What You Should Understand About the Addiction Cycle

Living with or as an addict is an incredibly difficult experience. Although many people understand that addiction is a disease, it still defies logic and reason. It’s not unusual for people to wonder why their loved one can’t “just quit” drinking, drug use or other unhealthy addictions. However, addiction is a dependency, perpetuated by emotional, psychological and physiological dependency. One of the best ways to overcome your addiction is to engage in addiction recovery counseling in Yakima, WA.

Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, many addictions are worsening. Overdoses are on the rise, thanks to lockdowns and social restrictions. The safety nets that most recovering addicts rely upon have been severely limited or have disappeared. If this sounds like you or someone you know, help is available. Read on to learn about addiction and how to recover from the disease.

The addiction cycle

Anyone can become an addict. Addiction is an obsessive thought pattern or behaviors and a compulsive need for things like drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, shopping and more. The addict has no regard for any consequences that stem from their addiction. This can affect anyone regardless of economic class, race, sex, orientation, marital status, age and other characteristics. However, some people are indeed genetically predisposed to addiction.

The addiction cycle is characterized by internal frustration. The addict starts thinking and fantasizing about the substance or behavior, then abuses that substance or engages in an unhealthy behavior. They lose control. Afterwards, they feel guilty about it and stop temporarily…but when the internal frustration builds once more, they’re back to those same behaviors once again.

Part of the reason addiction is so hard to overcome is because of its physiological effects. It goes beyond having a few glasses of wine in the evening after a hard day at work. When the addict uses the substance, the brain produces dopamine, a feel-good hormone. Eventually the person becomes dependent on the substance to produce dopamine. In fact, their brains may stop normal dopamine production to enhance the high from the substance. It’s why some people feel they literally cannot live without their drug of choice.

What is addiction recovery counseling in Yakima, WA?

A good substance abuse recovery program will address the emotional, physiological and psychological reasons behind an addict’s substance abuse. For example, you can put an addict in rehab, but that only limits their access to their substance of choice. Without addressing the reasons for the addiction, they won’t be able to develop the coping skills necessary to change their behavior.

Addiction recovery counseling may be done individually or in a group, in a rehab facility or an outpatient program. The counselor will help discover the best techniques for the addict to prevent relapsing—and teach them how to handle themselves if they do.

If you or a loved one would benefit from addiction recovery counseling in Yakima, WA, Apple Valley Counseling Services LLC can help. Call today to learn more about our counseling services and programs and to schedule your first appointment.

Categorised in: Substance Abuse Counseling

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