Addiction causes a multitude of changes in the body and the mind. It is these changes that push the individual to continue using and increasing the amount of drugs and alcohol they use. Reviewing the elements that make outdated treatment plans unsuccessful shows the individual why a new approach is needed.
Surrendering Control of the Individual’s Life
Surrendering control of the individual’s life to a higher power presents a falsehood that someone beyond the patient will cure them and take away all their problems. When treating addiction, it is vital for the individual to take control of their own life and take responsibility for their own actions. While spirituality can help some people, it isn’t the answer to correcting problems in the individual’s life. Spirituality isn’t a catch-all where everything is fixed by magic. The individual must want to take control of their life and find a new way to live.
The Criticism and Blame Game
More traditional addiction treatment programs involve criticism and the blame game. The focus of the programs is to fix the individual and what is wrong with them. The programs don’t present the addicts with any empathy or compassion. It teaches that the individual chose to use drugs or alcohol and everything that went wrong in their lives is their fault. The approach doesn’t look at addiction as an illness, but it focuses on addiction as a life choice that makes the individual a bad person. Individuals who want to learn more about programs that don’t involve criticism and the blame game review ARC Rehab Center’s LinkedIn right now.
Forcing Patients to Deal With Addiction on Their Own
Forcing patients to deal with addiction on their own enables the patient to find the source of their addiction and take responsibility for their life. This doesn’t mean that the addict has control initially. It is a series of steps that help the individual improve their health and address these concerns first. Chemical dependence occurs when the brain’s neuropathways are altered. Using drugs or alcohol change the way the brain operates and enables a higher amount of feel-good hormones to be released in the body. Determining how to get the same reaction naturally without drugs or alcohol can help the individual become healthier and fight their addiction. Starting the program gives the individual a real chance to recover successfully.
A Lack of Understanding of the Biological and Psychological Effects of Addiction
Outdated treatment programs don’t address the biological or psychological effects of addiction. Addiction changes the brain and causes a negative reaction when the individual stops using. These effects present the individual with health issues that must be addressed, and psychological effects present negative changes in the individual’s behavior patterns. Newer approaches address these elements of addiction and offer a better way to recover.
Addiction presents the individual with major life challenges and requires them to undergo more complex treatment and therapies. Understanding these changes helps the individual to take control of their lives and get more out of the program. Individuals who want to learn more about new approaches contact a counselor now.
