The 12 Palms rehab blog publishes weekly addiction related articles directed to help and guide families and addicts on the addiction treatment and recovery.
So, you’re clean and sober and your body begins the process by detoxing. Our bodies are ultra-efficient machines when they are working at their optimum potential. However, when we’re getting high and drinking, our bodies have been working overtime to filter out all the chemicals we’ve been abusing. Our liver is tired! Our lungs, exhausted! And our brains… worn out. Our bodies have been overworked and it, too, needs to recover.
In today’s “now” society, many of us are looking for a quick solution to a problem. Addiction is a disease, right? Isn’t there a medication that can cure it?
While it is true that medication during treatment can help reduce cravings and withdrawal, addiction recovery requires the rewiring of the brain and medication alone is not enough. Addiction is more than just physical dependence. Even after detox and physical dependence is cured, addicts are at high risk for relapse. Psychological and social factors are often powerful factors which can trigger relapse. Things such as the following can create ongoing urges to use drugs or alcohol:
“When an addict is finally willing to admit that they are completely powerless over their addiction and need help recovering, they are left with a choice.”