Monday, March 18, 2024
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How Quitting Drugs Will Change Your Life For The Better?

Since 1990, deaths due to drug addiction have tripled and poses a significant problem encountered worldwide, especially among the young generation. Research suggests that addiction hits faster to teenagers than adults, and about 5 million people in America alone actively consume cocaine and do drugs regularly. This figure is appalling because 1 out of every 5 overdose deaths in 2017 was due to cocaine consumption. So if you are looking for ways to stop doing drugs or help someone get rid of addiction and quit, you are at the right place!

What Are The Disadvantages Of Not Getting Rid Of Drug Addiction?

Drug addiction causes several mental and physical health problems. While drug addiction gives temporary gratification, the long-term consequences are nothing short of devastating.

Once hooked, getting rid of this addiction is not a child’s play. It requires a proper set of supportive care for one to get rid of addiction completely.

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Here’s how drug addiction impacts your mental health and physical health.

1. Anxiety

According to the American Addiction Centers, 14.6% of the US population have suffered from substance abuse, and 28.8% have experienced anxiety.

Although people with substance abuse addiction suffer from multiple psychiatric conditions, it can worsen the already existing anxiety symptoms.

In addition, for individuals with continuous substance abuse, drug usage facilitate the risk of developing anxiety disorders in the future.

2. Depression

Depression often pushes people to rely on substance use which further triggers depressive symptoms in an individual heavily.

A research study demonstrated that almost all psychiatric disorders, including substance abuse, are connected with an increased risk of suicide. Another study claims that alcohol dependence increases the possibility of depression by 63.8%.

3. Aggression 

In addition, one of the most common psychobehavioral features for identifying drug abuse in students is anger. Drug abuse can manifest into aggressive behavior. Also, people suffering from anger issues are commonly at risk of alcohol addiction.

4. Cognitive Dissonance

Addiction causes cognitive dissonance and impacts the cognitive abilities of a person.

For instance, chronic addicts convince themselves that addiction doesn’t have any lethal implications in the long run.

As a result, they will keep engaging in the addictive activities instead of getting rid of the addiction or asking for help.

What Are The Signs That Someone Is Addicted?

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Addiction is a severe disorder, and if you feel like your friend or someone you know is addicted, these are some signs that will help you identify the addiction symptoms and help them get rid of them.

Signs of Behavioral Addiction

1. Gambling

Excessive gambling is a sign of behavioral addiction. The use of the internet has made gambling more prevalent among youths today.

Apparently, compulsive gambling is most commonly found in the younger and middle-aged groups. Furthermore, loneliness and isolation can lead an individual to gambling addiction.

2. Compulsive Shopping

If you find your friend incessantly going broke over buying new clothes, jewelry and clothes even when they don’t need it, they may have a shopping addiction.

Shopping addiction or Compulsive shopping disorder is a severe addiction where the person has an obsession with spending money on things, regardless of their utility.

According to research published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, compulsive shopping hyperstimulates the Dopamine system, which induces high feelings, similar to drug usage like cocaine, nicotine, etc.

So, this also makes it challenging to get rid of addiction.

3. Sex Addiction

Sex addiction is another sign of behavioral addiction that is difficult to get rid of. This is an addiction where an individual seeks sex in the form of phone sex, pornography, masturbation, or sexual intercourse.

While sex can induce a feeling of pleasure but compulsive sexual addiction may harm the person’s psychological well-being in the long run.

Signs of Substance Abuse

1. Alcohol 

Alcohol consumption regularly is a common sign among people who are addicted to substance abuse.

As per the research study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the range of drinking usually varies five or more in two hours for males, whereas for females, it’s four or more drinks.

Suppose you see your loved ones drinking alcohol continually for a shorter duration. In that case, there’s a significant possibility of alcohol addiction, and you may need to take immediate steps to help them get rid of it.

2. Drug Consumption

Drug overdose is a rising concern, especially among young people belonging to the age group 15-24.

A drug addict will consume drugs in the forms of:

  • Marijuana
  • Cocaine
  • Heroin
  • Meth
  • Depressants
  • Halicunogens

A person with the above addiction will likely have bloodshot eyes, slurry speech, stumbling while walking, hysteria, loss of motivation, and anxiety, along with other issues.

What’s The Science Behind People Doing Drugs? Why Can’t They Get Rid Of Drug Addiction?

The addiction can be seen as a result of a stressful life, including personal and professional aspects.

According to theWorld Health Organization, each year, 3.3 million people die due to the harmful use of alcohol.

Additionally, every person in the world aged 15 years or older drinks approximately 6.2 liters of pure alcohol per year.

The onset of addiction is majorly due to genetics and environmental behaviors and makes it even harder to get rid of it early. If the child under ’20s is exposed to drugs, the individual finds it difficult to quit drugs later in life.

Taking care of your kids’ environment in their early teens is a significant factor in staying away from drug addiction.

Other than the environmental factor, most addictive drugs directly or indirectly affect the brain’s reward system called dopamine release.

Dopamine is a chemical neurotransmitter that signals your brain to modulate movements and emotional responses. Overstimulating this brain’s region by using drugs induces a Dopamine rush and creates repeated behaviors of consuming the stimulant responsible for the feeling of high.

Once fallen prey to drug addiction, you need to be mentally strong and determined to quit or get rid of this detrimental habit.

How To Get Rid Of Drug Addictions?

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Some of the key ideas or steps that can help you to quit drugs are listed below. If you show strong will and determination, the road to recovery is definitely possible.

1. Keep Away from Stimulants

You are keeping away from drugs, but how to maintain your sobriety?

Step one to recovery starts with avoiding a few stimulants. Doing this helps an individual get rid of the addiction effectively.

