What is addiction? Do you know that it is an illness that some people feel obliged to carry because of social and economic factors or because of a wish to get rid of their daily burden of stress.
Addiction can be classified into different categories, like alcohol addiction, drug addiction, recreational drugs, food and substance abuse. The first two are common in most cases, while substance abuse is regarded as a rare phenomenon in our society. Other drugs like tobacco, caffeine, nicotine, and even prescription medications also fall under the category of addiction.
To answer this question let us first understand the concept of addiction, its causes, symptoms, risks, consequences, and what are the reasons for which people consume substances. To simplify, addiction is simply defined as the abnormal dependence on a substance, that is, craving for that substance.
Addiction can happen at any age and time, however, it can be triggered by physical, mental, emotional, social, cultural, environmental and financial factors. It can be triggered by the fear of missing out or by feeling that you are not good enough, not as good as others, or the satisfaction of feeling good. For instance, a person may start to use drugs when he or she gets used to being better than other people, when he or she feels like he or she is being cheated by other people and when he or she feels like being lazy and depressed.
The third type of addiction is recreational drugs and alcohol addiction. A few years ago, these two categories have been separated but now the focus is mostly on the category of drug addiction.
Drug addiction is still a big issue in the society and the government has taken many measures to bring down the rate of drug-related deaths. The most common drugs that cause dependency or withdrawal are opiates, alcohol, barbiturates, tranquilizers, and cocaine. These types of drugs are usually banned in the United States, Europe, and Australia. They are generally illegal and sold illegally.
When we talk about a person who has a drug addiction, he or she is expected to undergo counseling. One way to help a person recover from addiction is through outpatient therapy, medication, detoxification and rehabilitation. These methods help the addict to stop the negative behavior patterns of the addictive behavior, help the individual to find a new normal life and reinforce the addiction.
In other words, some people who are addicted to alcohol or drugs can find help through sober living programs. These programs are non-medical and non-profit. Under such programs, the addict is given all the tools and support necessary to lead a normal life and maintain abstinence from the alcohol or drugs.
The major difference between sober living homes and rehabilitation centers is that the former places the addict into a structured environment, where the addict is supported by a trained counselor, and where the addict can be shown that there is a solution available to him or her. Strict withdrawal symptoms are also prevented.
Alcoholics Anonymous is a prominent example of an all-inclusive rehabilitation program. Here, a large group of alcoholics meet once a week and discuss their problems and then choose a mentor for the next meeting. Once the counselor chooses a mentor, the meetings are held regularly until the alcoholic no longer needs support.
From the beginning, the goal of those who enter sober living programs is to change the environment of the addict and to let him or her enjoy a normal life. The problem is that when the person cannot leave the dependence and the habit, his or her behavior may change to the extent that he or she will have a drug or alcohol problem again.