Ask Away Blog: Understanding the Seriousness of Addiction

Understanding the Seriousness of Addiction

Wednesday, January 15, 2014


Drug addiction is a frustrating, heartbreaking condition that leaves many people, including the addicts themselves, scratching their heads and asking, "Why? What caused this?". As any medical professional or anyone involved in alcohol/drug/cocaine rehab will tell you, getting to the root cause of an addiction is almost always of utmost importance. By finding out what encouraged or directly caused a person to become addicted to one or more substances, that person can be more adequately helped to overcome their addiction and prevent future relapses.

As Per Wickstrom founder points out, one part of helping addicts is understanding them. By understanding just how hard and exhausting it really is to be an addict, you develop more compassion, and thus will be more willing to help them. Being an addict to anything is a 24 hour job, one that never leaves you. And it's a job that's filled with anxiety, fear, disappointment, and an overwhelming feeling of failure. Even in the midst of that highly coveted high, there is still the underlying disappointment.

The root of addiction is still under some debate. Some feel that some people are simply born with an addictive personality, which means it doesn't take much for them to become addicted to something - and not necessarily a drug, either. There are shopping addicts, television addicts, and of course, your stereotypical cliche-overloaded drug and alcohol addicts. Others feel that a person's environment -- if they're brought up in an abusive and/or neglectful household, for instance -- can lead to addictive tendencies. And still others feel that it's just something that occurs, a happenstance, so to speak.

What is agreed upon is that a person who is addicted does not have much, if any, control over what they are doing to get their high, what they are taking to get their high, or how they go about achieving the high they so desperately want. Addictions can easily reach a point where they become harmful to the addict, and even to the people around them. Drug addicts, for example, often see relationships with family and friends deteriorate due to their actions while on or in search of a particular drug.

The addictive nature of drugs themselves plays a big role in triggering addiction. And, the body's tendency to develop both an addiction and a tolerance to a drug only makes things worse, because the addict not only craves more of the drug his body wants, but he craves bigger servings of that drug in order to feel satiated.

One thing is for certain: no matter what the cause of an addiction, whether it be to drugs or alcohol, it takes the addict's admission of there being a problem to successfully treat the addiction. Because if the addict is not on board with seeking help for what can be a life-destroying problem, no amount of therapy and other outside services will help. But once an addict has finally seen the light, so to speak, intensive support and resources can go a long way in helping them achieve a drug-free life.

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  1. I loved your blog before, but now am all in. I myself, am an addict. i struggle every day. Every day. I try to find things to emerse myself in to avoid past tramas. Which leades to compulsive behaivor. I had a successful job, cute house, ect. I have nothing now. Not even a driver's license.Thank God I never hurt anyone physically. Trying to pick the pieces up is tormenting. I have no health insurance. I'm embarassed and closed off. Not helpful. Your blog gives me something to look forward to. Thank you.

    1. Thank you Holly. And i really hope u see my reply, but i am glad that this helps you! id love to chat more so dont be afraid to shoot me an email!!!



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