Archive for the ‘Cycle of Addiction’ Category

A cycle is a process that returns to its beginning and repeats itself in the same sequence until it is broken by an outside force or a circumstance.  So how does a cycle of addiction happen? Let us remember that drugs or substances that a person gets addicted to are painkillers ñ that is the drug kills the unhappiness, the sense of hopelessness, or physical pain that the addict is experiencing.

The Cycle of Addiction can be illustrated as follows:

•    A person experiences a problem, a sense of unhappiness or hopelessness ñ it can happen to anyone regardless of gender or age. It can be a teenager not knowing what do once he is rejected by his object of affection and love or a grandmother not having any connection with family and is unhappy and isolated or a person whose career is has felt the affects of the economy and going nowhere despite hard work or past glories.

•    This person seeks alternative ways to solve the problem by turning to alcohol or drugs. The alcohol or drug makes the person feel better and because the person seems to cope with life better, the drug or alcohol becomes the constant relieving companion.

•    The person eventually increases the intake of drug or alcohol and is finally trapped into the habit. At this point, the initial point of solving the problem is taken over by the want to take drug or alcohol. Addiction sets in and the person loses the control on the use of the drug or alcohol and disregards the negative consequences of the addiction.

•    The addict will by all means try to keep his addiction to himself and will become withdrawn from friends and family suffering the consequences of his dishonesty and guilt. The more he drinks or uses the drug, the more depressed and guilty he becomes. The strain of addiction will surface losing personal integrity, severing relationships with friends and family, and job or school performance will drastically go down the hill.

•    In this stage, the drug or alcohol is the most important thing in the life of the addict. They takes more and more as his body gets used to the high feeling and their body adapts to the chemical presence in his system. The person now takes drug or alcohol to be able to function at all.

•    The cravings for drug or alcohol set in and the addict will experience an overwhelming obsession to taking and getting the stuff at all cost to avoid the pain of withdrawing.

•    As the addiction to drug or alcohol progresses, the addict increasingly becomes haggard and ill-tempered. They will experience mood swings that can be mistaken for mental illness. The addict may have drug-induced or alcohol-related depression.

•    At this point, the addict is at dismal downward trend that he finds themselves in a heap of problems but would like to appear normal to his friends and family. They could not figure out whether they wants to stop or not. They know they have a problem but can’t figure out how to cope with it. The drug or alcohol he becomes dependent to have changed him physically and mentally. Addictive think has kicked in.

In order to break the cycle of addiction, the addict must admit that there is indeed a problem and he is willing to get support and tackle the recovery process. Opening up to a qualified medical practitioner for advice and getting a support group. And realizing that the recovery program entails a lot of sacrifices and cooperation before the end result will be achieved. The addict must understand that it takes time to completely return to the normal life that he lost due to alcohol or drug abuse. Even then life will normal be normal. The addict will have to learn to manage their addiction through therapy.

People can break the cycle of addiction. Recovering addicts may attempt to break the cycle of addiction on their own, that is great but if you find it hard to do it on your own, which is very hard and potentially dangerous. There are caring and compassionate health care professionals, addiction treatment centers and sober living houses where specially trained individuals can safely handle your specific case. The human touch and the human connection is very essential to recovery.

There are several treatments that lead to the achievement of breaking the cycle of addiction such as residential treatment programs. The process usually includes a safe medical detox. Sudden triggers and withdrawal at times produce serious consequences. Being in a safe environment helps you tremendously to break the cycle of addiction.  Once detoxed, specifically designed rehabilitation therapy programs such as the Big Island of Hawaii Rehab at Hawaii Island Recovery can help you learn about addictive thinking and addiction management.

Hawaii Island Recovery’s Big Island Recovery center will offer the client a support group that promises to deliver the human caring and understanding that an addict on the road to recovery desperately seeks. Always remember that the cycle of addiction can be broken by hard work and discipline. Also sacrifices and vigilance are required, too. It is sometimes a steep climb and yet some days become easier to bear. Remember…One day at a time.

Recognition that the cycle of addiction must be broken is a big topic of all recovery programs. Being true and honest and leaving people, places and things that got you into the cycle of addiction in the first place is sometimes hard, especially if the recovering addict must go back to the community. But helping another recovering addict is sometimes the best way to help yourself!

So start on your recovery or to help a friend or a family member start a fruitful recovery in breaking the cycle of addiction, call Hawaii Island Recovery at 866-906-6911. Hawaii Island Recovery will more than welcome you on your road to a meaningful recovery. They will give you your life back.