Addiction vs. Medical Needs: How to Balance Your Medical Needs while Battling Addiction
Chronic pain is something many people deal with on a regular basis. Getting medical drugs to help ease the pain and live a normal, happy life is something that has been provided in the medical field for many years.
A worry that can occur to people taking drugs for their medical needs is the concern that they will get addicted to the substance they are taking. There are several steps that can be taken in order to help balance medical needs and fight addiction and that is understanding personal biology and understanding the drug, in order to help you to regulate how much you consume.
Is Family History a Potential Issue?
Biology can play a role in how easy it is to become addicted. If you have a family history of being easily addicted to drugs, talking to your doctor about alternatives or the ways they can help you stay off the path to addiction is necessary.
If drug addiction runs in your family, discuss your concerns with your doctor.
According to Harvard Health Publications, about 40% to 60% of susceptibility to addiction is hereditary, but behavior can play a large factor in reinforcing the habit. Do not think that just because you might be susceptible to drug abuse, does not mean that you give up.
In fact, knowing that you have a susceptibility to drug abuse is even more reason to monitor yourself and regulate what you are doing with your body. While biology can play a roll, your attitude can go a long way.
Be Informed about the Drugs You are Prescribed
Understanding the drug you are taking and how it affects your brain is another way to stay informed and alert on your battle to stay addiction free. According to NIH, most drugs flood the system with dopamine, a chemical in the brain that stimulates pleasure.
As your brain receives this overstimulated pleasure repeatedly, it develops a conditioned response to the drugs stimuli, making it easy to change the feeling of wanting to take the drug to feeling as you need to take it in order to feel pleasure.
If you stay aware of this difference, it is more likely you will be able to realize if you are going too far with your medical drug. If you end up continuing you will develop a tolerance to the drug, and it will be no use to you at all. Tolerance occurs as the body shuts down natural dopamine receptors.
Be Mindful of Behavioral Changes
Drugs trick your body into thinking you no longer need natural dopamine as you are already supplying it to your body. When your brain shuts these receptors down it can be difficult to quite your drug, because, not only are you not receiving your artificial dopamine from the drug, but also you aren’t receiving your natural levels either.
Keeping an eye out for your changed behavior toward a drug can help you stay away from reaching this point.
If you feel the need to receive help to stay addiction free or if you are having trouble balancing your medical drug call Substance Abuse.gov at 800-487-1890 (Who Answers?) to receive assistance.