For some diseases, there is simply no known cure. In such cases, a regimen of medical treatment is needed in order to sustain quality of life, or to sustain life itself. Addiction is a brain disease, diagnosed as severe substance use disorder. Can addiction be cured? Not at present, though researchers are working on it. However, even now addiction can be effectively treated.

Every Addict is Different

The massive scale of the drug problem dehumanizes addicts. These days, coroners in some rural communities are running out of body bags. National news reports cite lethal overdoses in mind-boggling numbers. But it’s important not to lose sight of the individual. Behind each overdose statistic there was a human being. Someone’s wife. Somebody’s son.

Society’s persistent stigma of addiction is another factor. We fail to mobilize to fight this disease as we do cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and other maladies. The sniff of disapproval by others makes coping with the disease, even in recovery, more difficult for addicts. Stigma may cause addicts to keep their addiction hidden and make them feel more reluctant to seek treatment.

What people suffering from substance use disorders (SUDs) need from those around them is cause for hope rather than judgment. With adequate treatment, life-saving hope is possible. To determine the most effective means of treatment for an individual’s specific SUDs, a professional, personalized assessment is key.

While the so-called “drug of choice” may be the same as that of another addict, every addiction is different because every addict is different. Each brings their own psychological baggage and life experience to the life-threatening situation.

Severe SUD is a form of genetically inclined, chemically induced mental illness. As with any disease, some individuals are more susceptible to SUD than others. In such cases, the use of drugs and alcohol triggers one’s latent genetic predisposition towards addiction. Constant craving hijacks the addict’s brain chemistry. Negative consequences ensue: classes failed, cars wrecked, relationships broken, jobs lost, health ruined. Risk of falling prey to sexual assault and other forms of brutalization increase exponentially.

Yet even after the thrill is gone and the danger is clear, it is difficult for addicts to stop using. This is where science comes into the equation.

Effective Approaches to Addiction Treatment Await You

Effective treatments have been studied for years, and we know what they are – but they have to be tailored to the Indvidual. What works for one person may not work for another. Because everyone come with their own medical and mental health histories as well as substance use histories which can often come with trauma. And because addiction is a disease of the brain, it’s not something you can just take a pill for and be done. It requires a combination of therapies.

At Beauterre, we’re hardly “conventional” in our approach. Here you will be treated as the unique individual you are. Help for your addiction is but a phone call away.