The Addiction Process

You’re feeling lost, alone, and confused. Drug and alcohol addiction has your life shredded to tiny little pieces and it feels like picking them up and putting them back together is completely impossible. That’s the reality for plenty of people across the country and unfortunately, most don’t know what they can do to get their life back on the right track. Are you letting substance abuse get in the way of your success? Substances like opiates, heroin, cocaine and prescription drugs are highly addictive and very dangerous. The potential for serious health effects and even death is very possible if you don’t do something now to turn things around.  
Anyone who lets substance abuse become a major part of their life are putting themselves in a position to fail. Those who choose drug and alcohol abuse over sobriety are not going to reach their full potential in life. Being a happy and healthy person, both mentally and physically, means avoiding drugs and alcohol at all costs. If you can’t, then it’s time to get help from the team at the Florida Addiction and Recovery Center today! Our approach to addiction treatment is unlike others you may have tried before. Our focus on improvement in all aspects of life helps our clients learn and grow as individuals so they can avoid addiction with help from their newfound skills.  
Why Do People Use Drugs and Alcohol?
Every single person on Earth is unique. We all look and act a little different and we all make different choices when it comes to drugs and alcohol. Some people can casually use alcohol or drugs like marijuana without letting it get in the way of their future. One drink doesn’t ruin your life, but letting that one turn into more certainly opens the door. It’s important to remember that everyone is different, so everyone’s experiences with drugs and alcohol are going to be different as well. Finding the right treatment is paramount in understanding the circumstances which led someone to addiction in the first place.  
People who let substance abuse take control of their lives are looking for something different with their experience. Someone may use drugs and alcohol because it helps with stress relief or depression treatment. Some may use them because it helps in social settings, coming out of their shell, so to speak. Some people use drugs prescribed by a doctor to help with pain and anxiety.  Others may use them to escape problems at home, at school or at work. Some want to rebel against their parents or other authority figures. Some just want to fit in with their peers and are curious as to all the hype. Drugs are a solution to a problem, an escape from reality. They help us cope with our issues, but eventually they take over as the main problem.  
Facing your problems like an adult is a key part of not letting substance abuse define who you are. Everyone in life has problems, but that doesn’t mean you can run and hide by getting high. Those problems are still going to exist when you come back down. Running away from your problems is not solving them, it’s simply pushing them to the side to deal with later. Instead of putting your recovery off for another day, getting help from certified and experienced addiction treatment counselors like ours at the Florida Addiction and Recovery Center is a much better option for those in need.  
What are the Dangers of Drug and Alcohol Abuse?
Whatever the reason someone begins abusing drugs and alcohol, the fact remains that it’s an incredibly dangerous practice. Substance abuse has negative health effects across the board from someone’s physical abilities to their mental and emotional health. The dangers go far beyond your health as well. Those who abuse drugs and alcohol are putting their career and future success at risk. Abuse is not something to take lightly as it carries the potential to ruin your life. The longer you go without getting help, the more challenging sobriety can be when you finally commit yourself to reaching it.  
Drugs and alcohol are just chemicals which, when used, change the chemical composition of your brain and body. When you drink alcohol, your blood absorbs the alcohol so the drink literally becomes a part of you. We measure how drunk someone is by their BAC, or blood alcohol content. Someone with a BAC over .08% legally cannot drive a car. Everyone’s body processes alcohol differently, so one person may be able to drink more than another person. That makes it even more dangerous for someone who doesn’t drink often to engage in binge drinking or other risky behavior. Alcohol poisoning is a very real possibility and that’s just in the short term. The long-term effects of alcohol abuse include liver failure, brain cell damage, nerve damage, high blood pressure and a whole lot more. Managing a drinking problem now is the only way to avoid these problems in the future.  
Alcohol, for how dangerous and addictive it can be, pales in comparison to drugs like heroin or prescription pain medication. Heroin has long been a deadly drug, but as overdoes rates across the country skyrocket, it’s important to highlight exactly what makes it so hazardous. Heroin is a drug first developed to help with pain relief, but the usage quickly turned recreational. Heroin is most often injected into the body via needle, meaning it enters the bloodstream faster, causing a more intense high. However, this also opens the door for the spread of disease through needle sharing and other risky behavior. Diseases like HIV, hepatitis and more can all be transferred via used needles, but some would rather take that risk if it means getting high.  
