The Dangerous Cycle of Substance Abuse

It is important to remember that it will take time and patience to get the right treatment and recovery plan in place. It’s important to note, that continual use of drugs and alcohol despite negative consequences is a definitive characteristic of addiction and a strong indication that damage to the prefrontal cortex has taken place. Eventually, from internal turmoil and conflict or through outside interventions, a person can try to stop the addiction cycle and enter a healthier lifestyle called recovery. It may take months, years or decades before this process leads one to the path of recovery.

When drugs and alcohol are introduced to the human brain, the effects are profound and dramatic. Breaking free from the cycle of addiction is much easier when you have help. With the help of your friends, family, and addiction treatment center, recovery is within reach.

Treatment Options Available at Miracles Recovery Center

As the effects of the drugs wear off, all these problems, pains, and guilt come back in full force. Add intense drug cravings and yes, the person may be hit by far more than he can handle by himself. He loses B vitamins and minerals, either due to a poor lifestyle how to break the addiction cycle or because of the toxic effect of the substances themselves. As the body becomes more and more dysfunctional, it will suffer aches, pains, and weakness. As a person rolls along using drugs, he is also stacking up a track record of acts that cause guilt.

Experimenting may lead them to use occasionally to alleviate stress or wind down at the end of a long workday. People in the experimentation stage usually choose when and how often they’ll use a substance and haven’t yet reached the point of craving or dependency. Using alcohol during adolescence (from preteens to mid-20s) may affect brain development, making it more likely that they will be diagnosed with AUD later in life. However, most people with AUD—no matter their age or the severity of their alcohol problems—can benefit from treatment with behavioral health therapies, medications, or both. Cannabinoids such as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive component of marijuana, target the brain’s internal or endogenous cannabinoid system.

How Does Addiction Develop in the Brain?

At Boardwalk Recovery Center, we work closely with our clients to pinpoint their personal triggers and help them distance from their old ways. Contact our team to find out how we can help you or a loved one break the cycle of addiction and achieve successful recovery. We are a recovery center that understands addiction and are waiting for you. Addicts rarely break the cycle of addiction without guidance from people who have their best interests at heart. Because it takes time for addiction to develop, it also takes time to break the cycle of addiction. The longer someone continues the ritual of addiction, the deeper entrenched it becomes, and the harder it can be to break the cycle.

These executive function deficits parallel changes in the prefrontal cortex and suggest decreased activity in the Stop system and greater reactivity of the Go system in response to substance-related stimuli. The preoccupation/anticipation stage of the addiction cycle is the stage in which a person may begin to seek substances again after a period of abstinence. In people with severe substance use disorders, that period of abstinence may be quite short (hours).

Breaking free from the Cycle

When you come through our doors, expect an individualized approach to care. This means that, with your help, we’ll develop a recovery plan to address the challenges you face. A chemical substance that binds to and blocks the activation of certain receptors on cells, preventing a biological response. The brain is made of an estimated 86 billion nerve cells—called neurons—as well as other cell types.

• This difference helps explain why cocaine is taken every 30–60 min during a binge, whereas methamphetamine is taken every couple of hours (Fowler et al, 2008).
• It’s not just what you do with your body—it’s what you put into your body.
• This is exactly why people with addiction take risks, make poor decisions, and behave the way they do.

Most people think of addictive behaviors as being related to the use of drugs and alcohol. Substance abuse is only one aspect of the behavioral component of addiction. Research has shown that various behaviors can actually become addictive in nature as well.

Finding Help You Need for Addiction Recovery

At this point, there might not even be any signs that an addiction is forming. For many people, they can enjoy their substance during their free time and still be able to go about their daily lives normally. During this phase, you may be able to stop consuming the substance even for periods of time without feeling any adverse effects. The use of substances over an extended period of time can cause your tolerance level to increase.