How Addiction Occurs

The cycle of addiction begins with a problem, discomfort, or physical or emotional pain. Drugs or alcohol are used in an effort to find relief. Short term temporary relief is found which give the drug or alcohol value in the eye of the user. When confronted with the problem, pain, etc. again in the future the individual is prone to use the drug or alcohol again. The problem arises when it takes more and more of the drug or alcohol to get the same effect and instead of handling the source of the problem or pain the drugs are continually used to mask the symptoms while the problem itself continues to get worse. The drugs and alcohol themselves create new physical problems, shut of awareness and ability, all of which simply increases the symptoms to the point of the person being obsessed with finding and using the drugs or alcohol to numb himself, despite consequences to self and family.

The dangers and harm done by marijuana use has been under debate for decades and show no signs of lessening. Whether marijuana addiction exists or not is even more hotly debated. Addiction is a condition characterized by repeated compulsive seeking and use of drugs, alcohol or other substances despite adverse social, mental and physical consequences. When addiction exists, the drug controls the individual rather than the individual controlling the usage. Statistics do show increasing numbers of people entering addiction treatment reporting marijuana as their primary drug of abuse. Add to this the much stronger strains of marijuana available and the tendency to mix the drug with other substances such or crack and PCP and the potential for addiction becomes more pronounced. Rather than endlessly debate the issue, one should simply look at the marijuana use of self or a loved one against the above definition.

Addiction therapy is a very loose term given to hundreds of different methods of assisting the addicted individual or his family. The could include nutrition, withdrawal, simply talking, formalized therapy sessions, replacing one drug with another as in methadone treatment, or any of countless other methods. At Narconon Arrowhead the addiction therapies we find most workable are drug free withdrawal, followed with FULL detoxification of drug and toxins from the body, A full handling of the three main factors of addiction – cravings, quilt, and depression. These last items are handled with a multi-phase approach which delivers into the hands of the individual actual tools and abilities to fully resolve these points and so arrive at a drug free productive life that he can and does maintain.

Drug and alcohol treatment need not only occur when addiction or alcoholism has set in. Competent drug and alcohol treatment centers realize that treatment of drug abuse can be just as effective, if not more so, than treatment of addiction. One need not have lost everything in order to seek help with a drug or alcohol problem. Drug and alcohol abuse inevitably lead to addiction and alcoholism if allowed to continue unchecked. Once drug addiction or alcoholism is reached there are only three possible endings to the story – jail, death, or sobriety. Narconon Arrowhead drug and alcohol treatment can reverse this dwindling spiral of pain and suffering for self and loved ones and again allow individuals and families to live in the sunshine of a drug free happy productive life!

Effective drug or alcohol rehab starts with really understanding exactly what rehabilitation is. Rehabilitate in its broad sense means to restore to a previous condition. Any rehab to be effective needs to address the three factors which lead up to and cause addiction to continue. These are mental and physical cravings, quilt, and depression. Drug and alcohol abuse stems from mental or physical pain an individual does not wish to confront or deal with. The drugs or alcohol only appear to alleviate these conditions and after a time contribute to them as well as creating new sources in and endless cycle and trap known as addiction. Confronting and effectively handling the conditions brought about by cravings, quilt, and depression allows the addicted individual to truly ‘rehab’ him or herself and so be restored to a previous condition or at least as close as possible. Narconon Arrowhead is much more than a detox center where the individual simply quits using for a period. Narconon Arrowhead drug rehab methodologies fully handle the above factors allowing one to truly rehabilitate a previous condition and so remove the need for further drug or alcohol use as a false solution to living the life they want.