What Your Life Will Look Like Without Drugs
A healthy mind and body is key to finding success and happiness in our daily lives. Addiction is a potentially life-threatening roadblck that prevents us from experiencing all of what our life has to offer. Thankfully, treatment is never out of reach. There is always hope for a better tomorrow and it only takes one step.
How Addiction Affects Your Mind & Body
Addiction is a powerful and chronic brain disease. It is considered a brain disease because drug use directly affects the reward pathway in your brain, altering how it releases dopamine. Dopamine is naturally released when we experience something pleasant in our lives. When drugs enter the body, they cause dopamine levels to skyrocket. This causes a temporary and unnatural “high”. However, the body and mind recognize the drug as something that makes you feel good. This can cause the brain to seek out more of the drug to mimic the same effects. This leads to the brain becoming impulsive and compulsive in its search for the drug. Despite negative consequences that could ensue, your brain will not allow you to think about anything else.
It is important to know that addiction can happen to anyone at any time. Negative consequences of addiction can range from mild to severe. However, all symptoms and effects can prove to be life threatening. Besides altering how your mind perceives positive situations, addiction can also cause mood disorders or distorted thinking. Memory loss can also occur. A person may begin experiencing intense feelings of anxiety or depression. This could directly be linked to the drug or it could be a secondary symptom, which may be caused by strained relationships.
Drugs also take their toll on a person’s body. Depending on the drug, a person’s respiratory and cardiovascular system are often the most affected. This can cause difficulty breathing, slowed heart rate, or increased blood pressure. Over time, a person could suffer from liver disease, heart disease, or even fall into a coma. Due to the addiction being at the forefront of their mind, a person may neglect personal hygiene or taking care of other medical conditions.
Tips to Help Redefine Your Life
Breaking free from the constraints of addiction can feel like a daunting process. However, you do not have to go about it alone. Often, one of the most difficult barriers to overcome is feeling like you are the only one going through this. Unfortunately, addiction affects millions of lives. While each person is unique, their situations and feelings are usually, in general, quite similar.
One of the most important things you could do is to reach out. Your friends and family most likely already know that you have not been yourself lately. Sit down with them and talk about how this disease has affected you. Describe to them what your hopes for the future are. They will respect your honesty and you can begin mending the relationships that have been damaged. They will also help to support you to start the recovery process.
Look for local groups in your community. Support groups can help provide you with open conversations that allow you to open up about your experiences. These also allow you crucial time to hear about what other people are going through and possibly become a mentor.
Consider a sober living option to help ease the transition. Sober living homes are great assets to the recovery community, as they provide support as well as independence in a safe and healthy environment. Healthcare professionals would still be available to you, as well as planned activities and social gatherings.
Improvement of Relationships
Without drugs, your relationships with family, friends, and even your spouse will improve immensely. When a person is experiencing addiction, they may often forego old habits and responsibilities in lieu of seeking out more drugs. This can cause personal as well as professional relationships to crumble. A person suffering may be engaged in criminal or dangerous activity that risks their life or the lives of others. They may also lie or steal from friends or family members.
Eliminating the addiction allows you to begin mending these relationships. The bond between you and them are no longer plagued with dishonesty or untrustworthiness. Bonds will become stronger, as trust begins to build back up. You will be able to be responsible and meet your obligations, both at home and at work or school.
You Will Have Mental Clarity
Addiction treatment that is most successful are those that focus on every aspect of a person’s life, including their mental health. A person suffering from addiction, besides damage caused directly by the disease, may also be struggling with a mental health disorder. Achieving mental clarity is possible by addressing all issues.
You will no longer with constrained by the compulsive thoughts and feelings associated with addiction. You will be able to sort through your emotions more effectively and handle situations with newfound knowledge. Thankfully, treatment centers will be able to help you develop a plan for both your addiction and your mental health disorder. Those in recovery will be able to map out their future and plan their goals. This will allow you to come out on the other side and be able to self-reflect.
Get The Help You Deserve
Those who are suffering deserve treatment. Recovery is not possible without professional treatment from qualified healthcare experts. Those who attempt sobriety on their own risk life-threatening consequences. Oftentimes, the biggest step is the most important step. Taking this first step towards recovery is a huge accomplishment and puts you on the path to a better life.
The professionals at Arizona Addiction Recovery Center pride themselves on creating individualized and innovative plans for those in recovery. Their team believes that no person is too far down the wrong path to make the switch to the right one. They will help to guide you and provide you with the resources you need to not only overcome addiction, but to succeed at life. Call today to learn more about their expert team.