Minor addictions or habits have a big chance to make you addicted to other harmful substances, say drugs in this case.

Habits like smoking and consuming alcohol will increase your urge to try other substances that may develop into an addiction. Therefore, the first step is to avoid exposure to such stimulants.

2. Workouts Can Keep You Sober

Workouts can help you to quit drugs. Directing energy in the right way is crucial. You have all this unutilized energy that can be put to use in one way or the other.

Doing rigorous activities and exercises will burn all your extra energy, ultimately leading you to get rid of the addiction. And the tiredness thus caused will help you to have a sound sleep at night and, in turn, stop any urges for drugs.

A study published in the Sage Journals denotes that regular exercise can alter the behavior and body image of drug addicts. This study was conducted with 38 participants who misused substances.

As a result, the participants were asked to participate in the study for three to six months, among which 20 participants completed the program. After a year, it was revealed the exercise programmed supported them in decreasing their drug intake.

3. Change Environment

Another good option to get rid of addiction is to focus on other aspects of life, like giving your family, friends, and relatives time. This can keep you away from the environment you are currently in. A change in the environment can also eventually help you to quit drugs.

The change in the environment stops you from feeling the urge to use drugs. For example, Traveling to places (which don’t put your sobriety at risk) and exploring nature’s beauty can also help you think of something else instead of drugs.

4. Engage in Meaningful Activities

An addict gets more attracted to drugs in their free time. Therefore, sitting idle in your leisure time will increase your urges to use drugs instead of stopping them.

To avoid these urges, one should try to keep themselves occupied. You may pursue your hobbies, read books, watch movies, play games or do exercises, etc., in your free time. You can also speak to someone, spend time with family or join a support group.

5. Spirituality To Your Rescue

Religious beliefs or spiritual indulgence can help you recover from addiction to drugs. In addition, these beliefs usually increase your moral and social values.

A study on spirituality and substance abuse suggests that individuals recovering from addictions cited spirituality as a positive influence in their recovery journey.

Visiting places with spiritual value educates you about the real purpose of life. This gives you a strength of character, which in turn helps in resisting drugs. Taking up yoga is also one of the best ways to quit drug addiction. Remember, yoga is not just about physical exercise.

Treatments Available For Getting Rid Of Drug Addictions

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The addiction recovery path has many obstacles and stress, and getting help from professionals is always the best way to recover from substance abuse. There are many treatments available that support an addict in their recovery phase.

Since the path to recovery can be stressful because of the possible triggers and withdrawal symptoms, opting for professional treatments will help. These are the types of treatments available to cure addiction.

1. Detoxification

Detoxification is the process of eliminating drugs from the body. It is a safely supervised procedure that helps substance users feel comfortable and control their withdrawal symptoms when they stop doing drugs.

2. Inpatient Rehab

Impatient rehab offers treatment programs in residential treatment centers for a specific time duration, depending on the cases’ severity. In inpatient rehabs, the treatments are carried out under experts’ supervision and access to emotional support to get rid of addictions.

3. Outpatient Rehab

Outpatient rehab is a treatment process for those who have a mild addiction to drugs and alcohol. In this treatment, the patient can continue living their life normally and opt for the treatment from their homes. Furthermore, this treatment mainly focuses on counseling, group support, and education.

4. Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is a behavioral therapy treatment where the addict gets access to a safe environment to overcome emotional stress in the path to recovery. In psychotherapy treatment, a professional therapist will guide the substance users in getting rid of addictions and increase their well-being.

Concluding Thoughts,

Even though addiction is considered a chronic brain disease, the road to recovery is still viable. However, curing an addict will take time and patience, but getting sober is feasible with proper medical treatments and supervision.

So go ahead, pick yourself up and make a change before it’s too late and help someone get better!

Key Takeaways On Getting Rid Of Drug Addictions

  • Deaths due to drug addiction have more than tripled since 1990.
  • Hence, it’s imperative for people doing drugs to take necessary measures and get rid of addictions.
  • About 5 million Americans actively consume cocaine regularly, and 1 out of 5 overdose deaths is due to cocaine.
  • People doing drugs experiences many mental and physical ailments.
  • For instance, drug abuse induces anxiety, depression, aggression, and cognitive dissonance.
  • Addiction to drugs can also cause cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems, kidney and liver disease.
  • People do drugs mainly because of the rush and high feeling that our brain produces, aka the dopamine release.
  • Overstimulating this brain’s region by external stimulants is threatening in the long run.
  • That’s is why there are many treatments available to get rid of drug addictions.
  • Some treatments available for drug addictions are Detoxification, Inpatient Rehab, Outpatient Rehab, and Psychotherapy.

Why do people take drugs?

People take drugs for various reasons. For some, it’s about feeling good; for others, it could be a way to ignore their emotional turmoil.

However, some common reasons for people doing drugs are:

  • Dysfunctional home environment.
  • The constant need to fit in.
  • Mental health issues.
  • Stress at school and work.

How can I help someone get rid of drug addictions?

Stopping someone from drug abuse requires willpower, and there is a high possibility of relapse if the person isn’t getting professional help. Therefore, it’s always recommended to seek help and opt for treatments to cure an addict.

These are some treatment options you can always look up to:

  • Detoxification
  • Inpatient Rehab
  • Outpatient Rehab
  • Psychotherapy

Let us know your comments on how to quit drugs? Subscribe with us and stay away from negativity in life. Liked our work? Please comment and share with family and friends and help your dear ones to be enlightened.

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Kanika Gautam
Kanika Gautam
Kanika is an enthusiastic writer and blogger. She shares her thoughts mainly about positive parenting and workplace trends. She is also a technologist, speaker, educator, writer, and online entrepreneur.

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