Common Myths of Substance Abuse

In my time as an addiction counselor, I have come across many myths of addiction that undermine recovery.
First myth, addiction is a choice. In my experience, most addicts would not choose to be addicts. For many people whose lives have been affected by addiction, their lives have turned upside down. Addiction has destroyed their relationships, jobs, education, health, and has created havoc with their emotions. Would you choose this for yourself or a loved one?
Second myth, addicts must hit rock bottom before they seek help. I feel this is one myth that hurts addicts more than any other. This myth causes addicts to continue to go back into using time and time again because “I haven’t hit rock bottom”, or “I haven’t lost everything.” There is always something more than could happen to you. The lowest rock bottom is the loss of your life. Do you really want to lose that?
Third myth, addiction is the addict’s problem. In my time working with addicts and their families, I have been told time and time again from families, “that’s their problem, they’re the addict.” However, addiction affects all aspects of the person’s life, including their communication and relationships with their families. It is important for families to be involved in their loved one’s treatment in order to work on improving their communication and learning more about addiction and recovery.
Lastly, the myth that addicts are bad people. This is a common myth until someone in your life is impacted by the disease of addiction. Addicts are people, who have made some bad choices. Addiction does not discriminate across socioeconomic backgrounds, career paths, age, gender, etc.
Cenikor assists individuals understand the facts and break down these myths of addiction. Cenikor Foundation is dedicated to providing quality behavioral health care services to the communities we serve through a continuum of care for adults and adolescents. If you have a loved one needs help and is struggling with an addiction, call us at 888-236-4567 or visit us online at www.cenikor.org to learn about our programs.