Is it possible that physical addiction leads to the development of a substance abuse problem? When talking about the misuse of drugs and alcohol, the term “addiction” doesn’t always mean the same things to the people having the discussion. In fact, there is an important distinction between a drug abuser and a person suffering from the disease of drug addiction. Do you know what it is?

Drug Use Doesn’t Equal Addiction

The National Institute on Drug Abuse explains that that drug addiction does not happen to every drug user. Citing differences in brain chemistry, general wellness, and overall living circumstances can make it more or less likely for you to become addicted to a substance. For this reason, it is dangerous to judge someone’s behavior as being that of a drug abuser when there are no facts to back it up. But don’t let it give you a false sense of security, either.

Of course, while drug use doesn’t automatically become the equivalent of addiction, it is most certainly its prerequisite.

• You want to feel good. If you’re abusing a drug, you do it because you want to feel good. You may not yet have a physical addiction, but your brain is starting to connect feeling good with the drug use.
• You develop a psychological addiction. After a while, your thought processes persuade you that without your drug, you cannot feel good.
• You cultivate a physical addiction. When your body routinely deals with an influx of a substance that acts on your brain chemistry, its physical structures change. Your body now needs the substance just to feel normal and to provide you with feelings of well-being.

When a Physical Addiction Shifts Your Life’s Focus

Once your mind has persuaded you to keep taking a substance to feel better, and your body’s makeup sufficiently changes to prove this correct, a physical addiction is the next step. If you fail to supply your body with the drug, you begin to experience symptoms of withdrawal. Depending on the drug, the period of your addiction, and the quantity of the substance you typically administer throughout the day, these symptoms can be severe or merely uncomfortable. At this point, you’ll do anything to prevent this discomfort from happening.

Your focus shifts from normal daily living to procuring the next drink or fix for your physical addiction. Those suffering from a drug addiction will manipulate, steal, lie, and do everything they feel is necessary to get the substance. At this point in your life, employment, school, family ties, and friendships no longer matter. You may choose to isolate yourself from others to devote more time to securing the drug your body needs.

Take the First Step on the Road to Recovery Today!

Don’t let your physical addiction continue to control your life! There is another alternative. A medically supervised detox program at a local facility, followed by a targeted rehab program at Beaches Recovery, make it possible to overcome a psychological as well as a physical addiction to drugs or alcohol.

This Jacksonville FL facility treats the whole person with proven modalities that benefit dual-diagnosis clients and also those in need of intensive family therapy. Even if addiction is a trait that runs in your family, you can break the cycle and stop using the substance that currently controls your life. If you or a loved one suffers from an addiction, call Beaches Recovery at 866.605.0532 today to start the journey to wellness.