Addiction & Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders
Contact us to get started.
What is addiction? In modern psychiatric terms, an addiction or substance use disorder is characterized by negative changes in behavior, physical health consequences because of long-term drug use, and an inability to stop using drugs despite these consequences.
When a person takes an addictive drug, they experience a high. Recurring drug use can numb the high, incentivizing higher and higher dosages to overcome a growing tolerance. When a person stops using their drug of choice after a period of frequent use, they may experience physical and emotional withdrawal symptoms, which range in unpleasantness from minor flu symptoms to fatal respiratory arrest.
Furthermore, long-term drug use can change pathways in the brain related to motivation and reward, leading to overwhelmingly powerful cravings, cognitive decline, and behavioral changes (extreme risk-taking, lack of long-term foresight, poorer decision making, and more).
Here at Coastwise, we help people continue their addiction treatment after withdrawal through an intensive process, utilizing individualized treatment modalities. Without treatment, most cases of serious substance abuse result in severe legal consequences, chronic health problems, and premature death.
Understanding Addiction and Alcohol or Substance Use Disorders
While many things in life can be bad for us, and people may compulsively do things that aren’t in their best interest for a short-term benefit, addictive drugs have a unique set of interactions with the brain that make them especially dangerous.
Certain pathways in the brain regulate things like motivation and reward. Certain transmitters, including dopamine, are responsible for changes in mood in response to certain activities and behaviors. We associate happiness with certain things at least partially because of the release of these neurotransmitters.
Addictive substances like alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, and heroin release far greater levels of dopamine than any other stimuli, which can numb the brain to other sources of dopamine, while simultaneously creating a dangerously powerful feedback loop where the brain and body both continue to crave and demand the substance that triggered the excessive dopamine release.
Addictive substances also trigger the development of drug tolerance in the body. Drug tolerance is a normal phenomenon for any substance taken over a long period of time, including non-addictive and non-psychoactive substances. At some point, the body simply gets used to a certain dose, and diminishing returns kick in – the same dose no longer provides the same effect. Higher and higher doses are needed.
Unfortunately, most addictive drugs are dangerous to the body in small doses, let alone larger ones. Tobacco, the main method of nicotine consumption, is usually smoked or chewed, which leads to the development of lung cancer, throat cancer, heart disease, and other physical health problems. Stimulants like cocaine or amphetamines stress the heart and can cause palpitations and cardiac arrest at higher doses. Depressants like Xanax or alcohol can slow breathing to the point of causing respiratory failure and death.
Drug use does not always result in addiction. One of the crucial problems with early anti-drug campaigns was the use of misinformation or half-truths when explaining to kids how drug use impacts a person’s mind and body. Things such as drug sensitivity and tolerance are genetically determined, and the risk of developing an addiction is largely hereditary. This means that, while everyone can become addicted, some people become addicted much faster than others.
Outliers who use drugs on and off but never struggle to stop – often for decades – can give others the impression that drugs aren’t as dangerous as policymakers and health institutions make them out to be. But the exception only proves the rule. Statistics show that long-term drug use invariably leads to poor mental and physical health outcomes, and a greatly reduced lifespan.
Identifying and addressing an addiction as early as possible is crucial to prevent long-term mental, physical, and legal consequences.
Treating Addiction and Substance Use Disorders
Treatment for a substance use disorder centers around long-term avoidance, and managing the emotional and physical health symptoms that appear alongside addiction. Long-term drug use can leave a person vulnerable to various other mental health issues, including feelings of depression, anxiety, and even severe symptoms such as suicidal ideation.
A comprehensive drug use treatment program utilizes individual and group therapy to help address these issues. Drug addiction treatment plans often include:
Detoxification:
Withdrawal symptoms are common among people who struggle with substance use disorders. In addition to being uncomfortable, these symptoms can also be dangerous without proper medical supervision. Depending on a client’s history and drug use, detoxification may also involve the use of certain medications to help reduce symptoms or safely taper off a specific drug.
Rehabilitation Programs:
At Coastwise, we offer partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programming. These forms of rehabilitation help clients continue to tend to their daily responsibilities while adhering to a strict recovery plan.
Behavioral Therapies:
Individualized therapy modalities are a crucial part of long-term drug recovery. At Coastwise, we work with clients utilizing a number of common therapeutic frameworks, including ACT, DBT, CBT, ETT and more.
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT):
Certain substance use disorders can be treated through the concurrent use of psychiatric treatment and medication, especially in cases of severe opioid dependence.
After Care Programming:
After an initial treatment plan, an after care program helps clients transition back into their daily lives by emphasizing relapse prevention and support.
And more
Substance use disorders can be physically and emotionally debilitating, robbing a person of their interests, their relationships, their perspectives, their opportunities, and even their lives. Effective treatment for addiction requires years of commitment and support from loved ones. Furthermore, access to effective care can be impeded by factors such as societal stigma or denial.
If you or a loved one are struggling with a substance use problem, then it’s important to act now. Don’t wait for things to get worse. You don’t need to hit rock bottom to get help – and a comprehensive treatment plan can give you the confidence you need to continue your path towards long-term recovery.
We at Coastwise help our clients integrate into local recovery communities and support groups to continue their own path after treatment, and we emphasize psychoeducation, mental resilience, and relapse prevention. Work with us to start your journey today.