Addiction is a disorder of the mind. It is a deceiver and a manipulator, placing drugs and alcohol above all else in your life. Substance abuse disorders thrive on the lies they tell you, convincing you that they make life better, easier, or more manageable. Recognizing the lies addiction feeds you will help you break the cycle of drug abuse or alcoholism.
10 Dangerous Lies Addiction Tells You
Life without using is worse.
Addiction wants you to believe what lies beyond drugs and alcohol is unbearable misery. It wants you to continue using illicit substances to bury your pain. Addiction doesn’t want you to heal; it doesn’t want you to grow.
You’re fine— you don’t have a problem.
Social attitudes toward substance abuse convince us that it has a specific face. We tell ourselves that we have things under control because we maintain employment or because only drink at night. Don’t fall for the social misconceptions surrounding drug and alcohol abuse. If you have to convince yourself your drinking or drug use isn’t a problem, it probably is.
Nothing bad will happen to you.
The optimism bias, or the belief that nothing bad will happen to you despite obvious dangers is a serious risk when it comes to addiction. Fatal drug overdose is at an all time high, and yet we continue tempting fate under the false belief that we are somehow immune. Even past close calls may not be enough to break the bonds of addiction. The only way to protect yourself from the dangers of overdose is through recovery.
Overdose happens to other people.
This one goes hand in hand with the false sense of invulnerability. Overdose is a real and constant threat for people living in active addiction. Every drink or dose is a game of chance you can’t ensure you’ll always win.
What you do is nobody’s business.
Yeah, okay, maybe you have a problem. But that’s no one else’s business, right? Except substance abuse has a direct impact on the lives of everyone you know and love. Your friends worry, your family suffers; your children are scared and they’re watching you.
Rehab is a scam.
Addiction wants you to think it’s a life sentence. It wants you to believe you’re doomed to spend the rest of your days fighting off withdrawal symptoms and seeking the next buzz or high. Distrust in addiction treatment programs and rehab facilities keeps you from regaining control of your life.
You don’t need help– cold turkey is the way to go.
Addiction recovery is more than just gritting and bearing it through the pains of withdrawal. Because substance abuse is a disease that affects the mind and body, recovery requires more than just quitting, and often attempts to go ‘cold turkey’ fail without the proper support and guidance. Not to mention the inherent danger of attempting to detox without clinical intervention– it could be fatal.
You can slow down any time you want.
Ah, yes, moderation. The lie addiction whispers to you when it feels you slipping from its grasp. It says you can get things back under control without actually having to give up anything. You can cut back from a six pack per night to just one or two beers. You can use less, back off of the harder stuff and be fine. Until the cravings become too much and you give in. The dangers of relapse are greatly increased when desperation overtakes caution. Additionally, your tolerance may decrease, meaning what was once an average dose could easily become fatal.
At least you’re not as bad as ‘that guy.’
Odds are you know ‘that guy.’ Of course you do, watching them spiral makes you feel better about yourself. The problem is that type of comparison is inherently flawed. Someone else’s struggle does not negate the gravity of your own addiction.
We’re all going to die anyway.
This is the most morbid of all the lies addiction tells you. Human mortality doesn’t mean you have to rush to the grave. Living the life you were destined for begins by leaving drugs and alcohol behind.
Start with us today.
