5 Things to Know About Addiction – Recovery | National Recovery Month
It’s almost September, and in my work, that means one of my favorite months of the year is just around the corner — NATIONAL RECOVERY MONTH!
And this year, there is so much to celebrate!
Addiction recovery has come a long, long, looooong way since the world rang in the 21st Century in 2000, and what we know today vs. what we knew then about addiction and recovery is nothing short of WOW! WOW!! WOW!!!
Much of this new understanding is the result of advances in neuroscience and imaging technologies that now allow scientists and medical professionals to study the live human brain in action and over time.
For example:
1. Addiction has long been called a disease, but we now know the nature of this disease…
We now know addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease.
The Addiction Project (NIDA, NIAAA, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and HBO collaboration)
Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction (NIDA)
2. Relapse has long been viewed as the person’s fault, a character defect, a lack of will power – “they just didn’t want it badly enough” – but we now know that’s a big, fat lie!
We now know relapse is a “hallmark” of the brain disease of addiction
Advances in imaging technologies now allow scientists and medical professionals to study the live human brain in action and over time.
…primarily because of how the disease hijacks brain function, not understanding the power of addiction cravings and not treating the underlying risk factors that contributed to the development of the disease. An example of the latter is not treating co-occurring disorders (which is having an addiction and a mental illness – two brain function changers) at the same time. (In other words, co-occurring disorders require co-occurring treatment.)
Understanding Relapse (The Addiction Project)
Let’s Talk About Cravings (The Addiction Project)
Why Do Some People Become Addicted – (The Addiction Project)
3. If you’re not in a 12-step program, you’re not in Recovery
We now know there are many, many paths to recovery because recovery is personal.
Raising awareness there is no one-size-fits-all path to recovery is opening the doors of recovery to millions of people like never before – people who need help with tamping down the cravings while battling their triggers; or treating co-occurring disorders; or sorting out the impacts of childhood trauma and its early influence on their early brain wiring.
Working Definition of Recovery (SAMHSA)
Principles of Effective Treatment: A Research-Based Guide (Third Edition) (NIDA)
4. It’s long been assumed that once the person with addiction finds recovery, all is well for the family, too. We now know that’s impossible because the family has experienced their own physical and emotional health consequences as a result of secondhand drinking | secondhand drugging (SHD) and SHD’s chronic activation of the fight-or-flight stress response system.
We now know the family needs their own recovery
…and that in their recovery, the family member(s) is/are better able to help themselves, which in turn helps their loved one succeed in their own recovery or seek recovery if they haven’t thus far.
Family Disease (National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. [NCADD])
The Fight-or-Flight Stress Response – Secondhand Drinking Connection (Lisa Frederiksen, BreakingTheCycles.com)
5. Recovery is not just behind closed doors anymore. In fact, thousands – thousands! – of people are standing up to share their recovery stories.
We now know over 23 Million Americans are living their lives in RECOVERY!
UNITE to Face Addiction (huge grassroots rally on The Mall in Washington, D.C., 10.4.15)
The Anonymous People Documentary Film
Bottom Line
These are exciting times – EXCITING times! Recovery is out of the closet, addiction is out of the closet, families are out of the closet. We are standing, we are shouting, we are proud to say, “Addiction Recovery is Real. It happens to real people. And it happens all the time!”
So please stand, join the shout and proudly spread these 5 things to know about Addiction – Recovery as part of your National Recovery Month 2015 celebration.
And if you can be anywhere near Washington, D.C. on 10.4.15, join the massive UNITE to Face Addiction Rally. Watch this short video and you’ll understand why. Hope to see you there!
Lisa Frederiksen
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Great post, Lisa. Thank you! I especially like the point about recovery not being one-size-fits-all. People need the freedom to find what works for them. Hope to see you in D.C. at the UNITE to Face Addiction rally. BOTH my kids will be there with me!
Thank you, Barb, and you won’t believe it – I had it on my list of things to do to get in touch with you and find a time/place to meet – I’ll call you. And how exciting that BOTH of your kids will be there – that’s fantastic!!
Hi Lisa,
I just recently started reading your page and enjoy the information. I am just like above, recovery not being one-size-fits-all is true to me as well. I work as a clinical psychotherapist in an addictions and depression clinic here in Mexico and sometimes I see how the addict relapses because they cannot do our program “right” or because they feel it is not for them. I always tell them that there are many many alternatives and should not be thinking in a all or nothing matter. Hope to read more good stuff.
Thanks,
Ricardo
It’s so wonderful to read your views and encouraging of patients to try others of the many, many alternatives for treatment. This is so important for it’s truly not their “fault.” I really appreciate your comment and so glad you’ve found my blog!
Yes, yes, yes to such a great post Lisa! I especially love points 3-5; recovery has come such a long way especially in recognizing the importance of the family in the process. I attribute that to the work of people like you, Cathy Taughinbaugh, and others and I thank you so much!
Thank you so much, Nadine – I really appreciate the shout out for the work Cathy, myself and others (including you!) are doing on behalf of families. It’s wonderful there is now some understanding of that impact so that hopefully the insurance and treatment / help options will follow.
Very interesting post Lisa. I like the fact that you included that families of the recovering patient needs to recover too. For me, that captions the essence of recovery for both the user and the people affected by the patient’s drug use.
Thank you so much, Jeff! I appreciate your input.
Good post there Lisa! Hope to read some posts about Internet addiction which is exposing to our teenagers and children!