The Anti-Addiction Pill vs. Substance Abuse Treatment
Is there an Anti-addiction Pill? Imagine how simple life would be if an anti-addiction pill were readily available. Such a pill would make it difficult to continue being an active user because the parts of the brain that are altered by drugs and alcohol would no longer be accessible to substances. In the past ten years, addiction pills related to cigarettes and obesity have been very controversial. These drugs work on the brain receptors that produce pleasure, but they don’t only block the pleasure a user gets from smoking tobacco or eating food. In some cases, they take the pleasure out of other everyday things, bringing on major depressive episodes with suicidal ideations. If a person already has a predisposition to depression, such medication is dangerous. The concept of being able to take a drug and avoid the dangers of addiction is perpetuated by today’s culture of looking for a quick fix. However, such a pill will not address the underlying issues related to an individual’s addictive personality. Personality traits, psychosocial influences and medical conditions that can lead to addictive behavior are left untreated when simply taking a pill to cure or avoid addiction. Most people who receive treatment today suffer from a dual diagnosis, a mental health disorder existing simultaneously with an addiction, which needs to be addressed in a special addiction treatment program. Without proper dual diagnosis treatment, substance abuse will continue and symptoms of the mental health disorder will worsen. Integrated, comprehensive, medically based dual diagnosis treatment is needed. The search for the anti-addiction pill may be lauded in some circles, but a pill alone will not solve an individual’s problems. Today, drugs such as naltrexone, Antabuse, Suboxone and Topamax are prescribed to treat addiction after detox has been completed. These drugs block cravings or hinder the impact of alcohol and drugs on brain receptors by creating sick feelings or inducing withdrawal symptoms. While it is true that these medications can help reduce the chances of immediate relapse, treatment protocols including drug and alcohol education, individual and group therapy, medication management, aftercare and relapse prevention tools are significant to the health and well-being of an addict. Learning to live a balanced life without mind-altering substances is the goal of drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Treatment provides a person with the tools necessary to handle emotional upset and the opportunity to examine self-defeating beliefs and negative behavior patterns.
10 Ways to Overcome Addiction
The hard work of getting clean and sober cannot be duplicated in a pill. Part of the ongoing recovery process is grounded in the ability to accept a problem and seek a healthy, life-affirming solution. Here are 10 ways that have been shown to help thousands of people overcome addiction successfully:
Undergo detoxification in a medically monitored detox facility
Attend a comprehensive, residential treatment program
Seek individual counseling to confront the reasons you engaged in substance abuse
Cultivate a clearly articulated and internalized commitment to recovery
Be willing to change
Develop a healthy support network
Manage stress and drug or alcohol triggers
Attend 12 Step program meetings
Work on goals that build self-esteem
Promote self-acceptance and personal responsibility
Questions? Call or Ask By Chat Now!
If you or a loved one suffers from addiction and would like to learn a new way of living without substance abuse, please call a Stepping Stone Center coordinator now at 866-957-4960. Many of our coordinators have gone through drug rehab programs themselves and are able to understand the new behaviors needed to remain sober.
