Alcohol Rehab

The 21st century has an additional way of looking at substance use disorders, thanks to breakthroughs in the scientific study of the brain. Today, addiction is viewed as a chronic and brain disorder, according to NIDA. NIDA explains, even in the face of negative health, social, or legal consequences. These changes, in turn, cause behavior changes, especially those related to motivation, decision-making, and pleasure-seeking. In other words, the source of a lot of the behavior that addicts, alcoholics, and their friends and family have observed over many years can be seen inside the brain.

Whatever the label, alcoholism, addiction, or any kind of substance abuse is not something people choose. What’s key is to realize that people like Harry or Angela, who “need” to use a drug during their day at school, are not troublemakers or slackers who are simply making bad choices. They are troubled and suffering from forces they can’t control. Some people don’t like the idea that they may have a disease because they may think of diseases as being dirty or catching. For them the term disorder may be more acceptable.

A disorder implies a system that just doesn’t work right—diabetes, for example, or high blood pressure. These are conditions in which an internal system is out of order, through no “fault” of the sufferer. The source may be inherited, and the condition may be worsened by lifestyle—just as in addiction and alcoholism. Like diabetes or high blood pressure, alcoholism is chronic, meaning that it lasts a person’s lifetime, usually follows a predictable course.