Showing posts with label #sobriety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #sobriety. Show all posts

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Relapse is similar to Chronic Disease.....

Relapse with addiction is similar to other chronic diseases and here is why

Just as a CHF exacerbation can be triggered by too much fluid, or a person with diabetes can have a reaction if they eat too much sugar, a drug addict can be triggered to return to drug abuse. With other chronic diseases, here relapse serves as a signal for returning to treatment. The same response is just as necessary with drug addiction. As a chronic, recurring illness, addiction may require repeated treatments until abstinence is achieved. Like other diseases, including COPD, drug addiction can be effectively treated and managed, leading to a healthy and productive life. However, to achieve long-term recovery, treatment must address specific, individual patient needs and must take the whole person into account. You cannot simply get a person off of drugs but you have to address each physical, social and psychological change that has taken place in order to help people stay away from drugs for good.