The Science Behind Addiction Treatment

Can addiction be cured? It is a question that someone suffering from the disease and everyone around them may ask. The answer is no, there is no cure for addiction. However, even though addiction is a life-long disease, it is a very treatable condition, and long-term recovery is possible.

The science behind addiction shows that many people have the ability to recover, and many will lead a very normal life after recovery begins. Yet, as with conditions like heart disease or asthma, there’s no way to cure addiction fully. With treatment from a professionally licensed drug and alcohol treatment center in Lafayette, LA, you gain the tools you need to support long-term recovery.

What Are the Principles of Effective Treatment for Addiction?

One of the most important parts of your recovery is to learn about your addiction, including how it impacts your physical and mental health. Addiction is a disease, and understanding the cause of your disease and the mechanisms behind it will give you the tools you need to recover.

Data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) provides insight into the most effective treatment, noting that, for some drug addicts, the use of medications can aid in providing support for the healing process. For example, those with opioid addiction or addiction to prescription painkillers may see their treatment begin with medication.

Yet, medication isn’t the only component of healing from addiction. You also need to work through behavioral therapy and counseling. Treating the mind is much like treating the body. The proper therapy and treatment enable your mind to work through the pain and suffering to build confidence and heal the damage.

The Science Behind Detox and Recovery 

Those who have moderate to severe addiction may need to go through the detoxification process. It enables your body to naturally flush itself of toxins and all traces of drugs and alcohol. It is a core component of the science of addiction recovery. Here’s why.

• Routine use of addictive substances triggers the pleasure center of your brain. Your brain is wired to seek out those things that make it happy.
• Because those substances trigger the pleasure center of your brain, your brain recognizes those feel-good feelings as a good thing. It then continuously seeks out more of those substances to have the same experience.
• The more you use, the more you need to use to continue to stimulate those positive, feel-good feelings. This increases the risk of overdose. Even if your mind desires it, too much of the substance can be too much for your body to handle.

In detox, your brain has to relearn how to function properly without the substance. It fights back through these initial few days until the substances are gone, and then your brain starts to adjust.

At our Louisiana alcohol and drug detox center, you’ll have access to tools and resources to minimize the pain and complexity of the detoxification process.

Once the drugs and alcohol are out of your system, there’s a lot of healing to happen. That requires a bit of faith in yourself to navigate. Here are some of the aspects of this recovery process you’ll need to address over the coming days, weeks, and months:

Behavioral Therapy

One of the components of your recovery will involve behavioral therapy or counseling. Group and individual therapy can provide your brain with understanding, support, and healing. It helps with overcoming the emotional impact of addiction. Through counseling for addiction, you will:

• Learn more about why you found yourself on this path
• Work through any underlying mental health complications also present, such as depression and anxiety
• Explore topics that are important to you and areas you want to recover from, such as the grief of losing someone or how to handle a stressful job.

Physical Healing

You also need to give your body the tools to heal. This might include: 

• Providing your body with nutritional support and exercise that stimulates the natural healing process
• Managing complications from your addiction, such as battling diseases and injury

How We Help You Build a Positive Recovery

At Victory Addiction Recovery Center, we bring all the pieces of addiction together to help you recover in a meaningful and effective manner. That includes detox, therapy, and opportunities to strengthen and heal your body and mind. Now is the perfect time to take action. Contact Victory Addiction Recovery Center now for immediate help.