Breaking The Cycle Of Drug Addiction With Renaissance Recovery
Whatever the scope and extent of your addiction and however much of it is caused by genetics, all that counts is moving forward beyond the cycle of addiction. We can help you achieve that here at Renaissance Recovery Center.
If you are struggling with addiction in California there is help available. Call our addiction hotline to inquire about rehabs in Orange County, CA to learn how to break an addiction.
Set Goals For Breaking Your Addiction Cycle
Once you have developed self-awareness of your behavior and identified the root cause of your addiction, set goals to break the cycle. This helps you to see the benefits of change and gives you a sense of direction. It also enables you to understand better what it might take to break free from substance abuse.
Make sure these goals are specific and measurable so that you can measure success along the way. These goals may include going out with friends on occasion instead of staying home every night, limiting how much alcohol or drugs you consume each day or week, and changing your diet or exercise routine.
How To Break The Cycle
Keep in mind, these are 5 ways to break the addictive cycle, not 5 ways to stop an addiction.5 Ways to Break the Addictive Cycle:
Things that will help you in breaking the cycle include: attending addiction treatment, awareness, a support network, a sense of accountability, a therapist, a strong relationship with your higher power, being active in a program of recovery, and of course, willingness.
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The Stages Of Addiction
The stages of addiction are what happens to an individual as they are experiencing alcoholism. One cant identify the early stages until one gets into the later stages. Sometimes, many stages can happen all at once, and other times, one stage may seem to be skipped. Again, everyones journey is different and will depend on their relationship with their drug or alcohol of choice.
Some drugs are so addictive that they can cause one to experience these stages all at once, though that is rare. Other times, the drugs or alcohol will slowly break away a persons ability to say no and be clean.
Below we will take a look at each part of the cycle and what defines each part of it. Early stages are difficult to define without being further down the cycle of addiction, but later stages can be more easily identified. Through identifying these you might be able to understand whats going on with yourself and get the help that you or your loved one needs.
What Starts The Cycle
Starting the cycle is different for everyone. For some people, it starts with the first drink or first use of the drug. With alcohol and some drugs, this doesnt mean that they will immediately be addicted after. Most of the time, addiction to alcohol comes after a long period of use.
There are, however, drugs that the user will create a dependence on as soon as they use them. This is common, and depending on the person this could even happen with alcohol or other non-addictive drugs.
Initial use can seem rather benign, but end up ruining someones life. This doesnt mean that one should always live in fear, but that they should know themselves, the risks that they are taking when they partake in certain drugs, and if they have a proclivity to become addicted to certain things.
What starts the cycle and spiral to addiction is not always clear. Sometimes something as simply picking up a prescription to help deal with back pain can start one on a path that they would eventually have a lot of trouble kicking. This seems like a specific situation, but in fact, it is actually more common than one might think.
This is what makes finding the initial start such a difficult task. Its not as clear as the other stages, but should still be recognized in retrospect to help you avoid something similar in the future after youve gotten clean.
Some things that could put a person on the track to substance abuse include:
- Rough family life
- Trouble in marriage
- Financial issues
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Set Goals And Stick To Them
Setting goals can be a great way to plan out your recovery. However, simply setting a goal of getting better for instance, will not be as effective a motivator as setting specific goals with varying time frames. There can be a tendency for people, when setting themselves goals, to set broad and large-scale goals right from the off. Although, setting a variety of short-term, more attainable goals as well as long-term and more challenging goals can yield much better results!
For example, set yourself some specific short-term goals of, This week I will attend an AA meeting or I will remain completely sober for two weeks. Setting more achievable, yet still beneficial and important, goals will help motivate you on to more difficult challenges.
As well as these, you should also set yourself long-term goals such as, I will remain sober for one year, or, I will forge more supportive and healthier relationships within my family. Combining short-term goals with long-term goals allows the two to benefit one another and in turn you. Achieving a goal, be it small or large, you have set yourself can and will come to fill you with a better sense of fulfilment than the fleeting sensation from giving in to your addiction. This process of goal-setting is integral to the therapy processes and is something that can be made much easier with the help of Action Rehab.
Addictions Involve Reinforcing Reward Pathways Using Highly Addictive Substances
Imagine that you dig a shallow, wide hole in the sand, on the beach, right near the water. As the water washes up on the beach, the hole fills with water.
At first, the water stays, not moving, until you use your hand, making a small channel to allow the water to flow out of the hole. As the water hole fills up again, it immediately flows down your new, handmade channel.
Now, if you dig a deeper channel, next to your original channel. The water, of course, chooses the deeper channel, preferring to take the path where you have made it easier for more water to flow.
