Addiction is a disease millions of people in American and even abroad struggle with.  Although addiction is a treatable disorder, it is not incurable. Tracking addiction and addiction-recovery are often attempted in our society, however, addiction is very challenging to discover the actual number of people who start and maintain recovery. The statistics on the success rate from addiction is not very clear with regards to these statistics.

WHAT DO THE FACTS AND FIGURE STATE?

• According to a study in 2017, 19.7 million American adults are involved in substance use, almost 74% suffering from alcohol abuse.
• 38% of adults in the USA are involved in the use of illicit drugs.
• 1 out of 8 adults suffers from simultaneous use of alcohol and drugs.
• 5 million Americans have substance use disorder and mental health disorder.
• Statistics indicate American society faces a loss of $740 billion in different sectors due to addiction.
• 1 in 10 Americans report resolving their substance use.

CAUSES OF ADDICTION

• Reportedly, 40% to 60% of the cases of addiction is because of genetics. An individual’s environment and genetic factors are probable causes.
• Surrounding factors are also causes of addiction. Surrounding factors include a stressful home environment, the use of drugs by parents and influence from friends is another causative agent.
• Age, mental and health disorders are other risk factors that contribute to addiction. According to statistics, 1 in 25 teenagers is addicted to some type of substance. Moreover, mental health is another primary reason for addiction and almost one in five Americans suffer from mental health disorders, which accounts for 18% of adults.

REASONS BEHIND SUCCESSFUL EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR ADDICTION

The rate of relapse among patients undergoing rehab treatment is relatively high in America, around 40% to 60%. Because of such high rates, it is essential to establish effective treatment plans for addiction. Certain traits for effective treatment include;

• The best effective treatment is a combination of medication and behavioural therapy, which includes a group or one on one counselling.
• 12 Step Programs ( AA, NA, CA)
• The therapeutic value of one addict helping another is without parallel.
• Patients who are only going through detoxification usually suffer from relapse at a much higher rate. It is the reason a combination of different therapeutic strategies is more effective.
• Identifying triggers for relapse are also an essential factor when considering treatment strategies. The therapist must be well aware of the cues that put the patient in stress. Utilization of the latest therapies to intervene with these triggers helps prevents relapse.

BOTTOM LINE

The statistics on addiction and the recovery rates indicate that addiction is in fact a highly treatable disorder, however, not very easy. Initiation and awareness towards rehab is the starting point to recovery. There are millions of people who have successfully remained free from active addiction with 12 Step programs and therapy.

Sadly, there are also 16 million individuals that do not consider addiction as a problem. Hence, they do not seek help regarding it as well. But these individuals are at constant risk of severe consequences for their life.

For more information on helping a loved one break free from addiction, order Free Yourself From Yourself today. Click here

When I was in the throes of active addiction, I was sick. Addiction is a sickness. In medical terms, addiction gets classified under mental health, but the word addiction is everyday street language. The medical profession uses the term substance abuse to describe addiction, but it’s not about the chemical or the activity. Addiction is a psychological and pathological reaction to anything with life-damaging consequences and is not limited to drugs or alcohol. Addiction is all about the way the addict’s mind takes in and processes information and the behaviours that thinking spark in the addict.

When I got serious about recovery and started attending regular meetings, one of my regular meetings took place at St. Mary’s Hospital. Going to the hospital like that started to make sense to me. I was sick, so I went to the hospital. For the most part, healthy people don’t go to the hospital. Hospitals treat sick people. Before I understood that I had a mental illness that needed medical attention, I thought I was a bad person. But understanding that I was actually sick and needed medical attention made me stop thinking I was a bad person and that there was no help for me. I didn’t ask to be an addict like a person with diabetes didn’t ask to be saddled with that. 

As I try to emphasize all the time in coaching my clients, being addicted to a substance does not necessarily mean having a chemical addiction to a substance. Sure, there are substances that have proven addictive qualities, like the nicotine in cigarettes, but active addiction is about so much more than chemical dependency. Addictive addiction is all about the state of your mind.

For more information on mental health and addiction, order Free Yourself From Yourself today. Click here

During my decades of active addiction, I couldn’t go even days without my fix. It all started when I was a young teen and discovered pot. Eventually, pot leads to alcohol abuse and, ultimately, a crack addiction. My problem was never that I had a chemical dependency on any of these substances, though. It was that there was something inside me that was broken and that I didn’t know how to fix it.

When we talk about substance abuse, we’re not just talking about the excessive use of alcohol or drugs. Though alcohol or drugs are the most common forms of addiction, the “substance” someone is addicted to doesn’t have to be a chemical. It could be anything:

• Exercise addiction—an unhealthy obsession with fitness
• Food addiction—a compulsion to overeat
• Retail addiction—a fixation on shopping
• Sex addiction—an intimacy disorder involving excessive sexual thoughts and acts

Like drugs and alcohol, excessive use or abuse of any substance can be harmful, taking a toll on your physical, mental, and financial health, as well as wreaking havoc on your personal relationships and your career. Addiction to any substance can ruin your life. 

Addiction is not just about chemical dependency. It’s about something that’s inside you—a bad seed that was planted deep within you at some point in your life that took root. That’s why simply avoiding a substance you may find yourself addicted to will never be enough. You need to get to the root cause of your addiction and tear it right out. 

