The decision to reach out and seek help for addiction can be difficult to make. Feelings of guilt, shame, and denial, alongside the overriding stigma around addiction in society, can make it hard to accept that you are struggling with a drug use disorder and even harder to reach out.
Several other factors make it very challenging for individuals with addiction disorders to get their deserved help.
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Conflict & Challenges
Addictive behaviour can often create conflict in your life, as it is out of balance with other aspects of your lifestyle. Even if you make a conscious decision to get treatment and therapy, these conflicts are very deeply-rooted and don’t immediately go away.
For example, individuals with addiction disorders often depend on their addiction as a coping mechanism to deal with loss, challenges, or difficulties in their lives. Thus when they quit, this mechanism is cut off, and they can be left with a feeling of inadequacy that can push them to relapse.
However, help is always available, and professional addiction treatment processes can encourage other coping mechanisms for the individual to support them during recovery.
Guilt & Justifications
Accepting that you have an addiction problem can be one of the bravest and most difficult things to do. As addictive behaviour can go against an individual’s moral sense, acknowledging an addictive disorder can be an uncomfortable and scary feeling.
This can lead individuals struggling with addiction to experience extreme feelings of guilt, which sometimes manifest themselves into justifications. Individuals can go into denial about their struggle with addiction, compare it with other problems, and make justifications to cope with the overwhelming feeling of guilt and shame. These feelings also discourage individuals from reaching out for help.
Although reaching out can be a challenging step to take, there is only improvement ahead. Professional therapy and treatment can help you work through intrusive and irrational thoughts and overcome your feelings of guilt and shame, which goes a long way to the path of recovery.
Quitting is not easy, but support groups and holistic treatment programs can support you through this difficult journey.
Getting Addiction Treatment
Overcoming addiction requires strength, willpower, and grit, but reaching out is the first step. Professional treatment centres and support groups can help you recover.
Addiction disorders affect you both physiologically and mentally, and it is important to undergo complete therapy to help you manage the physical and mental effects of drug use disorders.
Generally, addiction treatment usually involves two things, detoxification and behaviour therapy.
Detoxification is the process of physically withdrawing from the substance, drug, or alcohol. Detox is done to purge your body of the substance, and medical teams can supervise your detox journey and help you where needed.
Medical professionals can also prescribe medications to help you manage the physical symptoms and combat your cravings.
On the other hand, behaviour therapy tackles the mental side of addiction disorders. Behaviour therapists can help you cope with the mental feelings of guilt, shame, or cravings that you experience.
They can also help address any issues you may have that have given way to your drug use disorder. Behaviour therapy, combined with detoxification, is the best way to recover from an addiction disorder and develop healthy coping mechanisms that prevent you from relapsing.
Resources
One of the biggest reasons individuals struggling with drug use disorders don’t reach out for help is a lack of awareness about resources and treatment centres. A major component of addiction disorders is the feeling of inadequacy and being alone.
Remember, support is available for you out there. Many addiction treatment centres are available around the UK that can help you get started on your path to full recovery. Besides private, paid treatment centres, charities like Turning Point and other affordable and free-of-cost options are available for individuals who cannot afford to get private addiction treatment.
We understand that trying to find treatment centres near you can be overwhelming, but platforms like substancerehabilitation.com can help you find treatment centres that are just right for you.
A team of specialists can connect you to centers and support groups and help you find a treatment option that meets your every need. They can connect you to resources for treatments for all kinds of addiction disorders, and have multiple locations around the UK offering trustworthy services.
Summary
#1 There are many deep-rooted conflicts with addiction disorders that can make it hard to quit.
#2 Individuals with drug use disorders can experience immense feelings of guilt; which can manifest into justifications or denial about the addiction.
#3 Addiction disorders affect individuals both mentally and physically.
#4 Holistic treatment programs involve detoxification and behavior therapy to help individuals quit and tackle addiction’s psychological aspect.
#5 There are private, paid treatment centers and also charities and affordable treatment available across the UK.
Battling addiction can be overwhelming and scary, but help is always available. If you or someone you know is struggling with drug use or addiction disorder, don’t hesitate to reach out and take the first step in the journey to recovery.