Drug addiction can be something that impacts the lives of you and your loved ones greatly.
Unfortunately, it is something that many Americans suffer from. Over 25% of people that take illegal drugs end up becoming addicted to them.
Addiction can lead to dark days, and it can make people do things that they never thought they would. However, there is a path to recovery with a drug rehabilitation program.
What is life like before and after drugs? This guide breaks it down.
Initial Drug Use
There may have been a time in your life where you were more curious about the world and someone offered you some drugs. You may have tried them and ended up liking the feeling that you got.
This is what is called a dopamine rush. It mimics feelings of pleasure and if the substance is addicting enough, your body will tell you to get more access to that drug.
The catch is that over time, your body may become numb to the dopamine hits that this drug offers. As a result, you could end up needing to take more and more of the same drug to try to mimic the feelings you originally had towards this drug. Eventually, this may reach a stage where your body grows a real dependence on this drug.
Gaining Dependence
As discussed above, your body may grow more and more of a physical dependence on this drug if you increase your tolerance enough. Taking more doses of this drug is not the only thing that happens when you grow dependence on this drug.
You also start to grow more anxious. This can happen because you are worried about when you are going to take your next hit, an event happens in your life where you feel like you need this drug to relax, your body may not be used to being sober anymore, and more.
Mentally and physically, your body could enter a state of panic at some point if you go long enough without this drug when you grow dependence on it. This can also impact other aspects of your life because you may reach a point where you prioritize getting the next hit over all of your other responsibilities.
If you reach a point where you lose your source of income and your loved ones over this, it can only make your anxious feelings grow.
Changing Your Crowd
You may reach a point in your drug addiction where your loved ones and old friends will turn your back on you. They may not like the behavior you have displayed while you depend on drugs and may feel like they cannot afford to be dragged down with you.
What happens when this occurs? You will likely get drawn to another crowd that does not have your best interests at heart.
Likely, these will be other addicts and regular drug users. They may also prioritize the next hit and as a result, could influence your life goals.
It could mean that you do not seek employment and do not try to repair relationships with your family and friends that were damaged because of your drug use. If you are not careful, these could be permanent changes for the worse.
Once you change your crowd, you may reach a point where you can’t trust anybody around you for anything important. When that happens, that can result in isolation and cause some people to panic about where they are in life while addicted to drugs.
It could take a rock bottom incident like this to get the help that you need.
Getting Treatment
When you hit rock bottom, you may start to be open to receiving treatment for your drug addiction. The first step to this is openly admitting you have a problem. It is an important step because it allows you to open yourself up to others to receive the help that you need.
One thing that can happen early on is that you could get treated for withdrawal symptoms. Experts know that you will likely experience bad withdrawal symptoms and will put you in a safe environment while you go through it.
Then, you can talk to a professional about your drug use. They can help get to the root of why you used drugs this much in the first place.
This can also allow you to connect to other people in recovery. It could give you all the common bond of trying to beat this addiction and as a result, you could change your crowd again to be centered around more positive influences.
After all of this, you have to do the hard part of trying to repair the damage that you might have caused while you were in the middle of your drug addiction.
Some friends and family may be willing to come back into your life if you show signs of growth. However, you may have to accept that it is too late to save every relationship and just try to be a better person from here on out.
Learn More About Life Before and After Drugs
Life before and after drugs can be two drastically different things. When you are an addict, the next hit is your priority and that can result in alienating everyone you know and love. However, if you or a loved one are suffering from drug addiction, know that there is life after drug use.
Do you or a loved one need treatment for substance abuse? Message us here to see how we can help.
