Can addiction be categorized as a disease or a choice?
Introduction:
Sublocade doctors near me have said that there is numerous evidence where people who were unable to deal with the triggers of anxiety, depression, unpleasant situations, and unforgivable actions found respite in the use of drugs and substances. To these suboxone doctors, the individuals who seek refuge in the world of drugs and substance abuse might have lost their way, but there is hope for them if they are determined to end the vicious cycle of triggers and ensuing substance abuse.
The existing notion revolving drugs and substance addiction:
Before treatment is offered to the people afflicted with drugs and substance addiction, the suboxone doctors near me emphasize the need to understand addiction’s critical nature. A suboxone doctor Providence says that there is a lot of conflict about whether the people using drugs and substances are degenerate or are diseased. The conventional notions and the assumptions involving the nature of substance abuse disorder have hindered addiction treatment for generations by stigmatizing drug dependency as something that stems from weak willpower.
Doctors offering sublocade near me proclaim that these beliefs and misconstrued perceptions played their role in limiting the availability of addiction treatment. The stigma surrounding substance abuse and the individuals who use drugs made it difficult for people, reeling under drugs, and substance addiction to come forward and convey their issues until it reached crisis proportions. But the nature of addiction as a disease or a choice indeed has equal arguments to fortify the corresponding logic on both sides.
Doctors at the suboxone treatment clinics Providence reveal the nature of substance use and the disease model of substance addiction:
The doctors specializing in sublocade near me say that even science is not exempted from the two schools of thought which back their theories of addiction. There is considerable medical evidence that significantly supports the disease model of addiction. Still, numerous individuals feel that classifying substance addiction as a disease over which the addicted individual has no control, will remove the personal responsibility and the idea of being held accountable for his actions, from the picture. Some people believe that it could create a mindset that fosters feelings of hopelessness and inevitability and hinder the prospects of recovery by thwarting resolve and determination.
● The physiological background of addiction:
The medical experts and the doctors at the suboxone treatment clinics, Providence, confirm that the experiments carried out on the brains of drugs and substance users for prolonged periods have shed light upon addiction being a biological condition. The studies conducted by the specialists at the suboxone clinics portrayed significant alterations in the morphology of the habitual substance users’ brains.
These extensive studies also reported that drugs affect the brain in two primary ways. They mimic the natural neurotransmitters and thereby send false information that disrupts normal cognitive functions. The sublocade doctors near me also proclaim that the drugs overstimulate the brain’s pleasure centers by releasing excess quantities of dopamine and other feel-good chemicals. With chronic overstimulation, the normal activities of the brain seem unrewarding. A reputed suboxone doctor Providence says that it causes the user to seek illicit substances to feel the rush and the euphoric high, therefore binding him within a vicious cycle of pleasure-seeking, comedown, withdrawal, and escalating drug use that spirals out of control.
● Psychological component of addiction:
A massive portion of the cycle of addictive behavior is contributed by the psychological component of addiction, which points to risk factors that can establish addictive foundations if not addressed appropriately. The medical personnel at the suboxone treatment clinics Providence claim that genetic background, gender and ethnicity, and a personal history of undiagnosed or untreated underlying mental health disorders contribute significantly to addictive behavior. While there can be evidence of substance abuse in the family, it is also true that men are more prone to drugs and substance abuse while women relapse more after treatment. These are risk factors that contribute immensely to the development of substance dependency.
The doctors offering sublocade near me also point out that individuals exposed to drugs and substances at an early age are increasingly probable to develop a substance dependency. The doctors at the suboxone clinics also confirm that various environmental factors like socioeconomic status, peer pressure, dysfunctional family life, trauma, and stress have an immense role in promoting drugs and substance addiction.
Why is controlling addictive behavior easier said than done for some?
With such overwhelming physiological and psychological evidence on addiction, the doctors at a suboxone clinic near me say that it is a grueling affair to establish the exact causes of drug and substance addiction. But according to an acclaimed suboxone doctor Providence, the genetic disposition plays a significant role in discerning the addict from the casual user.
Even if two persons encounter an identical level of addictive temptations, the abusive behavior generally has its foundations rooted in the triggers and lifestyle choices. It explains why there is considerable evidence pointing to people who experiment with drugs and substances and can abstain from them. However, the suboxone doctors near me confirm that most of them will experience drugs and quit cold turkey without retracing their paths. In contrast, others would spiral into addiction and require long-term recovery options to reclaim their life’s control.
Reclassification of substance use has changed addiction treatment:
With the prevalent belief of addiction being a choice and not a disease, there was a considerable amount of shame and guilt attached, which caused people to conceal their dependency and avoid treatment. The doctors at the suboxone treatment clinics Providence say that it caused tragic results for the addicted persons and their families and even the community. Criminalizing addictive behavior further strengthened the stigma and aggravated the situation.
With the science-backed evidence of changes in the brain morphology, doctors and medical personnel began devising strategies to develop addiction treatments that would address the psychological, physiological, and emotional causes behind substance addiction. Sublocade doctors near me also say that such concrete evidence and the advent of specialized addiction treatment created room for empathy and a greater understanding of the nature of compulsive and addictive behaviors.
In the end:
The EBP model of addiction treatment that considers the latest research and the preferences and goals of the patients seeking substance addiction treatment has evolved considerably to provide holistic and traditional therapies like customized treatments and effective in-patient programs. Since no one starts out being an addict, the desire to deal with addiction is the fundamental motivation to channel your recovery.