When talking about any drug addiction: alcohol addiction, cocaine addiction, methamphetamine addiction, or even heroin addiction, the pattern is the same:

Everyone has different reasons for trying drugs. They may have heard that it makes them feel good. Others do it because their friends are doing it, or because they are curious about what it'll feel like.

Sometimes, people use drugs or drink because they're unhappy or stressed out and they think drugs and alcohol will make them feel better. There are a few problems with this thinking.

First of all, depending on the drug they choose, they can actually end up feeling worse.

Second, people who use drugs to feel better will often combine drugs, which is about the worst thing they can do. It's harmful enough to take any of the drugs listed in this section; combining drugs kill people again and again.

It's totally normal to want to try new things. At the same time, there are SO many risks involved with trying drugs, even once. There are so many ways that drugs harm the body, and you don't hear a lot about how addictive drugs are--including alcohol and nicotine.

Using drugs over and over daily alters the way the brain functions unbeknownst to the drug user. It would be correct to state that drug addiction is an uninformed choice that eventually makes the daily drug user feel that they have no choice but to use the drug, but they did not know the consequence or want an addiction to take place. Simply put, the addict does not know the consequence when he or she first start to use an addictive drug. Over time they begin to see that there is a problem, but it is usually to late to correct the situation without the help of a drug rehabilitation professional.

When the person uses the drug again it seems to handle their immediate problem. With continued use of the drug, the body's ability to produce certain chemicals is diminished because these chemicals are replaced by the drug. The body uses the drug as a substitute for it's own natural chemicals. Deprived of it's own resources (and the ability to create them the body perceives that it needs the drug to function and demands the drug, through physical cravings. The cravings are a way of making the person get more drugs to be able to function at all. Drug cravings become so severe that the addict will do almost anything (in many cases, abandoning all previous moral teachings) to get more of the drug. People who are addicted will find themselves doing things they would never have contemplated before.

You might be wondering why on earth your loved seems to be choosing drugs over family. You might be struggling with finances, or even from the painful realization your loved one is in trouble with the law. Or you might be asking yourself why you are taking drugs again, when you swore just a few hours ago that you needed to cut down.

Drug abuse is not a matter of moral weakness or faulty willpower. It is a vicious cycle that actually causes changes in the brain, leading to stronger and stronger impulses to use. Without help, drug abuse destroys families and takes lives.

The addict commits misdeeds against family, friends, and themselves to obtain drugs or alcohol to satisfy unrelenting cravings. These misdeeds include lying, stealing, cheating, anything to get drugs to satisfy drug cravings. On a psychological level, because of these misdeeds, the addict cannot face him or herself and dives deeper into drugs to blot out the memories of their transgressions. The person is now entrapped in full blown drug addiction. Waiting won't help a drug addict. No matter what they say, if they haven't quit using drugs by now, they won't, without a comprehensive drug treatment program.

Why can't they just stop using drugs? Can they not see that they are ruining their lives? Why can't they see what it's doing to them?

No one intends to become addicted to drugs or alcohol. Unfortunately many people do. Drug addicts don't become addicted with the intention to destroy their lives and to cause upset to those they love. These conditions are the by-product of drug addiction. The drug addict lies to everyone, things start missing around the house, and the dishonesty conveyed is proportionate to the severity of the addiction problem. These things are apparent to those living with an addict.

Drug cravings are so intense and uncomfortable that it induces the addict to commit acts such as stealing from one's own family in order to get the drug. The addict does things that he normally wouldn't do, were he not addicted. These misdeeds make it even more difficult for the addict to face and confront the situation. The drug addict's sense of self worth and respect are reduced to a state of complete confusion. Introversion occurs, and the addict's sense of self reduces further. This perpetuates his desire for more drugs. Physically, the person feels hopelessly addicted. When not high an addict quietly experiences continual feelings of shame and regret about the transgressions they have made against their loved ones further sparking the instinct to use drugs and/or alcohol in an attempt to releive the guilt they are feeling.

The above is not stated to hold a "Pity Party" for the addict. Everyone must be held responsble for their actions whether on drugs or not. The above is simply a fact based upon the science of addiction and human behavioral characteristics.

The drug addict is caught in a trap. It is a trap that appears inescapable unless the addict attends an effective drug rehab program and handles the condition.

Nearly all addicted individuals believe at the outset that they can stop using drugs on their own, and most try to stop without treatment. Although some people are successful, most attempts result in failure to achieve longterm abstinence. Research has shown that long-term drug abuse results in changes in the brain that persist long after a person stops using drugs. These drug-induced changes in brain function can have many behavioral consequences, including an inability to exert control over the impulse to use drugs despite adverse consequences.the defining characteristic of addiction.

