Changing How Addiction Is Perceived
Every day there are new medical issues listed and diagnosed. New diseases are discovered, and new treatment methods are sought out. Every day new campaigns are created to raise funds for awareness, medical treatment, and other elements related to commonly known medical issues. No-one condemns anyone for having a tumor, or congenital heart disease. However, rehabs in Orange County have to make a real effort to help people understand that addiction is as much of a disease as the aforementioned medical issues are. Studies are beginning to unearth data that point to addiction having a genetic factor that may not have been recognized in the past.
Internal Factors
When it comes to addiction, it isn’t just about behavior. In fact, many addicts are predisposed to be addicts because of genetic factors that contribute to their overall makeup. On top of that, those genetic factors usually come from the people who rear the person, so they may experience a similar diet as the original addict, as well as similar medical issues that could lead to the use of medications that lead to addiction.
Again, while most people can see this trend as a medical issue when it comes to things like heart disease and cancer, they don’t always equate these elements with addiction. Yet any affordable treatment centers find that they have to do more than treat the addiction; they have to help the individual change the way they view things in as simple a way as they would treat a headache.
Behavioral Issues
Social media is constantly full of posts concerning people who have cancer. The outpouring of empathy for these people is something that often sheds light on the humanity that the world doesn’t always display, even if they have lung cancer because they were a smoker. Yet, when it comes to addiction, something that also involves behaviors leading up to serious medical issues, the addict is seen not as a victim, but as the antagonist. While it’s true that the actions of the addict lead to their medical issues concerning addiction, society sometimes ignores the medical element of the addiction itself.
Addiction and Use
The very term “addiction” is often used loosely to describe something that a person performs over and over. For example, a person who loves to read might be called a book addict, yet this isn’t a true statement. So, what’s the difference between use and addiction? Addiction causes serious psychological and physiological symptoms when the element of addiction is removed. More than that, often an addict continues with use not because of any pleasure they experience when they use, but because not using means pain and agony that they can’t even imagine themselves having to deal with on a daily basis.
If you want to change how addiction is perceived, you have to start by negating the current perception of it being only a behavioral issue. If you need evidence that it is, take a look at some of the images from a low cost rehab center like Yellowstone Recovery of Orange County. One glance will tell you that there is real physical pain involved and not just an urge for an ongoing party.
