Drug addiction is a baffling disease in and of itself. Few people understand the complex reactions of the drugs they take or the underlying mental processes that lead to someone using illicit drugs. We've all seen and heard the horror stories of addiction outcomes, though. Whether you know someone directly who uses drugs and seems to be dying from it or watching their life spiral out of control or you've read the sad news story of the drug addict who died in the midst of something he couldn't understand, you've had exposure to what addiction leads to. Perhaps the hardest thing of all to understand is chronic relapse. This is the instance where someone escaped from a deadly addiction only to head right back into it at a later time. College students seem particularly susceptible to relapse.
The factors of addiction
Addiction is the product of many things. There are forces at play that mix together and make it complicated to understand as a whole. For example, sometimes mental illness plays a large part in making someone seek out drugs as a source of comfort. The explanation for this is shockingly reasonable. If you're scared, depressed, or suffering, it's only natural to look for something to help you feel better, and if you feel bad enough a drug might seem the most logical choice for immediately feeling better. The problem is that drugs are both dangerous and short acting, making them a poor solution to any problem. Addicts who are under the weight of a mental illness fail to see this, though. Other factors play a huge part such as personal body chemistry and environment. The environment is perhaps one of the strongest factors of all of them, especially for college students who are constantly in an environment that encourages partying and short term good times without any thought of the consequences.
The problem of environment for college students
College students who have good mental health and a sense of responsibility will frequently still find themselves faced with enormous pressure to party and have a good time with their peers. It's seen as a "free" time of life where you experiment and do what you want to do. This type of environment can be disastrous for someone who is at risk for drug abuse. It's difficult to even know who is at risk before they're tested because there are no surefire ways to tell if someone will develop a dependence on any drugs. College life presents a dangerous cocktail of social situations and substances that can turn especially deadly for a student with poor mental health. Even if a college student recognizes a drug problem and gets help for it, they are often faced with the same kind of pressure after they emerge triumphant. This quickly turns into a cycle of relapse, recovery, and more relapse. Chronic relapse remains one of the most troubling aspects of addiction. People understand why it's difficult to escape addiction the first time. They don't understand willingly going back to the addiction once you've been through it.
Chronic relapse treatment in California
Addiction and the college student have a happy ending for some, though. Treatment is readily available for anyone who wants it. Once it's obvious that someone continues to run back to drugs as a solution to trouble can enter a treatment program to find out why. There's often an underlying mental problem contributing to the case or there may be a case of addict quality present in the particular patient who suffers from chronic relapse. For college students, environment plays an especially important part in the relapse and so they need to have recovery tools to help them avoid situations that might lead to relapse. They also learn how to recognize the signs of a detox and might even benefit from one of the many 12 step groups that are out there. If chronic relapse problematic enough, the patient can seek out a residential treatment program. Some of these programs are as long as a year or more and give college students the tools to carry out their school work while still getting the help they need. After the addiction battle is won, they return to college with the treatment tools they need to stay strong in the face of their environment.
Addiction & the college student is one of the most perplexing and heartbreaking of all problems. Please go here for more information.
The factors of addiction
Addiction is the product of many things. There are forces at play that mix together and make it complicated to understand as a whole. For example, sometimes mental illness plays a large part in making someone seek out drugs as a source of comfort. The explanation for this is shockingly reasonable. If you're scared, depressed, or suffering, it's only natural to look for something to help you feel better, and if you feel bad enough a drug might seem the most logical choice for immediately feeling better. The problem is that drugs are both dangerous and short acting, making them a poor solution to any problem. Addicts who are under the weight of a mental illness fail to see this, though. Other factors play a huge part such as personal body chemistry and environment. The environment is perhaps one of the strongest factors of all of them, especially for college students who are constantly in an environment that encourages partying and short term good times without any thought of the consequences.
The problem of environment for college students
College students who have good mental health and a sense of responsibility will frequently still find themselves faced with enormous pressure to party and have a good time with their peers. It's seen as a "free" time of life where you experiment and do what you want to do. This type of environment can be disastrous for someone who is at risk for drug abuse. It's difficult to even know who is at risk before they're tested because there are no surefire ways to tell if someone will develop a dependence on any drugs. College life presents a dangerous cocktail of social situations and substances that can turn especially deadly for a student with poor mental health. Even if a college student recognizes a drug problem and gets help for it, they are often faced with the same kind of pressure after they emerge triumphant. This quickly turns into a cycle of relapse, recovery, and more relapse. Chronic relapse remains one of the most troubling aspects of addiction. People understand why it's difficult to escape addiction the first time. They don't understand willingly going back to the addiction once you've been through it.
Chronic relapse treatment in California
Addiction and the college student have a happy ending for some, though. Treatment is readily available for anyone who wants it. Once it's obvious that someone continues to run back to drugs as a solution to trouble can enter a treatment program to find out why. There's often an underlying mental problem contributing to the case or there may be a case of addict quality present in the particular patient who suffers from chronic relapse. For college students, environment plays an especially important part in the relapse and so they need to have recovery tools to help them avoid situations that might lead to relapse. They also learn how to recognize the signs of a detox and might even benefit from one of the many 12 step groups that are out there. If chronic relapse problematic enough, the patient can seek out a residential treatment program. Some of these programs are as long as a year or more and give college students the tools to carry out their school work while still getting the help they need. After the addiction battle is won, they return to college with the treatment tools they need to stay strong in the face of their environment.
Addiction & the college student is one of the most perplexing and heartbreaking of all problems. Please go here for more information.
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