10 Weird Facts About Addiction That May Surprise You

Drug and alcohol addiction are epidemics that affect millions of people worldwide. No age, ethnicity, gender, or income level is off-limits.

Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions about addiction.

People who suffer from addiction, and their families, are often subject to judgment. How accurate is your knowledge of addiction? If your family member is suffering from addiction, do you understand their sickness?

If you feel like you don’t know the truth about addiction, keep reading. Here are 10 facts about addiction that will improve your awareness.

1. Relapse is Super Common

People who aren’t affected by addiction see relapse as a failure. Or, that the addict wasn’t strong enough to stay sober. These are both false.

Relapses are super common and expected when someone’s in recovery. In fact, 70-90 percent of recovering addicts will experience at least one relapse. That doesn’t mean they’re incurable or hopeless.

Society should look at relapse like a learning curve. The addict encountered a test they didn’t know how to pass. The next time, they’ll be more experienced and know how to get through it.

2. Addiction Doesn’t Mean You’re Weak

Another common misconception is that addiction happens to weak people. If they were stronger, they would’ve resisted the urge to use.

Addiction isn’t connected to weakness or strength. It’s a physical disease that changes the brain. Once the disease starts, it’s very difficult to halt.

Like other diseases you can’t see, addiction should get treated as a health condition. Through proper treatment, therapy, and learning new skills, they can heal.

3. Recovery is a Life-long Commitment

Families of addicts often assume that one stint in rehab will cure their loved one for life. In reality, it may take many trips to rehab and many years of therapy.

Even then, recovering addicts will be in remission for their entire lives.

Since addiction affects the brain, it’s easy to fall back into negative behaviors. Recovering addicts need to be proactive with their coping skills to prevent the urge to use. For the rest of their life, they will have to prepare themselves for those triggers.  

4. You Need a Support System

Humans need social interaction. Without it, we decline in physical, mental, and emotional health. Family, friends, and peers become the support system that enables the addict to feel safe.

When you feel supported, you’re more likely to find the strength to go through treatment. Loneliness and helplessness demotivate you to better yourself.

If you are the support system for a recovering addict, know how important you are. Your non-judgmental love and support will help your loved one survive.

5. Addiction Changes Your Brain

As mentioned above, addiction changes the chemistry and biology of your brain. These changes are out of your control if you continue to abuse drugs and alcohol. Over time, your brain develops a physical dependence on the substance.

When it changes your brain, it can also affect your personality. Your mental health may destabilize. Your ability to socialize and interact can change.

Knowing that it physically impacts your brain can make addiction feel less intentional. It’s not the user’s fault they’ve become addicted. Their body, like anyone else’s, doesn’t know better.

6. It Can Cause Death

Almost 80,000 people died in 2017 from drug or alcohol overdoses. It’s important to know how serious addiction is and the real effects it can have.

Sometimes we see people in our life that have a problem excessively drinking or doing drugs. We don’t say anything or do anything because it’s uncomfortable.

But, with so many people passing away each year, it’s imperative that we reach out. Your support could save a life.

7. There’s No One-Size-Fits-All Treatment

A rehab could work for one person and not for another. Some people do well with outpatient programs, others find them challenging.

In general, treatment will be difficult. But, when you find the right one for you, its effects are evident.

If you’re looking for a treatment center, keep your horizons wide. Research many different options then narrow them down. There are tons of amazing facilities, like Chateau Recovery, that can help you or your loved one.

8. Addiction Affects the Whole Family

Ask any parent or sibling of an addict, and they’ll tell you how the addiction has affected them. Addicts often struggle to fulfill their familial role. That affects those who depend on them and those who want to protect them.

Where there’s an addict, there’s usually a hurting mother, father, or sibling. That’s why addiction recovery so often includes the family. Everyone needs to heal from this expansive and traumatic disease.  

9. “Cold Turkey” Doesn’t Work

Many people in society don’t understand why addicts “can’t just quit.” If it’s affecting you, then stop drinking or using drugs. Isn’t it that easy?

No. Once your body is dependent on a substance, it’s very difficult to resist cravings. There is no “cold turkey”.

For some, if they quit abruptly they would experience dangerous withdrawal symptoms.

Treatment centers often ween the addict off their substance over time. This is a more successful way to stay sober than going cold turkey.  

10. Marijuana Doesn’t Always Lead to Harder Drugs

There’s some controversy surrounding marijuana and its role as a gateway drug. Some say that it leads to harder things, others defend marijuana.

The fact is, gateway drugs are different for different people.

Some people smoke marijuana their whole lives without ever trying heroin. Others find that using their parent’s prescription drugs led to their addiction.

We can’t say for sure that marijuana does or doesn’t lead to harder drugs. Remember that everyone is different. It’s inaccurate to make a general statement about gateway drugs.

Interested in Learning More Facts About Addiction?

Addiction affects everyone in one way or another. Your parent, sibling, cousin, or friend could suffer. Now that you know ten real facts about addiction, you can be a stronger support.

Learning is the key to making informed decisions. The more you know about a health issue, the better you can prevent it.

There are tons of health issues, like addiction, that affect entire families. Read more on Weird Health to learn about other conditions you can prevent.  

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