Understanding that addiction has such a fundamental biological component may help explain the difficulty of achieving and maintaining abstinence without effective drug treatment. Psychological stress from work, family problems, psychiatric illness, pain associated with medical problems, social cues (such as meeting individuals from one's drug-using past), or environmental cues (such as encountering streets, objects, or even smells associated with drug abuse) can trigger intense cravings without the individual even being consciously aware of the triggering event. Any one of these factors can hinder attainment of sustained abstinence and make relapse more likely. Nevertheless, research indicates that active participation in drug treatment program is an essential component for good outcomes and can benefit even the most severely addicted individuals.

One of the most powerful effects of drug abuse and addiction is denial. The urge to use is so strong that the mind finds many ways to rationalize drug use. Someone abusing drugs may drastically underestimate the quantity of drugs they are taking, how much it is costing them, and how much time it takes away from their family and work. They may lash out at concerned family members, making the family feel like they are exaggerating and overstating the problem. What makes this so frustrating for family members is the person abusing drugs often sincerely believes they do not have a problem, and can make the family member feel like the dysfunctional one.

This denial and rationalization can lead to increased problems with work, finances and relationships. The person abusing drugs may blame an 'unfair boss' for losing her job, or a 'nagging wife' for why he is increasingly going out with friends to get high. While work and relationship stresses happen to everyone, an overall pattern of deterioration and blaming others may be a sign of trouble.

You cannot force someone you love to stop abusing drugs. As much as you may want to, and as hard as it is seeing the effects of drug abuse, you cannot make someone stop using. The final choice is up to them. The right support can help you make positive choices for yourself, and balance encouraging your loved one to get help without losing yourself in the process. An effective process to get an unwilling loved one into treatment is called an INTERVENTION click here to learn more about the intervention process. You may have heard of the term "the addict must hit bottom" far too many have died waiting for that bottom, intervention has become the preferred option to get an addict the treatment they need.

Don't expect your loved one to be able to quit without support. Withdrawal symptoms can be very uncomfortable, and even deadly. While medical input is always a good idea, if your loved one is addicted to benzodiazepines or is a heavy drinker, withdrawal can be dangerous and should be done only under medical supervision.

Recovery may be an ongoing process. Someone who abused drugs chronically may not suddenly be a cured person once sober. Drug use may have been masking painful feelings that may to the surface. Many in recovery experience depressed moods for up to a year or more as their brain reestablishes from the drug abuse experience. Learning new coping skills to resist cravings, and how to apply them in stressful situations, can be an ongoing process. Individuals progress through drug addiction treatment at various rates, so there is no pre-determined length of treatment. However, research has shown unequivocally that good outcomes are contingent on adequate treatment length. Generally, for residential rehabs or outpatient treatment, participation for less than 90 days is of limited effectiveness, and treatment lasting significantly longer is recommended for maintaining positive outcomes.

Drug addiction could be defined as; a constant and unrelenting effort to obtain drugs in order to alter the feelings and perceptions of the person using them. Another facet of drug addiction is; the brain adapts to the presence of drugs and make adjustments accordingly. Because of these chemical changes in the brain due to the constant use of drugs, when a drug abuser attempts to halt their drug use the brain signals the individual that the drug is needed. This is a major cause of drug cravings. All drug abusers experience drug cravings for some period of time after ceasing drug use. This phenomenon will diminish over time as brain function returns to normal. Drug addiction typically involves habitual routines in the environmental scope of the individual i.e. the locations they use drugs, the people they hang out with, etc. In other words drug addiction is not just drug use, it also revolves around people and things in their immediate environment which help to trigger drug use and other addictive behaviors. The individual's proximity & routines therein trigger and hold their addictive behavior in place. It is the constant negative activities of their day to day life that perpetuates the problem and inhibits the native desire to stop ruining their life through the use of drugs.

The above factors should not be over looked when considering a treatment location. The first 2 weeks of treatment can be the most difficult. There are a lot of mechanisms at work to make this so. In addition to what has been covered above, a more basic factor is; people are creatures of habit. Changes in a persons life even when they are overwhelmingly positive & beneficial, does not guarantee the individual will have no thoughts of missing past negative activities such as, drugs, drug acquaintances and drug activities. Believe it or not this is the normal reactive auto response of most human beings; to do what they are familiar with good or bad. It is not really that they miss these things, it is just all that they have known for some time. Due to these factors, attending a drug rehab close to home is seldom the correct treatment option for chronic drug abusers. It is extremely therapeutic to be distanced from the people they used drugs with, drug dealers, and the surroundings that can continue to stimulate their past addictive behaviors, while staying in communication with loved ones and other positive influences.

In addition to stopping drug abuse, the goal of treatment is to return people to productive functioning in the family, workplace, and community. According to research that tracks individuals in treatment over extended periods, most people who get into long term treatment programs, stop using drugs, cease criminal activity, and improve their occupational, social, and psychological functioning.

You can overcome addiction and we are here to help. At Drug Rehabs.org our Certified Chemical Dependency Counselors have help over 400 thousand families find solutions. Our counselors are available 24 hrs a day 7 days a week. Call toll free 1-877-437-8422, you'll be glad you did.