The iconic English philosopher Herbert Spencer famously said, “The wise man must remember that while he is a descendant of the past, he is a parent of the future.” This is also true of the mindset an individual must possess if they are to truly be free in their recovery. They must not want to “shut the door” on the past but always remember that the future is friendly. The effects of drugs and alcohol on the brain and the body can be destructive and intense, but they don’t have to be forever. There is a solution. Recovery is out there.
Drugs and Alcohol: Better Understanding Addiction
There is little doubt that a significant drug and alcohol problem is facing the U.S. and other countries around the world. There are many reasons for this.
One is that alcohol is legal and highly promoted as safe and “fun,” yet remains the number one addictive substance around the world – a substance that destroys the lives of millions of individuals and their families every year. Two is that there remains an opioid epidemic in the U.S. (and around the world) that continues to get worse as synthetic opioids like fentanyl continue to flood the streets and into people’s homes.
Third is the legalization and minimization of cannabis in the U.S., which touts the drug as harmless and non-addictive but does not mention all of the damage that it causes. Lastly, four is all of the other substances that remain highly prevalent and unchecked around the world – substances like methamphetamines, cocaine, MDMA, psychedelics, and kratom (just to name a few).
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “In 2022, 48.7 million people aged 12 or older (or 17.3%) had a substance use disorder (SUD) in the past year, including 29.5 million who had an alcohol use disorder (AUD), 27.2 million who had a drug use disorder (DUD), and 8.0 million people who had both an AUD and a DUD.” These are the types of numbers that remind us of how important proper mental health and addiction care is. This proper care must be comprehensive, and crucially, it must be comprehensive.
The Importance of Individualized Addiction Care
Now, the fact of the matter is that no two people’s addiction story is ever going to be the same. It is for this reason that two peoples’ addiction care should not be the same either.
The reality is that the addiction recovery industry is worth billions of dollars. Because of this fact, many recovery centers focus more on their bottom line than on the well-being of their clients. These are the types of recovery centers and treatment facilities that only offer broad overarching treatment plans that don’t take the individual into account.
Here at NorthStar Recovery Center, we know that those types of plans rarely work. They do not get to the underlying issues that so often need to be addressed for an individual to fully recover. This is why we only offer focused individualized recovery plans that begin with a personalized intake process that considers one’s background, current situation, and future goals. We then use that information to create a wholly individualized recovery plan. Of course, those recovery plans are also highly comprehensive.
The Importance of Comprehensive Addiction Care
It is critical to connect with a recovery center that has access to multiple means, methods, and modalities for recovery. When a recovery center only has one form of treatment, what happens if that treatment does not work for the client? Then, there is nowhere left to turn.
With comprehensive recovery plans, there is always the next right recovery method to replace one that may not work or slowly starts to lose efficacy. That is what comprehensive recovery is all about. It is about being malleable in treating the individual.
For example, some individuals who struggle with drugs and alcohol also suffer from treatment-resistant depression. Many of the traditional modalities are going to be ineffective with them. However, when there are multiple options, there is a much better chance of finding something that will work or a combination of treatments that will work. Of course, one can only get to this stage if they first recognize and understand that there is a problem.
Drugs and Alcohol: The Signs and Symptoms of Addiction
Because “drugs and alcohol” issues are on such a broad spectrum, it is not possible to categorize all of their symptoms under one umbrella. However, there are some universal signs and symptoms that can help an individual or a loved one see that there may be a problem with drugs and alcohol. The following are a few of those signs and symptoms:
- Losing interest in activities once enjoyed
- Isolating away from family and close friends
- Not being able to stop drinking or using once started
- Having otherwise unexplained physical issues like headaches and gastrointestinal problems
- Struggling with sleep cycles, including sleeping too much and not sleeping enough (insomnia)
- Loss of appetite and drastic changes in appearance
- Feeling overly anxious, nervous, or “stressed out”
- Having feelings of worthlessness, loneliness, or helplessness
- Struggling with depression or other co-occurring issues of mental health
- Engaging in risky behaviors
- Committing self-harm or harm to others
- Having suicidal ideations
As one can see, these are significant signs and symptoms – ones that should not be ignored. That is why if any, many, or all of these symptoms are present, it is important to seek professional help as soon as possible. Doing so could mean the difference between short-term side effects and long-term consequences.
The Effects of Drugs and Alcohol on the Brain
Many people forget about the damage that drugs and alcohol can have on the brain because the physical symptoms are so much more obvious. However, the cognitive (and biological) damage that drugs and alcohol can have on the brain is significant. For example, alcohol can actually make the brain “age” quicker.
Studies prove this. According to the peer-reviewed journal Nutrients, “There is a longstanding notion that alcohol has an interactive effect on the biological aging processes, whereby the brains of alcohol dependent individuals resemble those of chronologically older individuals who do not have alcohol dependence. Imaging studies have long found that the loss of grey matter volume as well as the disturbances to white matter microstructure typically seen in alcohol dependence are exacerbated with age. This phenomenon has also been investigated using the brain age paradigm, an approach that investigates healthy brain aging by estimating chronological age from neuroimaging data and examines the difference between an individual’s predicted and actual age.”
Aging is not the only issue that drugs and alcohol cause on the brain. It is also widely understood that drugs and alcohol can cause significant damage to the adolescent brain. This is crucial because it reminds us of just how dangerous and damaging underage drinking and drug use can be. The human brain does not fully develop until one’s late 20s and drugs and alcohol inhibit that development. It also inhibits one’s judgment which is one of the reasons why drug and alcohol use is often accompanied by poor decision-making and legal troubles. Of course, drugs and alcohol also do significant damage to the body.