Think of each of these channels that you dig in the sand as habits. Digging the channel deeper, or wider, allows water to flow more easily.
When you repeat an action over time, something similar happens in your brain. Pathways are formed to help you repeat the action again in the future with less awareness and less thought.
Of course, forming habits is a much more complex process than digging holes in the sand. Your brain has a reward center, which is made up of various structures in the central nervous system.
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How Addiction Is Passed Down From Parent To Child
For many people, addiction begins in the early teen or young adult years. Young people who abuse drugs or alcohol may believe that parenthood will be the inspiration they need to turn their lives around, but addictions grip typically proves too strong. Destructive behaviors continue, creating an environment that increases a childs risk of developing a substance use disorder.
The influence of parental addiction on a childs life can begin in utero. Mothers who use drugs or alcohol while pregnant place their children at risk of preterm birth as well as physical and cognitive disabilities. Impairments related to prenatal exposure to drugs and alcohol can place children at risk of bullying and social difficulties, increasing their vulnerability to peer pressure related to substance use.
Differences in parenting styles can also set the stage for intergenerational addiction. An article in Psychology of Addictive Behaviors that looked at how addiction is passed from grandparent to parent to child states, Deficits in inhibitory control appear to be a potential pathway in the intergenerational transmission of substance use and abuse. The article points out that impairments in executive functioning, problems with self-regulation, and impulsivity are well documented in individuals with substance use disorders. Since teaching these skills is a crucial part of parenting, the children of adults with substance use disorders are at a distinct disadvantage.
Is The Cycle Of Addiction Breakable
It is very possible to break the cycle of addiction with professional treatment, and support from loved ones including family and friends. Whether it be drug dependence or drug addiction, the journey to the final point of sobriety may be a roller coaster ride of ups and downs that may include relapses and other struggles. The cycle of addiction may be broken for several reasons. This can be due to the following:
- Legal issues consequences that occur with law enforcement
- Financial troubles inability to pay your bills
- Medical complications some health issues that arise out of the drug or alcohol abuse may include heart problems, high blood pressure, liver problems
- Social problems circumstances that bring the addiction to light in your peer or friend groups
Breaking the cycle requires a lot of work and dedication on your part. You will need to accept help from medical staff, possibly be admitted to a detox facility, and commit to continued support to reach and maintain your goal of sobriety.
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Environmental Factors Within The Family
One of the most powerful environmental factors for addiction is witnessing chronic alcoholism or other addiction in the home. Learned behaviors are far more powerful than words or lessons from outside of the home. Even though children may grow up despising their parents addiction and associated behaviors, they are most likely to repeat that cycle because it is all they know. Coping with problems, dealing with relationships and escaping from reality are all lessons taught with substances in homes with addiction, and thus, substances are the most likely place that children look when they are faced with those same life experiences.
In addition to the obvious learned behaviors, other environmental factors in the home can include:
- Emotional, physical or sexual abuse
- Lack of emotional connection with addicted family members
- Parentification
- Witnessing fighting or violence in the home
- Increased divorce rates
- Untreated co-occurring disorders
- Accessibility to substances
Exposure to trauma, particularly when it is repeated over an extended period, is a common reason that people turn to substances, as they are unable to process the pain on their own. This idea of self-medicating the pain is common in families with substance use, handed down from generation to generation. Combine all the pain and trauma with increased access to substances and it seems clear why children of parents with addictions become addicted to substances themselves.
The Value Of Addiction Treatment
Although growing up with parents who struggle with addiction puts you at a much greater risk of developing a substance use disorder, youre ultimately in control of your actions. You can break the cycle by seeking the help you need to make healthier choices.
Seeking help from a professional with experience in childhood trauma and addiction recovery can help you:
- Use journaling or the creative arts to express the feelings you have regarding your traumatic childhood
- Learn methods for coping with stressful situations without turning to drugs or alcohol, such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing
- Practice healthy communication and tips for sober socializing to build strong relationships with your loved ones
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Balance Knowing And Not Knowing
Whether its a loving family member or the addict themselves, many people try to break the cycle of addiction by starting from a place of knowing. They know addiction is the issue. They know they want to beat it. They know what theyve tried. They know what hasnt worked in the past. While its important to be certain about some things, you also have to be willing to admit what you dont know when youre trying to break the cycle of addiction.
Its a story we hear a lot. Someone tries rehab once and it doesnt work. They assume that rehab doesnt work and rule it out entirely when they try to break the addiction years later. In their minds, they know rehab doesnt work, but when they dont know where else to turn, they eventually give rehab another desperate attempt. When they find success in rehab, they realize it wasnt that rehab didnt workit was the initial approach to rehab that hadnt worked for them.
