Drug Addiction Facts

Learn the Facts about Drug Addiction

They say that knowledge is power, and this can certainly be the case when it comes to dealing with something like drug addiction. Knowing the facts might not be enough by itself to help the person break away from this type of behaviour, but it can benefit them and strengthen their recovery. It is usual for those who are trapped in addiction to believe in many things that are not true or only partial truths. This misinformation is then used to keep them imprisoned in the substance abuse. By learning the facts about their situation, the individual will be better able to break free.

The Lies of Addiction

In order for people who are caught in addiction to justify their behaviour, they will need to accept a great deal of misinformation. They will use coping strategies such as cognitive dissonance to help them develop a faulty worldview that seems to rationalise their behaviour. Some of the lies that the individual is likely to buy into will include:

• The person surrounds themselves with other people who abuse alcohol or drugs, so they develop the idea that substance abuse is normal behaviour.
• They believe that people who do not drink or use drugs are boring.
• The individual may believe that using these substances makes them more creative.
• They believe that becoming sober means living life as if it is a prison sentence. They believe that the person who becomes sober spends their lives missing alcohol or drugs.
• They will usually believe that the dangers of addiction are exaggerated.
• The biggest lie that substance abusers buy into is that this behaviour makes their life somehow better. They can completely miss the reality that they are caught in a downwards spiral that will kill them unless they are able to stop.
• The individual may believe that alcohol or drugs are helping them to cope with their problems. They miss the reality that this behaviour is the cause of most of their problems.
• The person may believe that the misery of addiction is all that they deserve in life. This sad reasoning occurs because the person had reduced self-esteem and self-efficacy because of the behaviour.
• Even after the person accepts that their drinking or drug use is out of control, they can still believe that change is not possible.

The Power of Drug Addiction Facts

Once the individual is armed with the facts of addiction, it will make it easier for them to see the reality of their situation. They may have struggle in the beginning to let go of all the misinformation that they have picked up over years of substance abuse but the new information will chip away at these misunderstandings. Once the individual begins taking action based on their new understandings, they will gain confidence that what they are hearing is true. This means that the person can replace their faulty world view with something far more reliable.

Things to Consider When Dealing with Drug Addiction Facts

Learning about addiction can be a great help to people who are struggling with this type of problem, but there are some things worth considering when doing this:

• Our knowledge about addiction problems is growing all the time. This means that as better information is obtained our understanding of how things work will also change. This change to the recovery store of knowledge does not mean that the information we have now is unreliable – it is the best we have right now. The most important thing about any of the information is that it helps people overcome their addiction problems.
• There are different theories about addiction and how it should be overcome. It is best to view these as different paths to the same goal, and it is not necessary to choose one path and say that the other paths are wrong. The goal of recovery is for the individual to find a path that works for them.
• It is important to be careful when dealing with internet addiction resources. It is possible for anyone to start a blog and declare themselves to be some type of addiction expert, but this does not always mean that the information they are providing is reliable. It is best to stick to the reputable websites, and to always keep an open mind about anything that is written about addiction.
• It pays to be particularly careful around any addiction stories that sound too good to true. There will be regular stories in the media about miracle cures for addiction, but these never seem to lead to anything earth shattering. It is important to keep in mind that the mass media makes its money through hype, and if something sounds too good to be true it probably is.
• Facts alone are unlikely to help people break away from addiction. These individuals will need to take action as well as learn. It is important that you do not allow your hunt for knowledge to be used as a delaying tactic that keeps you from getting the help you need.