MYTHS OF DRUG ADDICTION AND TREATMENT
We live in an increasingly sophisticated age of technology. Every day brings news of a new medical breakthrough. Cell phones, satellite communications, and the Internet have made our world smaller. In spite of these changes, however, many of us are stuck in the way we think about people with behavioural disorders, including drug addiction.
Some of the more common “myths” we have about addiction include:
Addicts Choose to be Addicted – while it is true that people are rarely forced to use drugs or alcohol against their will, changes in the brain that occur from compulsive alcohol or drug use are better explanation for the compulsive and uncontrollable use that characterizes addiction.
Drug Addiction is a Sign of Weakness – willpower alone is no match for the changes in the brain that influences a person’s behaviour. The drug becomes the single most powerful motivator in a drug abuser’s existence.
Addiction Treatment Only Works When you Want it to Work – studies have shown that those who enter drug treatment benefit from the experience, regardless of whether they were pressured to enter treatment.
Treatment is a Waste if it doesn’t Work the First Time – addiction is a chronic condition for which there is no known cure. Like other chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, repeated treatments are often necessary before long-term recovery is maintained.
There is a Cure for Drug Addiction – people with addictions have different problems caused by their addiction and respond differently to similar forms of treatment. Therefore, individuals need to be assessed and provided an array of treatments and services tailored to their unique needs. Furthermore, no treatment approach has been able to demonstrate effectiveness for clients who have returned to moderate alcohol or drug consumption over the long term.
For more information see the online video Myths of Addiction produced by Twin Cities Public Television.
Source: Alan I. Leshner, Ph.D., Former Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse.
