The effects of addiction can be all-encompassing. Their family struggles as they watch their loved one damage their body with drugs or alcohol. Relationships suffer as the user becomes more intent on finding and using the substance and spends less time with family and friends. As substance abuse increases it becomes more difficult to maintain a balance with the user’s work life and their career suffers. The loss of work can lead to financial hardships which adds to the user’s stress and often leads to increased substance abuse. The user also internalizes the disappointment of friends, family, and co-workers, which leads to more substance abuse to minimize feelings of shame. The disappointment, shame and guilt lead to more substance use in an increasingly destructive cycle.
Substance abuse also impacts your body, leading to an increased chance of diseases. Dependence on drugs or alcohol often causes the user to neglect their body or even harm themselves. The trained staff at Asana Recovery will work with you to rebuild your life. You will explore your interests as you participate in career and volunteer opportunities that can help to guide you in your life after recovery. Addiction does not have to be your story. Let us help you write a new ending that doesn’t include substance abuse.
The effects of addiction can be felt most profoundly in the user’s brain. Drugs effect the brain’s limbic system, which is also known as the brain’s reward center. As drugs effect this system, they cause a release of dopamine, a chemical in the brain that regulates feelings of pleasure, which causes the “high” that is associated with substance abuse. As the user’s external world and relationships begin to crumble, the user relies more heavily on the feelings of pleasure and anxiety relief that dopamine provides. Over time, repeated and increased substance abuse can actually alter the chemistry of the brain. The brain is rewired to be unable to function without the assistance of drugs or alcohol.
As the user attempts to stop using, the brain responds with intense cravings and withdrawals, forcing the user back to drugs to relieve the symptoms. As substance abuse increases, the user begins to feel the effects of this seesaw of dopamine release and withdrawal. This manifests in anxiety, as the user waits for their next dose of the substance. It also causes depression, as the effects of the dopamine wear off and the user is exposed to their raw emotions. Finally, substance abuse can cause paranoia, as the brain begins to distort reality in an attempt to maintain the flow of drugs into the brain.
The important takeaway from all of the science and research about addiction and the brain and the body is that all of these effects are treatable. The most important part of treatment is recognizing that you have a problem that you cannot solve on your own. Once the user makes the decision to seek treatment, there are a variety of options available. The trained counselors at Asana Recovery can help determine the best course of treatment for each client, depending on their addiction and their needs. Most of the time, a combination of medical and therapeutic treatment can be the beginning of a sustained recovery. Treatment can lead not only to increased physical and emotional health, it can also lead to increased self-esteem and start the repair of relationships with family and friends. But none of this can start unless the user makes that all important first step. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, the decision to seek treatment is vital to the recovery process. Let Asana Recovery help you with this difficult and emotional decision.
Everyone deserves the opportunity to start over and learn from past mistakes. No one is “beyond hope” when it comes to recovery. Often when a user attempts recovery and fails, for a variety of reasons, they begin to feel that recovery is not a possibility for them. We at Asana Recovery disagree. All users are deserving of recovery and our trained professionals will work with each client to determine why past attempts have failed and tailor a treatment plan that ensures success. By taking the step to begin the recovery process, you can begin down the path toward a life you never dared dream was possible. You can have a life that is free of suffering, shame and guilt. You can rebuild healthy relationships with your loved ones. You can have a life that is free of destructive thoughts and behaviors. You can heal your body and your mind. You can have a successful and fulfilling career. At Asana Recovery, we will arm you with the tools and the coping mechanisms you will need to face your addiction head on and build a recovery life that is fulfilling and sustainable.
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