Breaking Free From The Shackles Of Addiction

 Addiction has been a household word for a lot of decades. The first thing that comes to mind when it’s mentioned is the persistent use of alcohol and marijuana but in the real sense, addiction entails more than this.

Addiction is a condition that results when a person ingests a substance (e.g., alcohol, cocaine, nicotine) or engages in an activity (e.g., gambling, sex, shopping) that can be pleasurable but the continued act becomes compulsive and interferes with normal life responsibilities. Users may not be aware that their behavior is out of control and causing problems for themselves and others. For one thing, this shows that not all addictive behaviors involve drugs

Causes of Addiction
There are no specific causes of addiction. Any substance or activity that has the capacity to be pleasurable can provide the conditions for addiction.
All addictions impact various neural circuits of the brain, including those related to reward, motivation, and memory.
The brain’s reward circuitry consists of clusters of neurons that release the neurotransmitter dopamine. They are particularly numerous in the prefrontal cortex, and certain areas of the midbrain. Any activity we find pleasurable activates these circuits.
The function of this reward circuitry is to enable us to remember the circumstances that led to the pleasure so we can repeat the behavior and re-experience the pleasure it brought us. Addiction is just a defect in the normal reward circuitry, a high-jacking that can eventually rob people of their free will to choose.

The beginning of addiction can be traced to the avoidance of emotional discomfort and the pain of underlying psychological disorders like depression, anxiety, and unresolved trauma. Substance addicts create the desired “neurochemical numbness” by ingesting various chemicals; behavioral addicts create the same exact neurochemical numbness by engaging in intensely stimulating activities. With time more of the stimulating substance is needed to obtain the same feeling of pleasure. This is called tolerance.

Treatment of Addiction
Addiction is a treatable condition. The first phase of treatment is withdrawal from the offending substance/activity. There are both physical and psychological effects that occur when substance-taking stops, including physical signs like nausea and vomiting, chills and sweats, muscle cramps and aches, sleeplessness, shifts in heart rate, even fever. Emotional effects include depression, anxiety, irritability, and mood swings. These are called withdrawal symptoms.Withdrawal symptoms last three to five days. While they are rarely life-threatening, medical supervision is usually provided and medications may be given to ameliorate the acute discomfort of withdrawal.
Successful treatment has several steps:
•    Detoxification (the process by which the body rids itself of the drug)
•    Behavioral counseling
•    Medication (for opioid, tobacco, or alcohol addiction)
•    Evaluation and treatment for co-occurring mental health issues such as depression and anxiety
•    Long-term follow-up to prevent relapse

Behavioral therapy and counseling are important elements of treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy is often used to help patients identify, avoid, and cope with situations in which they are most likely to abuse drugs or activities.

Meditation: Meditation produces important changes in both the structure and function of the brain. One important finding is that meditation increases gray matter in the areas of the brain involved with learning and decision-making, good for overall health and preventing relapse. Meditation also helps with other problems, such as depression and anxiety.

Exercise: Research is beginning to indicate that regular, moderate exercise can help break compulsive behaviors. Of course, we all know that being fit is good for our health, but if it also helps prevent relapse, there is an added benefit to addicts.

Healthy Eating: Most addicts enter recovery with abysmal personal care habits, particularly around food. Learning how to feed yourself  will not only make your body stronger, but will also improve your self-esteem.

Volunteer: Getting out of your normal routine to help others in a way that feels good to you will improve your outlook on life. Whether it’s feeding the homeless, shopping for an elderly neighbor, doing house chores for those in need will help prevent relapse; you can’t let those people who depend on you down by going down the rabbit hole of substance abuse. Relapse is harder when you’re connected to others.

Have fun: Make memories and friends! If you have a lot to look forward to, drugs and alcohol will look less and less inviting.

Prevention Is the Key
Drug addiction is a preventable disease. Although many events and cultural factors affect drug abuse trends, when youths perceive drug abuse as harmful, they reduce their drug intake. Thus, education and outreach are key in helping youth and the general public understand the risks of drug abuse. Drug addiction can be prevented if one NEVER abuses drugs.