7 Myths of Drug Addiction

Myth 1: Drug addiction is voluntary behavior.

Fact: A person starts out as an occasional drug user, and that is a voluntary decision. But as time passes, something happens, and that person goes from being a voluntary drug user to a compulsive drug user. Why? Because over time, continued use of addictive drugs changes your brain, at times in dramatic, toxic ways.

Myth 2: Addiction is a disease; there’s nothing you can do about it.

Fact: Most experts agree that addiction is a brain disease, but that doesn’t mean you’re a helpless victim. The brain changes associated with addiction can be treated and reversed through therapy, medication, exercise and other treatments.

Myth 3: Addicts have to hit rock bottom before they can get better.

Fact: Recovery can begin at any point in the addiction process, and the earlier, the better. The longer drug abuse continues, the stronger the addiction becomes and the harder it is to treat. Don’t wait to intervene until your loved one has lost it all.

Myth 4: You can’t force someone into treatment. They have to want help.

Fact: Treatment doesn’t have to be voluntary to be successful. People who are pressured into treatment by their family, employer or the legal system are just as likely to benefit as those who choose to enter treatment on their own. As they sober up and their thinking clears, many formerly resistant people decide they want to change.

Myth 5: Treatment didn’t work before, so there’s no point in trying again. Some cases are hopeless.

Fact: Recovery from drug addiction is a long process that often involves setbacks. Relapse doesn’t mean that treatment has failed or that someone is a lost cause. Rather, it’s a signal to get back on track, either by going back to treatment or adjusting the treatment approach.

Myth 6: If you’ve tried one doctor or treatment program, you’ve tried them all.

Fact: Not every doctor or program is the right fit for everyone seeking treatment. For many, finding an approach that works for them can mean trying several different doctors and/or treatment programs before finding a good match.

Myth 7: People who continue to abuse drugs after treatment are hopeless.

Fact: Drug addiction is a chronic disorder, and occasional relapse does not mean failure. Psychological stress from work or family problems, social cues (such as meeting people from one’s drug-using past) or the environment (encountering streets, objects or even smells associated with drug use) can easily trigger a relapse. People are most vulnerable to drug use during the first few months after leaving treatment. Young people are especially at risk of relapse when they return to the family and environmental situations that initially led them to use.