Opioid addiction affects the user, but it also affects their families, friends, coworkers, and anyone else in their lives. Once the trust between the user and a loved one has been broken, it can be difficult for the user to maintain a support system. Addiction breaks bonds and isolates the user even more.
Families and relationships can be destroyed because when someone is addicted, they are not the same person they were. A person gets locked into addiction through a combination of three factors: guilt, depression and cravings. These factors, unrelieved, create enormous pressure that can drive a person back into drug or alcohol use when they try to quit, unless they get help.
When a person becomes trapped in addiction, it is as though the addiction makes decisions instead of them. For an addicted person, the need for drugs or alcohol is like the worst hunger they ever experienced and all they can think about is getting the substance they crave. It seems like life itself depends on getting the drug they need and using it. This is why an addicted person can ignore or abuse his or her own loved ones; they are not in control, the addiction is.
It’s essential for a person going through treatment to have a support system so they can remember why they’re getting help. It’s a hard process, but worth it. Addiction can change someone in every way possible, so it’s essential to seek help before it changes your life and relationships forever.
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