psyche and medicine, one will find this to be the consensus. It has been the overall belief concerning drug abuse and alcohol consumption. This has now also engulfed other substances as well, such as medication abuse.
For example, in 1956, the American Medical Association established alcoholism as an “illness.” And later as Alcohol Abuse Disorder – a disease. Yet in searching out what is a disease, the EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organization) report of 2004 states: “…a look through any medical dictionary soon shows that articulating a satisfactory definition of disease is surprisingly difficult”. And no doubt, it could be easily viewed as a disorder when observing someone under the influence of cocaine, crystal meth, or other mind-altering substance. Yet what is observed when the person is not under the influence of such mind-altering substances? Have you ever noticed this with your son or daughter? One week they’re just wonderful and speaking right at you, answering your questions, and agreeing and being socially normal. The next week they are introverted, not speaking much, pushing you and others away, being secretive, etc. This in itself shows that drugs, alcohol, or medication abuse changes behavior.
And yet, when the person again stops using, his behavior returns to normal. If a family is told that this is an incurable disease, it may explain why some families do not believe that detox or rehab will do any good. Our current society has been led to believe that the use of drugs, alcohol, etc., is a disease, and more to the point – incurable. Dr. Adi Jaffe explains in more detail how this idea of “once an addict, always an addict” can be very damaging.
Over time various organizations have established programs to help the addict and relatives “cope” or “learn to live with” the person’s condition. So why is it that you find certain individuals who receive detox and rehab treatment for alcohol, cocaine, heroin, etc., and never go back to using? And others who don’t make it, program after program, just no results. Was it due to the individual? The program format or facility? Were they using prescribed drugs to treat the abusing drug? These are questions that should be asked and answered.
In the field of substance use, it has been long understood that the right program will bring about the highest success. A person that did a 12-steps program and was using again a few weeks after completion did not get the results. One must ask themselves if they did the program honestly or was this the right program for the person. For instance, many individuals will request a detox when life gets too rough in the world of illicit drug use. This is their cry for help, but detox is only a drying-out period. It simply is the steppingstone to rehab. One cannot expect lasting results with only a detox. With most public detox centers, the person is there voluntarily and spends five to seven days drying out. They watch TV, play cards, pool, pinball, chat, eat, sleep. After 5 days, you are good to go. Whereas in a private detox, it is seen to be more personalized. The person will also have assistance from nurses and counselors trained in detoxing. They tend to monitor your daily progress, and in some cases, hourly. In other words, you are attended to.
As stated, detox is the step towards rehab. Addiction professional Marcel Gemme explains that a common misconception about detox is that many believe it can help someone achieve lasting sobriety. This is not the case. Detox will only get someone to the point of receiving meaningful treatment that can help with the behavioral aspects of substance use.
You cannot expect a person to exchange good meaningful conversation while under the influence of some mind-altering substance. With the substance no longer within the person’s body (detox), they become more accessible to have a dialogue with. It is noteworthy to mention that at this point in recovery, the person will also experience change, emotional and psychological. These changes are expected and are positive shifts. The person is, in fact, rising from a state of numbness to feelings and emotions that are often unwanted sensations. This is, in part, why it’s so vital to follow detox with rehab. It’s only in the stage of rehabilitation that one can address these issues that now surface. Dealing with suppressed emotions, psychological turmoil can only be done with the help of a trained professional in this field. These hidden issues, hatred of mom or dad, trauma from a schoolteacher or bullying, loss of a loved one or friend, and countless other issues can and often surface.
If you think about it a bit, most people with addiction began at some point in their life. In other words, they were not Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome babies. It may be of interest to look at what occurred at that point in their life? What were the circumstances surrounding the person? Who was surrounding your child, spouse, or loved one? What actions were being accomplished, etc.? What you want to look for is the major change in life that the person could not cope with. The person did not have the know-how to deal with the issue. All drugs, will to varying degrees, numb out pain, emotional or physical. Small amounts will bring small anesthesia, larger amounts more anesthesia, and numbness. Too much brings about unconsciousness.
The moment a person uses drugs or alcohol to cope with the life situation, they embark on a risky road. Becoming addicted to such is practically inevitable. With millions of people in our current society struggling with varying degrees of addiction – the right program suited to the person and their individual needs IS the correct handling. Professional detox counselors and rehab specialists are there to assist the person to full sobriety. The correct product of any detox & rehab should be – A drug or alcohol-free individual who is now a productive contributing member of society.