What Is An Addiction And Why You Need Treatment

Everybody comes into contact with addiction, one way or another. It might be through personal experience or through the addictive behavior of a family member or friend. In fact you could well have been directly involved in obtaining addiction treatment for a loved one.

There are many, many addictions, more than most people realize. There are basically two main types of addiction:

Substance Abuse Addictions and Process Addictions.

We are all aware of substance addictions, this includes:
Alcohol
Drugs - Recreational and Prescription
Caffeine
Nicotine
Food
Refined Sugar
Carbohydrates

But there are many more addictions which come under the umbrella of Process addictions. These include some of the following:

Sex
Love
Relationships
Anger
Activity Addictions. These can include, but are not limited to:

The Internet
Exercise
Work
Gambling
Shopping
Spending Money
Obsession
Self Loathing
Television
Computer and Video Gaming
Pornography
Masturbation
Dangerous pursuits
Meditation

For whatever reason the mind is feeling pain. An addiction is a way of avoiding that pain. It is as well, a way to not to take responsibility for this pain. To not explore the reasons behind the pain and to really deal with it, once and for all.

Do you for instance exercise because you need to get fit or lose weight, or has exercise become an addiction. Do you fret and worry, get irritable or anxious, when for some reason you cannot get to the gym? This is addictive behavior.
Practically any thing can become an addiction, if we are doing it for the wrong reasons.

Everyone has their own ego problems. That might not seem possible, if you look around at some of the very confident, powerfull people in the media, on television, in sports or in the movies.But inside of all these people, even if they hide it very well, is some pain, some issues that they cannot face and take responsibility for.

These emotional issues or beliefs have been nurtured all through childhood and into adulthood. A great number of these beliefs are not true, yet we grow up believing the exact opposite to this.

There are considered to be four main or common false beliefs that are the cornerstone of nearly all addictions.

# I am not capable of dealing with my emotional pain

# I am not a good person and no-one can love me

# Only Other people are my means to love

# It is possible to control how other people see me and behave towards me

How To Obtain Information About Addiction Treatment

To try and gain first hand information regarding addiction treatments first and foremost, check out the Internet. There is so much information on the web; you can even get a tiny bit overwhelmed. However, its usually best to possess too much knowledge rather than not sufficient.

Carry out a swift search on your favorite search engine for addiction treatments and then spend some time looking through the websites you find

Check out books all about addictions. There is always a great deal of relevant knowledge in books. These days it is easy to acquire the information you require in digital format, which means you can access it instantly.

Go to your local library and see what resources they have available. Libraries offer a lot more than textbooks these days. They possess access to documentaries, pamphlets, and magazines regarding addictions and recovery.

Libraries will offer a more in depth guide to specific addictions that you may be looking for, such as drug, alcohol or even food addictions.

Addiction Treatment For Food Addiction

Food addiction treatment in addition used to have every person weigh and measure their food, even after therapy and in public venues.

The thinking was to aid the patient gain a healthier perspective of acceptable quantities of food. While there were encouraging elements of weighing and measuring in treatment, in the long run it just “fed" into their problem of restrain and perfectionism.

Lastly, when these sufferers were requested to weigh and measure in dining establishments and other public places it created indignity as well as embarrassment, pushing more of them deeper into their addiction.

Food Addiction Treatment Is Now In The 21st Century

Food addiction treatment has altered immensely within the last 15 years, as has our awareness of food addiction itself. Food addiction was once viewed as a deficiency of determination as it relates to food but it is now understood as being an addiction to food, over which the food addict has no power to control.

The foods that create the intense desires for more seem to be sugars, refined flour and wheat. Food addiction treatment programs used to consider everyone entering food addiction treatment needed to refrain from these types of foods. These days, food addiction treatment is more circumspect taking into consideration each individuals;

* Medical history
* Psychiatric history, including present or past eating disorders
* Nutritional needs
* Recreation

Behavioral Options For Addiction Treatment

With Addiction treatment the depth of addiction and preceding efforts to discontinue using drugs can also impact a therapy approach. Finally, individuals who are addicted to drugs often experience added health (including other mental health), work-related, legal, familial, and communal problems that must be dealt with concurrently.

Many addiction treatment programs make use of both individual and group therapies. Group counseling might offer social reinforcement and aid behavioral contingencies that encourage self-restraint and a non-drug-using way of life.

A number of of the more recognized behavioral treatment options, such as contingency management and cognitive-behavioral therapy, are also being custom-made for group settings to develop effectiveness and value for money.

On the other hand, especially in young people, there can also be a threat of iatrogenic, or unintentional, effects of group treatment; consequently, skilled counselors must be aware and monitor for these kinds of effects.

Best Addiction Treatment

Addiction treatment therapy is meant to help addicted people stop compulsive drug seeking and use. Therapy can occur in a diversity of settings, in many different forms, and for various lengths of time. Because any dependence is generally a chronic disorder characterized by sporadic relapses, a short-term, one-off treatment is typically not adequate.

For many, treatment is a long-term course of action that involves numerous interventions and frequent monitoring.

There are a number of evidence-based approaches to treating addiction. Drug treatment may include behavioral treatment (such as personal or group counseling, cognitive therapy, or contingency management), medicines, or their combination.

The specific type of treatment or combination of treatments will vary depending on the patient's individual requirements and, often, on the types of drugs they use.