5 Myths About Addiction
There cannot be any rationale behind an addiction and it should not be justified by any means. However, a lack of awareness about the ill effects of addiction to substances can make a person vulnerable and prone to abusing them. Despite repeated efforts by various quarters to spread information about the harms of addiction to various substances, a number of myths about them prevent people from taking to their abuse.
Busting these myths will help further in creating awareness about the perils of substance abuse. Here, we take a look at five such myths:
1. Alcohol is less harmful than drugs: Presuming alcohol to be less harmful than drugs can be lethal for anybody. One of the reasons behind this erroneous thinking is that street drugs are dubbed illegal, whereas alcohol can be bought legitimately and is widely consumed during social gatherings and celebrations. On the contrary, various studies have found alcohol to be more harmful than some of the most commonly abused substances, like heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, tobacco and a slew of other drugs.
2. Relapsing addicts can never be sober again: This myth can be quite disheartening for addicts who are trying to get sober. Relapses do happen, but this does not mean that one cannot become clean for life. Actor Robert Downey Jr. who had moved in and out of rehabs numerous times in the past, is known to be sober since 2003. One should not lose heart if a couple of relapses take place. With continued effort, it is possible to stay off any substance.
3. Prescription drugs are safe and one cannot get addicted to them: This bizarre belief has devoured more victims in the United States than anything else. Prescription drug abuse has pushed the country to the point of an epidemic. Prescription drugs are prescribed by doctors, but still they are not relatively safer than street drugs as commonly perceived. Using them in ways other than that prescribed by physicians has proved to be fatal for thousands. Some of the most abused prescription drugs include Xanax, Valium, Ambien, Tylenol with codeine, Percocet, and OxyContin.
4. High alcohol tolerance means resilience and immunity: Alcohol tolerance cannot be same for all and there will always be a few who can gulp down a few extra pegs than others. Assuming this as resilience and considering oneself immune to an addiction can lead to alcoholism. Drinking regularly will invariably create dependence, turning a person into an alcoholic.
5. Having a stable career and family life means one cannot be an addict: It often surprises people when a CEO of a large conglomerate is found to be addicted to any substance. Addiction is all pervasive and can infiltrate any segment of the society. It is wrong to assume that a person with a stable family cannot slip into the gorge of addiction. It means that everyone should always guard oneself so that he or she does not fall into the trap of addiction.
Getting addicted to a substance is not the end of the world. The right guidance from a drug abuse helpline can find you the best solution. People who are victims of some trauma or are emotionally stressed, generally take to alcohol or drugs as a means of self-medication. They think that drinking will give a high and will offer them a way to escape from the agonies of life. They indulge in drinking to treat their pain and ward off their stress.
Addiction is treatable with a commitment to stay in the treatment and an inclination toward approaching a rehab at the earliest. If your loved one is abusing any drug and you are looking for help for drug addiction, call at the 24/7 Drug Addiction Helpline number 866–403–5607 for a prompt response. The trained representatives of the drug addiction helpline in the USA can guide you to the right de-addiction center.
