A common belief regarding addiction recovery is that the person will be cured after treatment and not have to worry about addiction in their future. However, this is not the case. Addiction is a chronic disease, meaning it can be treated but not cured. It can be disheartening to learn that at first, but it is essential to understand the fundamentals of addiction and recovery for you to find healing. By taking a deeper look at addiction, its treatments, and what successful recovery looks like, you can better understand how you can find healing and everlasting peace.
Treatment vs. Cure
When you go into recovery, you will begin a series of treatments that help you learn how to manage your addiction over time. There are numerous treatment methods used to help individuals stay sober, such as medication, behavioral therapy, long-term evaluation, co-occurring disorder treatment, and relapse prevention. While these modalities can help the management of addiction, they will not cure the disease.
To better understand this, let’s examine the four key symptoms of drug addiction. These include cravings, an inability to stop, physical dependence, and increased tolerance of the substance. As you move through recovery, your physical dependence and tolerance levels will usually decrease. However, your cravings will persist at a weaker level. If you were to relapse, it would be difficult to quit, and the process may repeat. For these reasons, ongoing treatment is recommended.
Living a Happy Life in Recovery
While it may be disheartening to know that long-term treatment cannot cure addiction, this doesn’t mean that the process is pointless. The recovery process is made to help those struggling move on from past and present underlying issues, connect with others in their community, and create a healthy environment that does not allow addiction to thrive. Over time you will begin to find confidence in yourself, let go of past hardships, and learn how to cope with the negative things life throws at you. You can live a happy and healthy life as a result of these lessons in recovery.
While addiction is not a curable disease, it is a treatable one that offers survivors long-term management for a happy and sober life. With successful long-term management, you can build the life you have always dreamed of without having to suffer from the impact of addiction. Recovery may be a long and challenging journey, but the benefits are worth it. If you are ready to start your journey today, Alta Loma Transformational Services is here to help. We provide men of all ages with comprehensive care that helps them heal from addiction and mental health concerns. Call us today to learn more at (866) 457-3843.
