Director of Marketing, Jackson Recovery Centers
What is Addiction?
Recent scientific research has helped explain a disease that has been historically accompanied by misconceptions and misunderstanding. Within the last 20 years, advanced brain scanning technology has allowed scientists and the medical community to see how drug and alcohol use and addiction affects the brain.
According to SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), 23 million Americans are affected by addiction, yet less than 10 percent receive help. Fear of being labeled as an addict, fired from a job, and denied insurance or ousted from a home keeps thousands of addicted people from coming forward.
Addiction is a chronic, progressive, potentially fatal brain disorder. The path to addiction begins with using an addictive substance. Over a period of time, a person who is addicted is unable to control their need for the substance, even in the face of negative health or legal consequences.
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Addiction is characterized by several symptoms:
-Strong cravings or compulsions to seek out and use a substance
-Loss of control and the inability to limit one's substance use
-Physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, sweating, shakiness and anxiety when substance use is stopped
-Increase in tolerance or needing to use greater amounts of the substance to "get high"
-Preoccupation with obtaining and using a substance
Addiction and the Brain
People suffering from an addiction are in the grip of a powerful "craving," or uncontrollable need, which overrides their ability to stop using. After prolonged substance use, chemical changes in the brain occur, which can also cause behavior changes. According to Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the brains of addicted people "have been modified by the drug in such a way that absence of the drug makes a signal to their brain that is equivalent to the signal of when you are starving."
Addiction and substance use disorders generally occur over a period of time along a continuum. They become more serious as a person's substance use is prolonged. Typically someone will use alcohol or a drug to feel "high," escape feelings of stress, boredom or anger. However, repeated drug use disrupts the well-balanced systems of the brain. Eventually a person's normal brain activity is replaced with the desire to seek and use drugs.
"The brain of an addicted person no longer wants the substance in order to feel 'high,'"says Mari Samuelson, vice president of Clinical Services at Jackson Recovery Centers. "Rather the addicted brain is now programmed to have the drug in order to survive."
Risk Factors
Scientists have identified several key factors that affect whether or not a drug or alcohol user becomes addicted.
Genes: Having a parent with an addiction makes a person four times more likely than other children to also have an addiction (SAMHSA).
Mental illness: Many addicted people also suffer from mental health disorders, especially anxiety, depression or mood illnesses.
Early use of drugs: The earlier a person begins to use drugs the more likely he/she is to progress to more serious abuse.
Social environment: People who live, work or go to school in an environment in which the use of alcohol and other drugs is common are more likely to abuse drugs.
Childhood trauma: Scientists know that abuse or neglect of children, persistent conflict in the family, sexual abuse and other traumatic childhood experiences can shape a child's brain chemistry and subsequent vulnerability to addiction.
Saving Lives, Saving Dollars
Costs associated with substance use disorders are caused by lost productivity and absences in the workforce, increasing healthcare costs for illnesses related to substance use, motor vehicle crashes and drug-related crime. Economic costs associated with drug use in 2002 were more than $180 billion (SAMHSA).
Treatment for addictions and substance use disorders are effective in helping people recover from their addictions. A major study published in 2000 in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that treatments for drug use disorders are just as effective as treatment for other chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure, asthma, and diabetes.
Most addiction treatments are designed to reduce or remove alcohol or drug use, as well as helping the addicted person to change their lifestyle, change their behaviors and patterns of thinking, and provide coping skills and ways to prevent relapse. Addiction is a chronic disease, and therefore no cure exists. However, advances in medicinal approaches are helping people in recovery avoid cravings.
Many studies show a positive return on investments spent on substance abuse treatment. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states a $7 return for every dollar spent on treatment. Scientists have also learned which addiction treatments are most effective. Addiction specialists, mental health experts, government agencies and insurance companies now strongly encourage treatment counselors and doctors to provide care that is grounded in the best scientific knowledge.
September is Recovery Month
National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month (Recovery Month) is an initiative supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Recovery Month theme for 2007 is "Join the Voices for Recovery: Saving Lives, Saving Dollars." This year marks the 18th annual observance of Recovery Month, which celebrates people and their families in recovery from substance use disorders and promotes the need for better awareness and financial access to treatment services.
The 2007 Recovery Month is focusing on the following issues:
-Educating community members about substance use disorders, the effectiveness of treatment, and the hope of recovery
-Raising awareness about the financial and emotional cost savings for individuals, families, and the community that can be realized through treatment and recovery
-Stressing the value and contributions of individuals in recovery
For more information or to get help for substance abuse or addiction, individuals can contact Jackson Recovery Centers, the state substance abuse treatment provider at (712) 234-2300 or http://www.jacksonrecovery.com. Individuals may also refer to the following Web sites: http://www.samhsa.gov, http://www.csat.samhsa.gov, http://www.niaaa.nih.gov, or http://www.nida.nih.gov.
