If you ask anybody who has suffered from an addiction to drugs and alcohol what the road to recovery from addiction is like, they’re going to likely tell you that it’s extremely difficult and uncomfortable. The process involved with the initial phases of recovery is often incredibly intense with many ups and downs. The next phases are also really difficult and require effort and commitment to effectively navigate.
First, a critical component of the recovery equation is stopping to use the drink or the drugs which the person has developed an addiction to. In many cases, this appears to be the easiest part of the complex equation. Many people in long term recovery are quoted as saying their experience was that the initial stopping of the drug or alcohol use was significantly easier than staying stopped. The staying stopped is dependent on identifying and addressing the underlying psychological and emotional issues which along with the disease of addiction, keep the person trapped in the cycle.
It’s no secret that the road to recovery is most likely to be long and difficult. Positive change, professional support, peer support, effective recovery planning and action are required to begin and sustain the recovery process.
However, positive benefits may appear quite quickly. It doesn’t take very long for those effects to start to manifest. The trick however appears to be in the continuing to practice the things that motivate the internal change. This requires continued action.Of course, drug and alcohol addictions have a detrimental effect on health and wellbeing. Many substances like drugs and alcohol have adverse physical side effects.
The term often used for alcohol abuse is alcoholism. Mental health problems often accompany addiction. The potential impact of mind-altering substances on the mind may have negative side-effects, including a rise in suicidal thoughts and risk of depression or anxiety or a combination of a variety of mental health challenges.
Most people who are suffering from addictions have difficulty finding or keeping employment. Their addictions negatively impact their lives and behaviour enough for them to not be appealing to employers. Many addicts cannot abstain from their substances for eight hours at a time, making it impossible for them to sustain a full-time job. Others resort to stealing money or resources from their workplace which promptly gets them terminated and in trouble with the law.
While addictions do negatively affect people’s lives, recovery in a sustainable manner from even chronic addiction is possible.
Addiction recovery could be a long-term process and sometimes requires long-term and effective evidence-based addiction treatment or rehabilitation to unravel, however, it is important to remember that addiction is most certainly a treatable condition and sustainable, long term recovery is possible!