Worse than the spread of disease is the possibility of overdose and death. Heroin overdoses are on the rise across the United States and many states are calling the epidemic a public health crisis. Overdosing on heroin is frighteningly easy to do, especially now when many forms of the drug contain the synthetic opiate Fentanyl without users knowing. Fentanyl is far more powerful than heroin, but oblivious users make the mistake of doing the same amount they usually do and that can lead to overdose and death. Many police and other emergency responders are now carrying naloxone, a nasal spray used to stop the effects of opiates in the body when someone is overdosing.  
What Can be Done About Drug and Alcohol Abuse? 
Drug and alcohol abuse is obviously a waste of potential, but what can be done to stem the tide of addiction and help people get back on the right track? Thankfully the team at the Florida Addiction and Recovery Center offers a wide variety of treatments and programs all designed to help people from all walks of life as they take the necessary steps towards a sober life. There’s no drawbacks or downsides to contacting the team at Florida Addiction and Recovery Center, we’re here to help you find the program you need to get clean. Our professional addiction treatment staff take pride in offering safe and effective addiction treatment programs for those who need them.  
Our programs at the Florida Addiction and Recovery Center begin with an initial evaluation of you and your situation. We want to know more about who you are and why you’ve come to us for help. Understanding the reasons behind your drug or alcohol abuse can go a long way in treating the disease of addiction. If you also struggle with mental health issues, we have programs designed to help with that as well. For many, mental health and substance abuse go hand in hand. We practice dual diagnosis treatment aimed at helping someone get better in all aspects of their life including mental health and substance abuse.  
Through group counseling sessions, individual treatment, yoga, meditation, outpatient treatment and a number of other recovery options and programs, someone can regain the confidence in themselves to live a sober and happy life. Each program we offer here at the Florida Addiction and Recovery Center can be customized and individualized to meet the specific needs of each client. One of our goals is to help educate people on the dangers of substance abuse in the hope that they take that message with them after they leave our facility. The more information and education we can spread about the dangers of addiction and how to get help, the better off our society will be!  
We aren’t a one size fits all outpatient treatment center that’s only concerned with the bottom line. We care about each and every person who comes to us for help and do everything in our power to guide them down the road to a better life. Our state of the art facility is safe, comfortable and clean so everyone can feel happy and welcome as they take steps to improve their life. Our facility is geared towards being the best environment for someone to get clean once and for all. We remove the stresses and triggers of everyday life so each individual can focus on what’s most important: their sobriety. Our mission is to offer unparalleled support as you improve your life one step at a time.  
While the facility and the programs are an important part of Florida Addiction and Recovery Center’s success with sobriety, it really stems from the team of skilled and dedicated addiction treatment counselors. Our team is some of the most experienced substance abuse counselors and therapists you’ll find. When you have that kind of guidance and support on your side, getting sober is very possible. Anyone who has tried to get sober in the past should consider giving it another chance, but this time with help and guidance from the team at the Florida Addiction and Recovery Center.  
Where Do We Go From Here?
We’ve looked at why people use drugs and alcohol and what the effects are. We’ve explored the many treatment options available, but now what? The first step on the road to addiction treatment and recovery is admitting that you can’t get sober on your own. It can often be the most challenging aspect of the process, but without admitting that you have a problem, you can’t start the healing process. Speaking with the team at Florida Addiction and Recovery Center can offer valuable insight into what the next steps should be. We understand the stress and anxiety which accompanies rehabilitation, so we go out of our way to ensure your journey to a new life is as smooth a transition as possible.  
We not only want a physical recovery from drugs and alcohol, but a mental, emotional and spiritual recovery as well. Your life is so much more than just pain, stress and substance abuse. The potential to be great is there, but you need to speak with true addiction treatment professionals before you can get better. Placing your trust in a real addiction treatment center with certified and dedicated substance abuse counselors is a wonderful way to learn more about yourself and your addiction while taking steps towards getting better. Don’t do it just for yourself, do it for the friends and family who care about you. People in your life who love and care about you don’t want to see you spend another day under the dark clouds of addiction and abuse. Calling the team at the Florida Addiction and Recovery Center is the best way to get started so you can finally feel happy and proud about the live you’re living!