In Free Yourself From Yourself, I’ll show you how to locate the source of those self-destructive thoughts and behaviours and how to replace them by replanting healthy new habits that will keep you clean for good. Order your copy today. Click here

I lived in active addiction for more than twenty-five years of my life. During that time, I had short periods of being clean, but I’m not lying when I tell you that went to rehab twelve times before it stuck. Twelve times. Only during my last rehab did I finally make the realization that if I didn’t change, I was going to die. While I had been to meetings before this point, it was only during this final rehab that I began to understand what was behind the 12 Steps I’d been introduced to so many times and began to fully appreciate the spiritual principles that inspired these steps.

Most everyone has heard of the 12 Step Program, but what many people may not know is that these 12 steps were built on spiritual principles from the Oxford Group Movement, which was started by a Christian missionary and very popular in the 1930s when Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) came to be. They include the following:

• Honesty—being truthful to yourself and others
• Hope—knowing that something better is waiting for you
• Faith—understanding that things will change if you make the change
• Courage—finding the strength to face the challenge
• Integrity—always operating truthfully
• Willingness—being prepared to accept that change starts with you
• Humility—understanding that it’s not just about you
• Discipline & Action—keeping focused on acting the right way
• Forgiveness—releasing yourself and others from bad feelings that only hold you back
• Acceptance—admitting you are powerless over your addiction and that you are ready to regain control
• Knowledge & Awareness—understanding how you and your actions affect others
• Service & Gratitude—helping others and being thankful every day that you are in the position to help

When you learn more about these spiritual principles and how integral they are to your recovery, and when you discover how applying these principles to your life will change your entire worldview and how you see your place in the world, you will start seeing results and be on your way to living the life God always meant for you to live. Discover how in Free Yourself From Yourself. Order your copy today. Click here

When I was in the throes of active addiction, a period of my life that is now more than sixteen years behind me, I was on a crash-course to my own demise. There was no talking to me. I had loving grandparents that tried to get through to me, the only ones in the thick of it who never gave up on me, but I didn’t listen to them. I stole from them. I stole from others. My whole life was consumed by the vicious cycle of being in severe emotional pain, and the constant need to keep numbing that pain. I understand active addiction because I lived it, but I came out of it—a story I share in my book Free Yourself From Yourself and the program I teach that goes along with it. 

Are you worried that you or someone you love may be headed towards addiction—or may already there? Here are some signs to look out for. 

• Self-medicating—when partaking becomes less about being recreational and having a good time socially, and more about numbing pain 
• Hiding usage—when the user doesn’t admit to others just how much is being consumed, and how often
• Avoiding social situations—when bowing out of an activity is preferred because it may impede the ability to imbibe
• Mismanaging priorities—when everything else in life centers around the substance, leading to missed days at work, not paying bills on time, and more 
• Engaging in self-destructive behaviors—when the user will do anything to get a fix, even if it goes against the user’s health or morals, or compromises the user’s financial stability
• Stashing the “goods”—when the panic of not being able to partake of the object of the addiction sparks the need to keep supplies on hand, but hidden from others
• Blacking out—when the user overuses so badly, they can’t remember what they were doing when they were using
• Not being able to stop—when the user can’t give up using 
• Denying there’s a problem—when the user can’t face or admit that their addiction is controlling and ruining their life

If you find yourself or someone you love exhibiting any of these signs, it’s time to get help. As long as you have breath in your body, it’s never too late to turn your life around. Learn how with Free Yourself From Yourself. Order your copy today. Click here

When I was in active addiction, you could not get through to me. I lost the support of most of my family members, aside from my sweet nana and my granddaddy John. My own mother once said to me, “Son, if you continue to live the life you’re living, you’re not going to make it. I want you to know that I bought a $10,000 insurance policy to bury you with a cause you ain’t gone make it.” Not the most supportive thing to say, and it didn’t change me. It didn’t affect me in any way at the time. But the words that did make a difference to me came from my nana, always said with tears in her eyes: “God’s going to bring you out.” She believed in me, she let me know she believed in me, and eventually, I came to believe in myself. 

If you’re worried that someone you love may be grappling with addiction, and you feel the time has come to step in and help, it’s essential to know what not to say—and how to rephrase what you want to say to ensure your message is heard. 

Instead of saying:

“I’m ashamed of you.”

Try:

“I’m here for you.” 

Instead of saying:

“Why can’t you stop?”

Try: 

“Let’s work together to help you get this under control.”

Instead of saying:

“Why are you doing this to yourself and your loved ones?”

Try: 

“I know you never asked for this addiction and you don’t want to have it, but I want to help you overcome it.” 

Instead of saying:

“Why can’t you just stick with the program?” 

Try:

“You haven’t failed. I will help you get you back on track.” 

Recovery takes time, discipline, and commitment. No one chooses to become an addict, but when it happens, that person needs love, care, and guidance—not judgment. Remember always that under that horrible addiction is a person you love, whom you want to see succeed. Keep positive. Keep patient. And keep trying.  

For more information on helping a loved one break free from addiction, order Free Yourself From Yourself today. Click here