What Made My Loved One an Opiate Addict?
The painful experience of having a loved one who is an opiate addict is never easy. There are many family members and friends of addicts who understand your confusion and anger. You are not alone, and you can connect with people who understand your struggles, which will help both parties. In addition, many people find it helpful to research and understand the nature of addiction, particularly the dynamics of opiate addiction.
Stigmas of Opiate Abuse
In years past, the understanding and treatment of drug addiction was limited and was further hindered by the following stigmas:
- The public considered addiction a moral failure.
- People expected addicts to fight alone.
- Addicts were sometimes simply punished.
Few addicts were able to get effective treatment, and even fewer had a chance to enter sustained recovery and healing. The public paid little attention to underlying social, mental or emotional factors that are leading causes of drug abuse.
How Opiate Addiction Works
Addiction research has progressed over the last several years in the following ways:
- Scientists now understand more about how the drugs affect the brain.
- Research continues to unlock ways that genetic factors might contribute to addiction.
- Research into environmental helps others understand all that contributes to the addictive process.
Things to Consider
How Opiate Addiction Develops
To understand the process leading to addiction can become a powerful tool in staying sober. Addiction often develops from the following sources:
- Family background
- A desire to fit in with a drug-using crowd
- Legitimate use of opioid prescription drugs for pain
There are many complicating factors, but almost every person who made a choice to begin using drugs can make a choice to stop using them no matter his personality. However the addiction began, there are ways to get out of it. Rehab programs have impressive success rates. Along with therapy, counseling and ongoing support, the addict and his family can look forward to a normal, healthy life.
Opiate Addiction Help
While your loved one will ultimately have to make the decision, you can learn more about the process of addiction and, more hopefully, the process of detox, rehab and recovery. Calling our 24 hour, toll-free helpline will put you in touch with helpful, understanding and supportive staff members who can give you answers and direct you to the next step.