What You Need to Know about Drug Addiction Treatment Center in Portland, Oregon
A lot of people have a hard time trying to understand how or why other people suffer from drug addiction. Most of the time, people assume that drug users tend to lack moral principles and that stopping drug use is quite simple by just changing their behavior. However, the truth is drug addiction is actually a very complicated disease, and the act of withdrawal takes a lot more than just strong willpower. In fact, since drugs will change the brain in a way that promotes compulsive drug abuse, quitting is actually difficult even to those who are willing to do so. Through countless research and several advancements in technology, we are able to know how drugs work in the brain better than before. Also, we are able to know it is possible to successfully treat substance addiction in order to help individuals stop from abusing drugs and live a drug-free and productive life.
Drug abuse comes with negative consequences for both individuals and society. Substance abuse has an estimated total cost of $600 billion annually in the US alone. This figure includes $193 billion for illicit drugs, $235 billion for alcohol, and $193 billion for tobacco. This massive cost, however, doesn't fully describe the extent of destructive health and safety implications of addiction which includes unemployment, domestic violence, failure in school, and a whole lot more.
An Overview on Drug Addiction
Addiction is considered a chronic brain disease causing compulsive drug use, regardless of the harmful consequences to the individual and to the people around him/her. Even though the initial decision for taking drugs is actually voluntary for most, the brain changes which occur as time goes by will challenge an addicted individual's ability to self-control. Other than that, it will also hinder his/her ability to resist impulses to use drugs.
The good thing is, there are treatments available in order to provide help to individuals who suffer from substance addiction and hopefully counter the negative effects that addiction is associated with. According to various research, it is possible to ensure success to most patients by combining addiction treatment with behavioral therapy. Treatment approaches which are specific to each patient's abuse patterns along with any co-occurring social, psychiatric, and medical problems could pave way for a sustained recovery and drug-free living.
Just like most chronic, relapsing diseases like asthma, diabetes, or heart disease, it is possible to manage addiction successfully. And just like other chronic diseases, it's often common for an addicted individual to relapse and use drugs again. However, relapse doesn't indicate a failure during treatment. Instead, it means that the treatment has to be modified or that an alternative treatment should be used in order to help the affected individual gain back self-control and recover.
Why Some People Get Addicted, While Others Don't?
Keep in mind that there isn't a single factor which could predict if a person will get addicted to drugs. This is because the risk is often influenced by various factors such as the social environment, individual biology, as well the age of development. The more risk factors an individual has, the greater his chance of being addicted to drugs will be. To better understand how the said factors play a role in a person getting addicted, here's an example:
Social environment - there are a lot of environmental aspects that could influence a person's risk of getting addicted to drugs. Usually, this would involve factors like physical and sexual abuse, quality of parenting, peer pressure, and even stress - all of which greatly influence a person's risk of drug abuse which could later on result to addiction.
Portland
Salem
Eugene
Oregon
Individual biology - it involves the genes people are born with. Along with environment influences, it accounts for about 50% of risk to addiction. Also, ethnicity, gender, and mental disorders might also influence the risk of abusing and getting addicted to drugs.
Age of development - social environment and genes interact with the critical development stages in an individual's life to affect the risk of addiction. Even though taking drugs regardless of age will eventually lead to addiction, the earlier abuse begins, the higher the risk of it progressing to more serious abuse, something which is actually a huge challenge to adolescents. Since various areas of their brains which are responsible for judgment and decision are still on the early stages of development, they tend to be more prone to risk-taking behaviors, which of course, include trying drug abuse.
The Key is Prevention
Addiction to drugs is actually preventable. Results from NIDA-funded research shown that prevention programs which include schools, families, and communities can effectively reduce drug abuse. Even though there are lots of events and cultural factors which significantly affect drug abuse trends, many youths will have a tendency to reduce their drug taking once they're able to perceive drug abuse as harmful. Hence, the key in helping the general public know and understand better about the risks of drug abuse is through education and outreach. Parents, teachers, and even medical professionals should continue to convey the message that drug addiction could be prevented as long as one never abuses drugs.
Portland, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Drug abuse comes with negative consequences for both individuals and society. Substance abuse has an estimated total cost of $600 billion annually in the US alone. This figure includes $193 billion for illicit drugs, $235 billion for alcohol, and $193 billion for tobacco. This massive cost, however, doesn't fully describe the extent of destructive health and safety implications of addiction which includes unemployment, domestic violence, failure in school, and a whole lot more.
An Overview on Drug Addiction
Addiction is considered a chronic brain disease causing compulsive drug use, regardless of the harmful consequences to the individual and to the people around him/her. Even though the initial decision for taking drugs is actually voluntary for most, the brain changes which occur as time goes by will challenge an addicted individual's ability to self-control. Other than that, it will also hinder his/her ability to resist impulses to use drugs.
The good thing is, there are treatments available in order to provide help to individuals who suffer from substance addiction and hopefully counter the negative effects that addiction is associated with. According to various research, it is possible to ensure success to most patients by combining addiction treatment with behavioral therapy. Treatment approaches which are specific to each patient's abuse patterns along with any co-occurring social, psychiatric, and medical problems could pave way for a sustained recovery and drug-free living.
Just like most chronic, relapsing diseases like asthma, diabetes, or heart disease, it is possible to manage addiction successfully. And just like other chronic diseases, it's often common for an addicted individual to relapse and use drugs again. However, relapse doesn't indicate a failure during treatment. Instead, it means that the treatment has to be modified or that an alternative treatment should be used in order to help the affected individual gain back self-control and recover.
Why Some People Get Addicted, While Others Don't?
Keep in mind that there isn't a single factor which could predict if a person will get addicted to drugs. This is because the risk is often influenced by various factors such as the social environment, individual biology, as well the age of development. The more risk factors an individual has, the greater his chance of being addicted to drugs will be. To better understand how the said factors play a role in a person getting addicted, here's an example:
Social environment - there are a lot of environmental aspects that could influence a person's risk of getting addicted to drugs. Usually, this would involve factors like physical and sexual abuse, quality of parenting, peer pressure, and even stress - all of which greatly influence a person's risk of drug abuse which could later on result to addiction.
Portland
Salem
Eugene
Oregon
Individual biology - it involves the genes people are born with. Along with environment influences, it accounts for about 50% of risk to addiction. Also, ethnicity, gender, and mental disorders might also influence the risk of abusing and getting addicted to drugs.
Age of development - social environment and genes interact with the critical development stages in an individual's life to affect the risk of addiction. Even though taking drugs regardless of age will eventually lead to addiction, the earlier abuse begins, the higher the risk of it progressing to more serious abuse, something which is actually a huge challenge to adolescents. Since various areas of their brains which are responsible for judgment and decision are still on the early stages of development, they tend to be more prone to risk-taking behaviors, which of course, include trying drug abuse.
The Key is Prevention
Addiction to drugs is actually preventable. Results from NIDA-funded research shown that prevention programs which include schools, families, and communities can effectively reduce drug abuse. Even though there are lots of events and cultural factors which significantly affect drug abuse trends, many youths will have a tendency to reduce their drug taking once they're able to perceive drug abuse as harmful. Hence, the key in helping the general public know and understand better about the risks of drug abuse is through education and outreach. Parents, teachers, and even medical professionals should continue to convey the message that drug addiction could be prevented as long as one never abuses drugs.
Portland, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon