Substance Abuse is Not a Solution: Counseling Is

A person who has never used drugs or alcohol may have difficulty fathoming the reasons or the logic behind substance abuse. It may sound petty, but teens often get into substance abuse to fit in or be one of the “crew,” to rebel, to experiment, or to be like a grown-up. Adults may gravitate toward substances to relieve their boredom, ease their suffering from the symptoms of an emotional condition, or escape stress and life challenges.

According to the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, people tend to “think drugs are a solution,” not knowing that “eventually, the drugs become the problem.” Putting behind painful experiences and facing a life complicated by many issues can be difficult, but the consequences of substance abuse and addiction are usually worse. If there is a way out of these concerns, it is counseling.

The Never-ending Cycle

If you are facing a challenging issue, seeking relief through addictive substances should never be considered as an option. The foremost reason is this: drugs can’t help you solve your problems. If there is one thing they do, it is overload the pleasure center in your brain so that you temporarily experience lifted spirits and a fake sense of optimism. Once the high wears off, you will be back where you started, and maybe even worse.

You may get trapped in a vicious cycle of “highs and lows” that is too difficult to break. The issues will still be there, but with dependence on an addictive substance added to them, making things worse. Addictive substances can blur your memory and dull your brain. They can destroy your valued relationships, ruin your potential, and damage your creativity. Eventually, they can make you lose control of your life and all your gains.

The Unforgiving Dose

Addictive substances can destroy people. Their effects on your brain are often determined by the dose. With some drugs, “a small amount acts as a stimulant (speeds you up). A greater amount acts as a sedative (slows you down). An even larger amount poisons and can kill.” These are facts. There are addictive substances that can impact the brain directly, distorting your thought processes and muddling your decisions, perceptions, alertness, learning, etc. This is why you can feel like the substance is a solution to your issues and why it can make you behave or think inappropriately.

Over time, you may need a higher dosage to achieve the same pleasure. This is when the vicious cycle of alternating highs and lows gets faster. When you realize you are losing the people you love and the circumstances you have worked hard for, you may want to quit, but if you are deeply entrenched in addiction or alcoholism, you can’t just quit. You need professional help to improve your chance of success.

How Professionals Can Help

“Addiction is a chronic disease characterized by drug seeking and use that is compulsive, or difficult to control, despite harmful consequences,” says the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Being a disorder, it requires proper treatment to successfully recover. If you are committed to getting over your habit, you can enter a medically assisted rehabilitation program. Remember, however, that this is just the first step down the long road to recovery.

After your body has been initially cleansed from the toxic effects of the addictive substance, the rest of your recovery will take a long time, if not life. The effects on the brain aren’t exactly reversible, and the tendency to relapse is extremely high, at 50 to 70 percent. While the statistics can be startling, know that there are realistic ways to improve your chances of avoiding relapse, sustaining your rehab gains, adjusting to clean living and sobriety, and getting socially reintegrated.

An addiction counselor can help you push yourself through the uphill climb, support you in sustaining your rehab gains and your continuing efforts, and share your journey down the long and lonely road to recovery.

Get Closer to the Solution with Counseling

When things aren’t going well in your life (or that of a loved one), remember that addictive substances can’t give you the enlightenment you are desperately seeking. They can only cause you bigger problems. If you are already experiencing those problems, seeking help from a qualified addiction counselor contracted with Carolina Counseling Services – Fayetteville, NC, could be your better option.

A counselor contracted with CCS can assist you in resolving the concerns that are making you turn to alcohol or drugs. If you are already abusing substances, he/she can help you turn away from the substance and discover the reasons for your addiction. After rehab, a counselor can be there to help you stay strong against relapse and against the conditions that tempt you to drink or do drugs.

It is true that drugs and alcohol can make you feel pleasure or numb your senses for a while, but they can never resolve other problems in your life. If resolving your issues in a healthy way is important to you or you want to increase your chance of successfully beating substance abuse, call Carolina Counseling Services – Fayetteville, NC.

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