Substance Abuse
Breaking Free: Your Path to Recovery from Addiction
Addiction is a chronic disorder that can take hold when an individual becomes consumed by a substance or behavior that provides temporary pleasure but ultimately becomes detrimental to their everyday life. Compulsive behaviors and addictions can offer a temporary escape, providing feelings of confidence, control, validation, or other emotions that may be missing in one’s life. However, these behaviors often persist until the underlying issues are addressed.
Understanding Addiction
Addiction rewires the brain through the limbic system, also known as the “brain reward system.” This part of the brain is responsible for producing feelings of pleasure and can lead to thoughts such as, “I deserve this,” or “Let’s do that again.” Abusing addictive substances and engaging in addictive behaviors triggers this system, creating a continuous cycle of destructive behavior.
Common Addictions Include But Are Not Limited To:
- Drug or alcohol abuse
- Gambling
- Internet addiction
- Shopping addiction
- Food addiction