If you know someone with a substance abuse problem, you are not alone.  Thousands of Oregonians abuse alcohol or other drugs, and for every person who does, experience shows that at least four other people are affected buy their behavior.

TRUE OR FALSE:

1.  Drug addiction is voluntary behavior.
False – The decision to use drugs is voluntary, but over time some people go from being a voluntary drug user to a compulsive drug user.  That’s because continued use of addictive drugs causes changes in the brain.

2.  Drug addiction is a character flaw.
False:  Drug addiction is a brain disease.  Each type of drug abuse has its own individual mechanism for changing how the brain functions.  But regardless of which drug a person is addicted to, many effects on the brain are similar, such as mood changes, altered memory processes, and changes in motor skills.  The drug of abuse becomes the single most powerful motivator in an abuser’s existence.  He or she will do almost anything for the drug because the drug use has changed the way their brain functions.

3.  A person has to want drug treatment for it to be effective.
False:  Two primary reasons people seek drug treatment are gbecause of a court order or because friends or loved ones urged them to seek treatment.  Research has shown that people who enter drug treatment programs in which they face “high pressure” to confront and attempt to surmount their addiction do comparatively better in treatment, regardless of why they sought treatment in the first place.

4.  Treatment doesn’t work.
False:  Treatment can and does heal and empower people.  In fact, treatment reduces drug use by 40 to 60 percent and improves employment prospects, according to research.

5.  People who have participated in a treatment program but use again are hopeless.
False.  Drug addiction is a chronic disorder, and a relapse is not failure.  Addicts are most vulnerable to drug use during the few months immediately following treatment, and children are especially at risk for relapse if they return to family and situations that led them to abuse drugs.  Recovery is a long process and frequently requires multiple treatment attempts before sobriety is achieved.

We need to learn to think about the disease of addiction in the same way that we think of other chronic lifelong diseases such as diabetes or heart disease.  It is widely understood that diabetes and heart disease patients need to manage and monitor their illnesses one day at a time.  Addiction is no different and the process of recovery often requires multiple treatments and a day-to-day management approach to achieve on-going sobriety.

Getting Help

Talk with your physician or employee assistance professional about referring you to someone who can help such as a licensed substance abuse counselor or family therapist.

If you do not have insurance, call Oregon Partnership’s alcohol and drug HelpLine at
1-800-923-HELP (4357) for assistance in obtaining a referral to treatment.  You may also locate helping resources by checking your local Yellow Pages under Alcoholism.  Many treatment facilities charge for services on a sliding scale and are willing to work out a payment plan.