The Effects of Drugs and Alcohol on the Body
Drugs and alcohol can have a snowball effect that can eventually cause damage to every aspect of a person’s physical condition. This includes harming someone’s gastrointestinal system, causing bone and muscle aches, and creating intense headaches (often due to being hungover).
Drugs and alcohol have also been linked to a higher risk of cancer. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), “There is a strong scientific consensus that alcohol drinking can cause several types of cancer. In its Report on Carcinogens, the National Toxicology Program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services lists the consumption of alcoholic beverages as a known human carcinogen. The evidence indicates that the more alcohol a person drinks–particularly the more alcohol a person drinks regularly over time–the higher his or her risk of developing an alcohol-associated cancer.”
It is also true that drugs and alcohol can cause damage to many different organs. Drugs and alcohol can cause significant damage to the pancreas, liver, heart, and immune system. The good news is there are many effective means, methods, and modalities that can help one fully recover from alcohol use disorder (AUD) and substance use disorder (SUD).
How to Best Recover From Drugs and Alcohol
The first step to recovering from drugs and alcohol is to admit that there is a problem. This can be very difficult because many people associate admitting that they have a problem with weakness or some sort of moral failing. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Addiction is a chronic disease similar to other chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. It is only going to get worse unless some type of intervention takes place. That intervention starts the moment an individual is ready to give up the fight and gain the willingness that is necessary to recover. This can all start by entering day treatment.
Utilizing Day Treatment
Day treatment is an ideal way to recover from drugs and alcohol. It is perfect for individuals who don’t require full residential treatment but still need a highly focused and motivated recovery.
Day treatment is an intensive program that generally occurs for eight hours a day, five days a week (though there will be variations depending on the program). It is ideal because it allows people to focus strongly on their recovery but also allows them an opportunity to stay connected to their day-to-day lives. One of the ways that many people make their way to day treatment is through a safe and secure detox program.
The Importance of Detox for Drugs and Alcohol
It is important to remember that one should never try to detox from drugs and alcohol on their own. This will not only be unnecessarily uncomfortable, but it can also be extremely dangerous. Now, this is especially true with alcohol, as detoxing unsafely can even be deadly.
A safe and secure detox is also ideal because it connects people to their next steps of recovery, whether it be residential or day treatment. This is where individuals can begin to utilize the various means, methods, and modalities that are going to help them get well and recover.
Utilizing Various Modalities in Day Treatment
There are a myriad of different options for recovery. This includes psychotherapeutic, experiential, and holistic practices.
Usually, it is best practice to have some type of evidence-based modality as the foundation of one’s recovery plan. This is why many people utilize psychotherapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) as their primary recovery methods.
The Benefits of Psychotherapy for Drugs and Alcohol
CBT and DBT can be particularly effective at helping people recover because they get to the underlying issues of one’s drug and alcohol use. It is important to remember that AUD and SUD are as much internal issues as they are external. As is often said in 12-Step recovery, “It is more about the thinking than it is the drinking.”
CBT and DBT are also highly effective because they make the individual an active participant in their recovery. This active participation helps an individual see the negative way in which they view themselves and the world around them. From there, they can begin to make conscious choices to change their cognitions (thoughts) and emotions (feelings) and ultimately change their behaviors (actions). Experiential therapy can also aid in this process.
The Benefits of Experiential Therapy and Holistic Healing for Drugs and Alcohol
Experiential therapies focus on natural experiences and creative expressions rather than solely on “talk” therapy. These experiences may come from a nature-based experiential therapy, which has been shown to be highly effective.
Nature has long been known to have positive effects on one’s physical, mental, and emotional health. According to the U.S. National Park Service, “5 minutes walking in nature improves mood, self-esteem, and relaxation. Frequent exposure to nature reduces anxiety and depression while promoting a sense of wellbeing and fulfillment.” Also, “Physical activity in a green space can reduce stress and lower cortisol levels by 15%.”
It is also true that there are many holistic healing methods that can help an individual recover from the mental and bodily effects of drugs and alcohol. Two highly effective methods are yoga therapy and mindfulness meditation. For example, according to the International Journal of Yoga (IJOY), “Regular practice of yoga promotes strength, endurance, flexibility and facilitates characteristics of friendliness, compassion, and greater self-control while cultivating a sense of calmness and well-being. Sustained practice also leads to important outcomes such as changes in life perspective, self-awareness, and an improved sense of energy to live life fully and with genuine enjoyment.”
A Focus on Long-Term Success Over Drugs and Alcohol at NorthStar Recovery Center
Herbert Spencer also famously said, “Life is the continuous adjustment of internal relations to external relations.” There is no external solution to an internal problem. That is why we here at NorthStar Recovery Center focus on the underlying issues as well as putting down the drink or the drug.
At NorthStar Recovery Center, we believe in long-term success over short-term “fixes.” This is why we focus on individualized and comprehensive recovery plans with a focus on the future.
Recovery is just over the horizon. The key is to find the right program and people to get there. Here at NorthStar Recovery Center, we know the way to a life that was once unimaginable.
There are many specific negative effects that addiction can have on both the brain and the body. The good news is that these negative effects can be countered by entering an effective day treatment recovery program. However, that recovery program must be individualized and comprehensive with a focus on the future. If you feel like you or a loved one is struggling with issues of addiction, mental illness, or co-occurring disorders, we can help get you on the positive path toward long-term recovery right away. You don’t have to go through this process alone. For more information about the negative effects of addiction and how best to recover, please reach out to NorthStar Recovery Center today at (888) 311-0911.