What is Drug Addiction?
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “Addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use despite adverse consequences.” Furthermore, drug addiction is a brain disorder due to “functional changes to brain circuits involved in reward, stress, and self-control.” The effects of drug addiction can linger after you quit using drugs.
When you use drugs, for example, certain areas of your brain are “hijacked.” In other words, the drugs activate parts of your brain associated with feeling good. Additionally, these areas in your brain are the reward circuit, which reinforces specific behaviors. For instance, your brain’s reward circuit is activated when you exercise as a way of reinforcing this positive behavior.
However, when drugs hijack this reward circuit, you get a flood of feel-good chemicals in your brain without any effort. Over time, as you abuse drugs, you struggle to feel good without them. In severe cases, you might even struggle just to feel normal without drugs. Therefore, you become stuck in the cycle of drug addiction.
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What Drugs Are Most Commonly Abused?
Several drugs carry the risk of addiction. Even prescription drugs like Xanax can be addictive. Prescription painkillers add to the current opioid crisis in America, for example. As a result, many people become unintentionally addicted to drugs and might move on to illegal drugs when their prescriptions run out.
Some of the most commonly abused substances are:
Cocaine: Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant made from the leaves of the South American coca plant.
Methamphetamine: Like cocaine, methamphetamine, also called “meth” is a highly addictive stimulant drug. However, unlike cocaine, meth is synthesized in a lab.
Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB): GHB is a depressant drug that causes euphoric effects.
Hallucinogens: Examples of this class of drugs include ketamine, kratom, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), mescaline (peyote), khat, phencyclidine (PCP), psilocybin, salvia, and dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Hallucinogens distort a person’s perception of reality.
Opioids: Opioids and opiates are highly addictive substances that act on the opioid receptors in the brain. Examples include heroin, morphine, fentanyl, and oxycodone.
Inhalants: Solvents, aerosols, gases, and prescription nitrates are often found in household items such as spray paints, marker pens, glues, and cleaning items.
Marijuana (cannabis): Cannabis sativa, also known as marijuana or pot, contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is the primary psychoactive (mind-altering) ingredient in marijuana.
Adderall: Prescription stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin are often abused by college students to focus and study.
The effects of each drug can differ depending upon the class of drugs. Stimulant drugs activate brain activity, while depressant drugs slow down brain functioning. However, drug addiction often results in similar consequences across many areas of a person’s life.
What Are the Effects of Drug Addiction?
The effects of drug addiction can be short or long-term. Short-term effects include the desired effect of the drug itself. In addition, these short-term effects include adverse consequences, like reckless behaviors under the influence or feeling a “crash” after using. Long-term effects, however, build up over time, leading to severe consequences in your life.
Some short-term effects of drug addiction include effects while high and when coming down, like:
- Changes in appetite
- Insomnia
- Elevated heart rate
- Slurred speech
- Changes in thoughts and behaviors
- Feeling of euphoria
- Coordination problems
- Injuries while under the influence
- Fatigue
- Irritability
Long-term effects of drug addiction involve negative impacts on your social, physical, and mental health, including:
- Relationship issues
- Poor performance at work or school
- Poor personal hygiene
- Change in appearance
- Trouble thinking
- Legal issues
- Financial problems
- Depression and anxiety
- Risk of chronic physical illness
The long-term effects of drug addiction can cause significant problems in your life. For this reason, it is best to get into drug rehab in Murfreesboro, or Nashville, Tennessee as soon as you recognize the signs and symptoms of addiction.
Signs and Symptoms You Need Drug Rehab In Murfreesboro, TN
Like all disorders, drug addiction has tell-tale signs and symptoms. Therefore, you can identify drug addiction in yourself or your loved one. Drug addiction causes changes to your physical appearance, mood, and behaviors. Thus, your family members and loved ones will most likely notice these changes.
Signs and symptoms of drug addiction include:
- Urges to use drugs throughout the day
- Using more drugs for the same effects
- Strong cravings for drugs
- Trouble controlling impulses and emotions
- Significant changes in mood
- Sloppy appearance and poor hygiene
- Spending most of your time using, getting, or recovering from drug use
- Stealing or asking for money often
- No longer fulfilling family, work, or school obligations
- Lack of interest in pleasurable activities
- Unable to cut back or quit drug use
- Continuing to use drugs, despite negative consequences
- Withdrawal symptoms appear when you stop using
In addition, each drug can have its own signs of abuse. For example, snorting cocaine or Adderall can damage your nasal passages, while smoking crystal meth leads to severe dental problems. After you recognize drug addiction in yourself or a loved one, it is important to seek help right away. Lastly, quitting on your own or “cold-turkey” leaves you susceptible to relapse and even life-threatening withdrawal symptoms.
How Is Drug Addiction Treated at Our Drug Rehab In Murfreesboro TN?
At Tulip Hill drug rehab in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, we know that underlying mental health conditions often cause drug addiction. In addition, we believe in holistic approaches to treatment. In other words, our Murfreesboro drug rehab program will focus on all areas of your health and wellness—mental, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual.
Our drug rehab in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, includes the following programs:
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
Drug rehab in Murfreesboro, Tennessee includes a 30-day PHP, sometimes referred to as “day treatment.” PHP occurs for several hours a day, 5 days per week. During PHP, you get help identifying the underlying causes of drug addiction and learn practical skills to manage these issues.
Intenstive Oupatient Program (IOP)
IOP is similar to PHP. However, an IOP requires less time and is more flexible to fit your schedule. IOP is ideal for those who completed a PHP as a step down in treatment. In addition, IOP can be an option for those who are unable to attend PHP due to work, school, or family duties.
Recovery Residences
During drug rehab, you might want to reside away from home to minimize distractions and focus on recovery. For this reason, Tulip Hill Recovery has recovery residences for those attending our programs. If you need a safe and secure place to live during treatment, then our recovery residences could help you.
Post-Recovery Program
After you complete active treatment during PHP, IOP, or a residential program, you still need time to transition back to everyday life. Tulip Hill Recovery offers a post-recovery program to help you stay on the right track. As a result, you aren’t leaving treatment feeling like you are on your own. We will help you maintain a connection with our recovery community after treatment.
Benefits of Drug Rehab In Murfreesboro, TN
Drug rehab in Murfreesboro, Tennessee at Tulip Hill Recovery can help you in several ways. Above all, our aim is to help you live your best life without drug addiction getting in the way.
The benefits of drug rehab include the following:
- Reduce the risk of relapse in early recovery
- Create a sense of community during treatment
- Foster peer support in recovery
- Learn healthy coping skills for stress and triggers
- Identify and treat underlying causes of drug addiction
- Dual diagnosis treatment for mental health and substance use disorders
- Help with vocational goals
- Improve family relationships
- Increase mental, emotional, and physical wellness
- Learn to manage cravings
- Build a healthy routine and structure
These benefits can help you or your loved one maintain sobriety after drug rehab. We offer hope for positive changes in your life by providing the skills you need to find success in recovery.
Drug Rehab In Murfreesboro, TN
Tulip Hill Recovery offers solutions to drug addiction with drug rehab in Smyrna and Murfreesboro, Tennessee as well as the Clarksville, Franklin and Chattanooga areas. Moreover, our treatment programs can help those who struggle to control or cut back on their drug use as well as veterans struggling with heroin, cocaine, opioid, alcohol or Xanax addiction. Secondly, we also treat underlying mental health disorders with our dual diagnosis treatment.
In addition, we have a post-recovery program to keep you on the right track after leaving our facility. Contact our family-owned drug rehab center today to learn more.
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