Truth and Consequences of Addiction

In treatment, truth is vital. The addict has been living in a world of magical thinking, denial, rationalizations, lies, and deceit of all sorts, so in recovery we have to search for what’s real — no worse than what it is and no better than what it is, just what it is — the truth and consequences of addiction.

Sometimes the client in addiction treatment will wake up quickly and realize that change is necessary. When a person comes into treatment seeking the truth, it makes the process much easier, but, most often, the client entering addiction treatment is still in denial and wants to minimize the consequences and hide from the truth. The addict in treatment will usually admit that they have a problem, but they don’t always realize or admit the severity of the problem or connect cause and effect, and they aren’t quite aware of all the consequences caused by alcohol or some other drug.

Here are some of the effects of long term drug use (alcohol is included as a drug, of course) taken from DrugAbuse.net:

Among the most common long-term psychological effects of drug addiction are:

• Depression. As an individual develops a tolerance to drugs, it will take ever-increasing amounts of the substance to get high. When the individual is unable to achieve their desired state of euphoria, they may become depressed. Chronic depression also occurs as the drug addict feels shame and remorse about her condition. This creates a cycle of addiction; the more depressed the feel, the more likely they are to continue to use drugs.
• •Paranoia. Individuals with a cocaine addiction or marijuana addiction often report a feeling of paranoia over the course of their dependence. The feeling that “everyone is out to get them” is heightened by the fact that buying or using drugs is illegal and the belief that law enforcement is waiting around every corner. Over time, drug addicts tend to get more and more paranoid.
• •Anxiety. While waiting for their next dose of drugs, many individuals will begin to feel anxious or unsettled. Friends and family report that their loved one has trouble sitting still or staying focused on a single task for any significant amount of time. This anxiety and lack of focus can cause them to slack on job responsibilities and even lose their job. Relationships are also negatively affected by drug-induced anxiety. These are just some of the ways anxiety permeates the life of the drug addict.

These are some physical effects:

 

• The kidneys. The human kidney can be damaged by habitual drug use over a period of many years. Kidney failure is not uncommon among long-time users of crystal meth, heroin and other dangerous drugs.

• •The liver. Liver failure is a well-known consequence of alcoholism, but it is also can occur with individuals using Vicodin and OxyContin habitually over many years.

• •The heart. Cocaine addicts and stimulant users are doing significant damage to their heart each time they use the drug. The most common conditions among drug addicts are heart disease and heart failure.

• •The lungs. Any individual who smokes the drug to which they are addicted is putting their lungs in jeopardy. Smoking crack cocaine or crystal meth damages the lungs with a ferocity that rivals long-term nicotine habits. Regular marijuana use also causes damage to the lungs.

When a client doesn’t make progress in treatment realizing the truth and consequences of addiction, we intervene and confront the client with the facts and prognosis. Timing of the intervention is critical. You don’t want to put too much on a person before they’re ready, but, at the right time, confrontation is very effective. If the client doesn’t hear the truth about the condition and realities of addiction, then they’ll likely continue fooling themselves, and this never ends well.

You can summarize a large part of treatment by saying that treatment is effectively conveying to the client the truth and consequences regarding addiction in such a manner they can hear and accept so that they’re motivated to take actions to recover long term.