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Alcohol and Drug Addiction
Addiction is distinguished from drug use by the lack of freedom of choice. Using a mood-altering substance is a choice. Addiction is a condition that robs a person of choice and dictates the frequency, the quantity, and the nature of use. All addiction begins with use, but all use does not lead to addiction. Addiction is a physical disease, like diabetes, and does not have a moral or psychological cause. Research studies have shown that psychological and social factors play no stronger role in alcoholism than in any other chronic disease. The body of a person who becomes addicted to alcohol does not react to alcohol in the same way as a person who does not become addicted. Research strongly indicates that some people are born with a body more susceptible to addiction than other people. The brain chemistry in an addicted person differs from that of a nonaddicted person.Much is being learned also from liver metabolism studies which show that many people with a family history of alcoholism metabolize alcohol (break it down and eliminate it from the body) differently even before there is any indication of problem drinking. These studies strongly support a genetic and hereditary basis for addiction. People with a genetic predisposition for alcoholism are not predistined to develop the disease, but they are at high risk because of the way their bodies respond to alcohol.
The two main criteria for addiction are tolerance and withdrawal. Tolerance develops when it takes more of a substance to produce the same effect. The cells of the body adapt to high levels of the drug and begin to function normally when it is present. This leads to dependence. The body comes to need the drug; the pain that develops when an addicted person stops using alcohol or drugs is called withdrawal. Withdrawal is bio-psycho-social. Part of the pain of withdrawal is created by physical damage and the body's need for the addictive substance. Part of the pain is caused by a psychological reaction to lising the primary method of coping with life-the use of addictive substances. Part of the pain is social, caused by the separation from an addiction-centered lifestyle.
The more you use chemicals to feel good, the less you learn to use more effective ways to experience and cope with feelings, situations, and people. You do not learn—or forget to use—other methods of coping. Your dependence has become psycho-social as well as physical. All areas of life are affected.
If you're curious about the progressive stages of addiction, as well as the powerful tools of recovery, give Carolyn a call. We'll explore your history of use, and relapse, to sort out thoughts, feelings, and the first step you may become willing to take toward freedom from addiction.
Carolyn will also assess if there is a need for trauma or abuse recovery to prevent relapse and to create a sense of well-being in sobriety. In addition to counseling, Hypnotherapy and EMDR are available to help with withdrawal symptoms, to reduce cravings, to reinforce motivation, and to heal trauma and abuse.