You have probably had this experience: A person makes a statement that strikes you as unlikely to be true. But when you express doubt, they double down, insisting they are entirely right and that anyone who says otherwise is absolutely, hopelessly wrong. You might try suggesting an alternative idea. Or you might try asking someone else to weigh in. Or you might go to the internet to find something that will convince the person you are talking to that they are, let’s say, confused or misinformed. After all, if you just tell them you think they are plainly wrong, you are likely to escalate the situation.
You have probably had this experience, too: You make a statement that someone else finds unlikely to be true, and then you fiercely defend your position—even in the face of evidence to the contrary.
Neither of those situations is very fun, but often, the topic being debated isn’t all that important. However, if the topic is related to substance use disorders, effective treatment, and the recovery journey, it could not be more important to make sure you have the right facts. This blog entry is the first in a short series we are devoting to identifying common misunderstandings and replacing that sketchy information with facts. Let’s get started with three pieces of misinformation about getting and staying sober.
Addiction is a choice! People can stop using drugs or alcohol if they really want to! WRONG
Maybe you have heard someone suggest that addiction is just a problem for people without willpower or character or faith. A person armed with those things, the thinking goes, should be able to fight off a substance use disorder all on their own.
One reason people continue to believe this is they haven’t made an important shift in their thinking. The reason we prefer to refer to an “addiction” as a “substance use disorder” is because the latter accurately describes the problem—a disorder of the brain. The issue isn’t one choice; it is one of changed brain chemistry. That change in brain chemistry can become a trap in which a person knows they can’t keeping using substances and also discovers that they can’t stop using substances due to the difficulties that come with withdrawal. No amount of willpower, character, or faith can open that trap and let the person who is struggling escape.
Quitting ‘cold turkey’ is the best option for getting sober! WRONG
Maybe you enjoy cold turkey on a sandwich during the holiday season, but no matter what you have heard to the contrary, trying to quit drugs or alcohol “cold turkey” is a bad idea. In some ways this nugget of misinformation is just like the previous one—it is built around the idea that you can just quit using drugs or alcohol suddenly and all on your own.
But when you have been taking drugs or drinking alcohol for a while, your brain and body come to expect them regularly. A sudden halt fires up all the dangerous withdrawal symptoms that will likely send you back to the substances you are trying to give up. Again, you might crave cold turkey as a snack, but all you will crave if you try to quit cold turkey is drugs or alcohol.
Substance use disorder treatment is something you only have to do once! WRONG
Oh, how we wish people were right when they spout this bit of misinformation. In an ideal world, everyone who regained their sobriety via treatment would be sober once and for all. But that simply is not reality for many, many people. And it is extremely important to come to terms with that fact early on in your recovery journey.
Obviously, no one wants to experience a relapse, but many people do. And if they have been convinced that treatment is “one and done,” they may feel as though they have failed and simply give up. But the reality is that the best thing you can do after a relapse is return to treatment.
Getting yourself back into treatment gives you the opportunity to reclaim your sobriety again. And then you can try to maintain it over time again. And if you relapse again? You should start the cycle again. Remember, a substance use disorder has changed your brain chemistry, and the risk of relapse is unfortunately always present. But every sober day is a good day, and going through treatment again means you will have more sober days ahead of you.
This is 100 Percent True: French Creek Can Help You Get Sober
Here is something you can absolutely count on: At French Creek Recovery Center—located in Meadville, Pennsylvania—we can help you take back control of your life. We provide medically supervised detoxification, a robust approach to rehabilitation that also addresses co-occurring mental health disorders, and a continuum of care that ensures you can start your recovery journey with confidence. And if you experience a relapse, we will be here to help you restart your recovery without judgment.