One of the greatest and most toxic temptations in any field is to imagine that universal answers are possible. This means thinking that there is a way of living that trumps all others. A method of solving every problem with perfect accuracy, and a mode of behavior that is “optimal”.
There are a few problems with this viewpoint. For one, it has never held true on deep scrutiny. Even in the field of mathematics, which has the most reason to think that its methods and modes are absolute, thinking that certain answers are always true has been proven untrue.
For instance, Euclidean geometry dominated mathematical expressions of shapes for the longest time. The best example of this is the rule that “two parallel lines can never meet.
This is true… On a 2D plane. But if you draw parallel lines onto a sphere, then you find that they intersect at the poles of the sphere. “Parallel lines never meet” is true in 2D, but not in 3D.
This is the principle of non-universality. Basically, no solution that works on all problems in all circumstances. There is always a need to diversify one’s thinking, because complications can always arise that invalidate the existing solutions. This is the truest with people and addiction.
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The Complexity of Addiction
When people think of medicine, they often think of diseases and cures. Disease A can be cured with Cure A. But sadly, things are not that simple, especially when it comes to addiction.
The reason is because the human body is complicated. A treatment for one disease might cause another disease. In fact, the cause of one disease might cure another disease.
And worst of all, when it comes to addiction, the causes and cures are not always localized to the body of the addict. A person might do everything they can to cleanse their body of the substance they are addicted to. But if they go right back to the same environment where they developed the addiction in the first place, then they have a high chance of relapse.
Every addiction is unique, because every addiction is the result of a person’s circumstance. Think about it: You can’t get addicted to drugs if there are no drugs around, and most people hardly have the opportunity to pick and choose what drugs are in their environment.
What drugs a person gets addicted to, where they go to find them, who supplies them, and even the reason the person takes the drugs will all have a significant impact on how their addiction develops. But more importantly, it will have a massive impact on how they go through recovery.
The Complexity of Recovery
Experts on addiction and recovery agree: A person’s journey through recovery is highly unique to that person. It is not just a matter of changing their body chemistry. There are at least three other layers to recovery that deserve just as much attention as detox.
Physical Recovery
You might think that by physical recovery we mean detox. But no, one of the easiest things to overlook when thinking about addiction is how it impacts the physical capabilities of the addict.
Muscle can go away, reflexes can dull, and chronic pain can develop. These are all thought of as symptoms of addiction, but the problem with thinking that way is that detoxing from addiction does not cause muscle mass to return, reflexes to be honed, or pain to subside.
Someone who is more athletic will have an easier time recovering than someone who does not. And just the same, someone who eats healthily and regularly will have an easier time too. As a result, a highly unique layer of recovery is always regaining the lost physique of the addict.
Mental and Emotional Recovery
We are bundling these together because they are closely related, though they are somewhat different. Drug addiction degenerates one’s mental faculties. It literally makes the frontal lobe, the part of the brain responsible for long term planning, less responsive.
On the emotional side, drug addiction strips away a person’s ability to process their emotions. Not only that, but it also burdens them with guilt and frustration at themselves for the situation they are in. But here is the really strange thing: It doesn’t happen the same for everyone.
Something that experts on mental health are continually baffled by is the fact that everyone reacts to trauma differently. Some people freak out, while others are calm. The systems a person has for dealing with these things are so different from person to person that they are impossible to predict.
Environmental Recovery
This is the one that is the most unique, and for that reason the easiest to misunderstand. People don’t think of their environment as something they can change most of the time.
But it is critical that an addict recognize who or what in their environment is making it easier for them to relapse into substance abuse. Every environment is highly different. How, where, and from who the addict gets their drugs will be different from person to person.
And as a result, each addict has to deal with their environment in a different way. This is also the method of recovery that has the most limitations on it. Some addicts will need to move but can’t. Therefore, they need to find an alternate solution to their problem.
Conclusion
This can all make recovery seem so daunting. And it is daunting. But an intimidating task does not mean an impossible task, even if there are limitations in the way like with one’s environment.
No addiction is impossible to recover from. And more than that, no limitations are insurmountable. Even if you can’t move, you can still affect changes to your environment. Even if you can’t get therapy, there are still things you can do for your emotional stability.
If you want help or just want to talk about your addiction journey, you can contact us here: https://www.ascendantny.com/our-team/
