PROCESSES TO EMPLOY:
Brutal Honesty, I Over E, Present/Understand/Fix, Slowing Down Life's Pace, Internal Focus, Fact-Finding

Addiction is one of those conditions that demands factual information. Without that knowledge, it can progress unaddressed long enough to cause significant damage to a person's life. Often, the warning signs for addiction are not clear, making diagnosis difficult. It is not uncommon for an addiction to progress to the point of crisis before it is identified. There are two reasons for this:

1. The person with the addiction is doing their best to hide any symptoms.
2. All too often, those close to a person struggling with addiction do not have the facts that are necessary to understand what is happening.

Addiction is one of those conditions that is misunderstood, and the information about it is often incomplete or misinterpreted. The addicted person is doing their best to misdirect the efforts of those close to them as they attempt to determine what may be causing observable behavioral changes. Also, family members and close friends are not skilled enough and don't possess the necessary information to understand what is happening. Each type of addiction has its specific characteristics, and it is important to understand the related facts. To start your addiction education, what follows is an examination of the various types of addiction and the myths and realities associated with each.

Alcohol

Inaccurate: Alcohol is not a drug.

Accurate: Alcohol is processed by the body as a drug. Though it has been legal for a significant amount of time, and it comes in liquid form, does not negate its designation as a drug.

Inaccurate: A person has to drink every day to be considered an alcoholic.

Accurate: A diagnosis of alcoholism does not need daily consumption.

Inaccurate: If you only drink beer, you are probably not an alcoholic.

Accurate: Regardless of the drink, all alcohol is the same. It may come from different sources, and some drinks contain a higher alcohol content. You can certainly be an alcoholic if you only drink beer.

Inaccurate: All Alcoholics experience severe cravings if they are not drinking.

Accurate: Some alcoholics, like binge drinkers, who may only drink for a few days a week or even per month, may not experience cravings when they are not using the drug.

Inaccurate: Men are more prone to be alcoholics than women.

Accurate: Alcohol can progress to the point of addiction in women, the same as it does for men. More men tend to drink, and they may consume larger amounts of alcohol, but there is no research to indicate that men are more likely to be alcoholics than women.

Inaccurate: You know you are an alcoholic if you go to Alcoholics Anonymous.

Accurate: Alcoholics do attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, but the diagnosis of alcoholism is a result of addiction to the drug and the physical, emotional, and intellectual changes that result from being addicted to alcohol.

Inaccurate: Alcohol is not as dangerous as other drugs.

Accurate: Alcohol causes damage to brain cells and has a severe impact on the liver and heart. Drinking too much in a single sitting can lead to alcohol poisoning, which can be fatal.


Nicotine

Inaccurate: Nicotine is relatively harmless to the human body.

Accurate: Chronic systemic exposure to nicotine from cigarette smoking may contribute to accelerated coronary and peripheral vascular disease, acute cardiac ischemic events, delayed wound healing, reproductive disturbances, peptic ulcer disease, and esophageal reflux.

Inaccurate: Nicotine is not as addictive as street drugs.

Accurate: Nicotine is one of the most addictive drugs. For many people, it is the hardest drug to quit using.

Inaccurate: Most cigarettes are made using tobacco and a few preservatives.

Accurate: Nicotine is a colorless, poisonous alkaloid derived from the tobacco plant. It is a powerful drug that affects the brain and quickly becomes addictive. Cigarettes often contain tar, carbon monoxide, arsenic, ammonia, acetone, toluene, methylamine, pesticides, Polonium: 210, and methanol. None of these are deemed safe for human consumption. I will provide a more in-depth explanation of these additives in Chapter 4.

Inaccurate: It doesn’t matter whether you quit or not; the damage has already been done.

Accurate: When a person quits smoking, vaping, or dipping, the body immediately starts repairing itself, albeit slowly.

Inaccurate: Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is as harmful as smoking or

Accurate: NRT (patch, gum, lozenge, inhaler, and nasal spray) is much safer than using tobacco.

Inaccurate: Smoking cigarettes can relax you.

Accurate: All too often, the stress one feels between cigarettes is due to the withdrawal from the previous cigarette. Smoking another cigarette gives a false sense of relaxation because it addresses the withdrawal symptoms that developed after your last cigarette.

Inaccurate: Smoking “light” cigarettes does not cause the same kinds of damage as regular cigarettes.

Accurate: Though there may be less damage from light cigarettes, there is always damage from smoking, and over time, there isn't that much difference in the effects.

Prescription Drugs

Inaccurate: Prescription drugs are safe because a doctor prescribes them.

Accurate: All drugs have side effects. Some of them are more serious than others. Just because your physician prescribes a drug does not mean it is safe.

Inaccurate: There is nothing wrong with using someone else's prescription if you have the same problem they do.

Accurate: Everyone's body and physical conditions are different. What may be safe for a friend or family member is not necessarily safe for you.

Inaccurate: Prescription drugs are safer than street drugs.

Accurate: Though prescription drugs are controlled and thought to be safer than street drugs, more than 50% of drug overdoses are the result of prescription drug overdoses.

Inaccurate: If you don’t have the money or time to spend on doctor’s visits and expensive prescriptions, ordering drugs online is a safe alternative.

Accurate: Ordering medications online is dangerous because you have no idea where those drugs came from. Also, without first consulting with a doctor, you have no idea how those medications will affect your body and their potential side effects.

Inaccurate: Opiates are the most efficient way to treat pain.

Accurate: It is advisable to use less drastic methods such as deep massage, aspirin, Tylenol, and ibuprofen. Though these non-prescription medications do have side effects, when used properly, they are usually not lethal.

Inaccurate: Going “cold-turkey” is the best way to cure opioid addiction.

Accurate: When a person is addicted to opioids and suddenly stops using or goes “cold turkey,” they are likely to start experiencing severe opioid withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms can be severe, and trying to quit this way is associated with potentially severe physical consequences and a very high risk of relapse. If someone is trying to quit opioids, it is recommended that they do so with professional support to help manage symptoms and support recovery.

Inaccurate: Only people with addictions are at risk of overdosing on opioids.

Accurate: Anyone who abuses opioids is at risk of overdose, although some people may be at higher risk than others.

Inaccurate: Prescription drug addiction is a psychological disorder, and dependent people need better willpower.

Accurate: Prescription drug addiction is also a physical addiction. The body adjusts to the drug, and after a period of continued use, it can adapt and become dependent on the effects it provides. Treatment must address the physical and psychological addictions.

Inaccurate: People who become addicted to prescription drugs will always need an inpatient program to help them address their dependence on the drug.

Accurate: An inpatient program is not always necessary to treat prescription drug addiction. A skilled professional with an understanding of substance abuse and addiction can help with the step-down process to relieve the physical dependence on the job. Additional counseling is advised to help with the psychological dependence. At times, an inpatient program may be necessary.