果酱视频

For an issue that鈥檚 so pervasive, misconceptions about addiction abound. One big misconception is that misusing drugs or alcohol is purely a personal choice, 果酱视频 experts say.

Judy Fenster, Ph.D.

鈥淭he brain is very quick to remember behaviors that worked for it,鈥� says Judy Fenster, Ph.D., an associate professor and faculty chair for curriculum and instruction at the . 鈥淵ou go to a bar, and you鈥檙e awkward, and you have a drink, it works quickly. We know why people turn to these substances. They work darn well. The problem is that they don鈥檛 work long term, and they start to cause their own problems.鈥�

鈥淭here鈥檚 a physiological component of addiction,鈥� says Ms. Monti. 鈥淧eople who are addicted, they don鈥檛 desire this life, and they are in a lot of pain. They can burn bridges, steal things, and really alienate others, but you have to remember it鈥檚 coming from a place of fear and pain.鈥�

Another common assumption is that anything less than total abstinence is failure. 鈥淩esearch shows the abstinence approach works for some but not for others,鈥� Dr. Fenster says. New models of treatment have emerged that promote a more open approach, 鈥渁llowing for people who want to moderate rather than stop to talk about what they are willing to do right now to reduce the harm right away,鈥� she says.

鈥淎s people are able to make small changes in their lives and renew relationships, if they are not 100 percent abstinent for a whole year, that鈥檚 not necessarily a failure,鈥� says Leslie Temme 鈥�87, M.S.W. 鈥�89, Ph.D. 鈥�10, an assistant professor of social work at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, N.C. 鈥淚f we could make their treatment experience positive, even if they do not make it this time, at least they鈥檒l have the sense they can come back to a place like that because it was a positive experience for them.鈥�

A third major misconception is that family and friends can鈥檛 do anything until the substance abuser chooses to be helped. 鈥淧eople feel the person has to hit bottom in order to receive treatment, and as a result, they wait for the addict to come forward and want help. In fact there are many different options that can be offered prior to hitting bottom,鈥� Dr. Freshman says.

The belief that families have little role in moving relatives toward sobriety grew out of public awareness of Alcoholics Anonymous鈥� 12-step program, a treatment model designed more than 80 years ago for adults with addiction problems, she says. 鈥淭he idea was to 鈥榣et go and let God,鈥欌�� Dr. Freshman says. 鈥淚n letting go and not enabling, the person is likely to fall apart and seek treatment. The problem with that is we鈥檙e dealing nowadays with opiate addiction. And opiate addiction is not the kind of thing you can comfortably let your 19- or 21-year-old do and hope they don鈥檛 overdose and die. You are better off trying to do interventions to get them into treatment even if they don鈥檛 want it, viewing those as opening steps until they do want it.鈥