It can be easy for the non-addicted to have little pity for those who struggle with addictions. After all, these people are choosing to drink to excess, consume illicit substances, overeat, or have risky intimate encounters, aren’t they? But they’re not. It’s true that no one is holding a gun to their head, forcing them to commit these behaviors, but the reasons for them are far more complex than mere impulse.
While the reasons as to why are still being debated, most scientists now agree that the brain chemistry of an addict is different from a non-addict. Individuals with a biological tendency towards addiction seem to feel the benefits of an addiction more, and this translates into dependency. More simply put, the addict may not feel that he or she will literally die if they don’t get the outcome of their desire. But life won’t be much worth living if they don’t. With some forms of addiction, certain kinds of brain function can be “rewired”, or even destroyed. And all types of addiction can cause serious types of health problems, ranging from nutritional deficiencies to disease to critical organ damage. Couple this with the societal woes caused by addiction, such as crime and the decline of communities, and addiction is far more serious than a few bad choices by isolated individuals.
But given the invasive grasp of addiction, its biological footprint, and the fact that addiction can be passed on genetically, can addicts truly be helped, and if yes, how so? The good news is that there are multiple treatments for addictions. And the one underlying factor in all of them, and one that very effectively works alone all by itself, is counseling with Narconon Fresh Start.
Counseling as in talking? How can talking be effective in loosening the grip of addiction? While the roots of addiction are physical, simply ending physical dependencies aren’t enough to prevent relapses for recovering addicts. Stresses in living, environmental factors, and even casual social acquaintances make it difficult to resist falling into old addictive patterns. But working with counselors helps the addict resist and find healthy alternatives to these triggers, plus find ways to move onto a new life, whether it’s returning to school, finding a new job, or moving to a new community.
Counseling in conjunction both alone and with other therapy, can:
- Help food addicts deal with stresses and cravings while staying physically healthy and not depriving themselves.
- Help sex addicts work on relationship skills and learn how to build healthy, intimate ones.
- Help substance and alcohol abusers learn to identify their abusive triggers, and come up with alternatives to avoid this behavior.