Is Drug Addiction Treatment Really Necessary If I Go to 12-Step Meetings?
After so many weeks or months of drug abuse, you’ve likely experienced more than a few adverse effects of drug use in your day-to-day life. Problems on the job, conflicts with loved ones and emotional ups and downs may seem to be getting worse with time.
Once you reach a point where you’re willing to consider getting some form of help, it can be easy to opt for the least inconvenient treatment option. While 12 Step meetings may offer the most convenient option, it may not be enough to help you get a handle on drug using behaviors.
According to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, drug addiction treatment programs specialize in treating the physical and psychological effects of drug abuse while helping you develop the types of coping skills needed to live life on a drug-free basis. Granted, some people can get by with 12 Step meetings; however, the severity of your drug problem may well warrant a more intensive treatment approach.
Addiction’s Increasing Control
Addictive drugs work by altering the brain’s chemical makeup and eventually changing the way the mind thinks. With continued drug use, your ability to take back control of your life from drugs weakens as the brain becomes more dependent on the drug’s effects to function, according to Harvard Health Publications.
In the absence of needed drug addiction treatment supports, drug-using behaviors can quickly spin out-of-control regardless of where a person is at in the abuse-addiction cycle.
12 Step Meetings vs. Drug Addiction Treatment
Twelve Step meetings offer a supportive environment where recovering addicts can receive needed guidance on how to manage drug-using urges in their day-to-day lives. Regular attendance at 12 Step meetings may offer sufficient treatment support provided drug-using urges haven’t reached the point where you have no control over your behaviors and choices.
On the other hand, if drug use has started to cause problems for you on the job or has become a source of ongoing relationship conflicts, it’s time to consider getting professional drug addiction treatment help to prevent a bad situation from getting worse.
Once you reach a point where you’re willing to consider getting some form of help, it can be easy to opt for the least inconvenient treatment option. While 12 Step meetings may offer the most convenient option, it may not be enough to help you get a handle on drug using behaviors.
According to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, drug addiction treatment programs specialize in treating the physical and psychological effects of drug abuse while helping you develop the types of coping skills needed to live life on a drug-free basis. Granted, some people can get by with 12 Step meetings; however, the severity of your drug problem may well warrant a more intensive treatment approach.
Addiction’s Increasing Control
Addictive drugs work by altering the brain’s chemical makeup and eventually changing the way the mind thinks. With continued drug use, your ability to take back control of your life from drugs weakens as the brain becomes more dependent on the drug’s effects to function, according to Harvard Health Publications.
In the absence of needed drug addiction treatment supports, drug-using behaviors can quickly spin out-of-control regardless of where a person is at in the abuse-addiction cycle.
12 Step Meetings vs. Drug Addiction Treatment
Twelve Step meetings offer a supportive environment where recovering addicts can receive needed guidance on how to manage drug-using urges in their day-to-day lives. Regular attendance at 12 Step meetings may offer sufficient treatment support provided drug-using urges haven’t reached the point where you have no control over your behaviors and choices.
On the other hand, if drug use has started to cause problems for you on the job or has become a source of ongoing relationship conflicts, it’s time to consider getting professional drug addiction treatment help to prevent a bad situation from getting worse.