For someone sitting on the outside having to watch, it's painful to see a loved one who is struggling with addiction. What's so hard to fathom is how far too many people don't even recognize they are in the throes of an addiction before a lot of damage has been done. What they seem to lack is a drug abuse definition they can use as a basis to understand exactly that with which they are dealing.
The Formal Drug Abuse Definition
Before we start breaking down exactly how drug abuse is affecting your life, a formal drug abuse definition seems in order. As defined by the government's National Institute on Drug Abuse, "Addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful
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Your drug addiction is most likely causing damage to your brain, overall physical health and the relationships in your life. The longer you continue down that path, the more damage you will cause.
Getting Help
The key to getting people to recognize they have an addiction is making sure they understand exactly what it means. While the above drug abuse definition is from a clinical perspective, the words should be duly noted. If you are doing significant damage to your body and soul, that should motivate you to get help as soon as possible.
A rehab stint in a residential treatment center is the best way to get help. However, the prospects of committing to a long-term treatment plan away from work, school and family is not always feasible. At Steps to Recovery in Levittown, PA., we offer a solid alternative in the form of an intensive outpatient program (IOP).
Steps to Recovery's Program
While we cater to the LGBTQ demographic, our services are available to anyone suffering from a severe addiction to drugs and/or alcohol. Furthermore, we provide dual diagnosis treatment for individual's who are also dealing with emotional or psychological issues that directly affect their need to abuse