Self-help is all about teaching you about using the tools and knowledge you already possess to overcome specific emotional or life challenges that you face. Most of these programs are created by certified professionals, and there are many self-help programs out there dedicated to helping people overcome different types of addiction or addictive behaviors. While these programs can be effective, going at addiction treatment all alone is usually not the best idea. Here is a look at why addiction can be so difficult to overcome all alone.
Addiction actually affects your brain function.
In spite of scientific research, there is still a major misassumption that addiction is not classified as a real disease. However, addiction is actually defined by the National Institute of Drug Abuse as:
"...a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences."
Addiction can alter how your brain functions overall, which explains why people who are addicted continue to do things they know are harmful. This exact characteristic of drug addiction is what makes the disease so difficult to overcome without any outside help from an addiction treatment center. Self-help programs can do a lot to get your mindset in the right place to overcome the problem, but you may also need professional counseling throughout recovery and through sobriety.
Addiction treatment plans are different for every individual.
When you seek professional drug addiction treatment, the treatment facility will not usually offer you the same approach as every other person that comes through the door. Addiction is most often a personalized problem that requires unique treatment plans to overcome. Facilities often build a multi-faceted plan of action that is catered to help the individual's needs, involving everything from group therapy and step programs to prescription medications and behavioral therapy. Because of this, it can be difficult to overcome a substance abuse problem on your own.
Addiction can involve a medically supervised detox process.
If you have been abusing drugs or alcohol for a long time, your body grows to believe it can only function when those components are present in your system. Therefore, when you stop taking the substance, your body reacts as if you've taken something away that it must have to function. The initial detox from substance abuse can be not just uncomfortable, but dangerous in extreme cases. For example, people who go through a heroin detox may experience everything from convulsions to delirium.
It's not always easy to detect when you need to make changes in your life, but a few years ago I could tell something was wrong. I began realizing that the people around me weren't always positive about their experiences, and so I started thinking about what I could do to make things better. I started working with others to improve my relationship with them, and it was immediately clear that I was making a difference. I decided to make a website to further my cause, since I think you can be more powerful than you think by improving your own life.