It may feel daunting at first, but its OKand even advantageousto approach addiction recovery from a place of not knowing. Just because rehab doesnt work the first, second, third, or even fourth time doesnt mean rehab doesnt work. It just means you need to do a little digging into your options and keep an open mind. Be willing to admit that you arent sure what to do or what works and what doesnt. Explore all of your options because there are almost always more than you think.
Rehab Is Like Wi-Fi
How Long Does It Take To Break A Habit
According to research published by The European Journal of Social Psychology, forming or breaking a habit takes an average of 66 days. Take into account that this is just a finding concluded from research using participants who got results ranging from 18 to 254 days . There is no set number of days that it takes to break a habit, everyones experience is different. Setting a number of days when youre supposed to have broken a habit is a surefire way to get frustrated and throw in the towel after not seeing results based upon your expectations. Keep in mind that an addictive cycle includes a range of bad habits, so breaking a cycle will require breaking each of the habits involved in the cycle.
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Understanding The Cycle Of Addiction
Once an individual finds him or herself immersed in their addiction, they forget who they are and begin to narrowly define themselves as nothing more than an addict Obtaining, using, and withdrawing becomes a daily ritual, and once this sequence is completed, they start the cycle all over again ~ Dr. D.A. Berberich, Ph.D., Out of the Rabbit Hole: Breaking the Cycle of Addiction The brain of an addicted person is physiologically and chemical different from that of a non-addicted person. This clearly demonstrates that addiction is a neurological disorder. The addiction cycle is the process by which the addiction continually manifests in someone who is actively abusing alcohol, illicit drugs, or prescription medications. When that addiction cycle is broken and the person is living a healthier lifestyle, then they are in recovery. Understanding how the cycle of addiction perpetuates is key to figuring out how to disrupt the cycle so that recovery can begin. Unfortunately, without outside intervention from professional counselors, doctors, and rehab programs, most addicts are unable to break addictions repetitive cycle.
Clinical Supervisor Primary Therapist
Vanessa is certified in addictions counseling by Marylands Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists, with credentials as a clinical supervisor. She comes to The Freedom Center with over 14 years of direct experience in residential and outpatient treatment between the private and federal sectors.
In addition to helping those suffering from addiction, Vanessa has dedicated part of her career to helping the helper. In 2015, she began working in a Training and Career Development Center coordinating substance abuse trainings for other clinicians. Her experience in behavioral health training, program development, and organizational leadership lead her to pursue a certification as a Project Management Professional in 2018. Vanessa also holds a Bachelors of Arts in Behavioral and Social Sciences from the University of Maryland, College Park and a Masters of Business Administration-Human Resource Management from Columbia Southern University.
Vanessa is a Montgomery County native who spends her free time traveling with her daughter and volunteering in the community.
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Break The Cycle Of Addiction With Alyst
At ALYST, weve seen the cyclical side of addiction, and weve developed an at-home approach to addiction recovery that breaks the cycle by customizing a recovery plan around your routine, lifestyle, and privacy. When youre ready to break the cycle of addiction, reach out to our team, and well help you take the next step.
Treatment Options Available At Miracles Recovery Center
The cycle of addiction that can take place due to drug or alcohol abuse is very tough. Not only does it affect you, but also your family and friends. Without professional help the chance of relapse is tremendous.
If you are looking for a rehab facility that will provide guidance and professional treatment please contact us today. The staff at Miracles Recovery Center, located in Port St. Lucie, Florida, is ready to take your call and work with you or your loved one to break the cycle of addiction and begin the path to recovery. It is never too late to begin the process of having and maintaining a sober life.
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The 5 Stages Of Addiction
Annually, there are more than 21 million Americans who struggle with substance use disorders, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration . But for all of those people, their addiction started simply enough, by experimenting with drugs and alcohol. To examine the phases of addiction, lets start with the first stage of addiction: experimentation.
Finding The Right Treatment Plan
Not all programs are created equally. You will need to find a treatment plan suited to your individual needs.
Generally speaking, inpatient or other intensive treatment plans are the best solutions for early recovery. Having access to medical services during the detox stage can save your life, and a controlled, substance-free environment can help you avoid temptation.
If you cant commit to a stay in rehab, then we highly recommend a partial hospitalization program. This will offer the help you need with minimal disruption to your work and life obligations.
Regardless of what you choose, dont wait. Help is available, but you have to take it!
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