What To Know About Drug Use Disorder And Addiction

Nobody ever foresees struggling with a drug use disorder, but this challenging disease affects millions of Americans every single year. Drug use disorders change your body and brain and can devastate your life. Thankfully, there is assistance for anyone battling drug use. Specialized drug addiction treatment is available in the Yorktown Heights area and can help you regain control of your life. Keep reading to find out more about drug use disorders and addiction and how people and their loved ones can overcome these conditions with specialized guidance.

What Is A Drug Use Disorder?

Many people use illicit drugs for recreation or strong prescription drugs to treat physical conditions. But at what point does drug use develop into a life-changing disorder?

Generally, drug use develops into a disorder when someone displays troubling patterns of drug use and loses control of their use. Drug use disorders are mental health disorders that range from mild to severe. These disorders disrupt your life and negatively impact your health.

There are different aspects of drug use disorders:

• Dependence begins when your body becomes so accustomed to a drug that it struggles to function when it’s not present. You will experience distressing withdrawal symptoms if you quit using the drug.


• Addiction is a mental dependence. Habit-forming drugs change your brain function so that you constantly want those substances and feel driven to consume them in growing amounts. You are unable to manage your mental state and conduct. Addiction is the most extreme part of substance use disorders.

All levels of drug use disorder are harmful to your mind, body, relationships, and wellbeing. If you suspect you or a person you love has a drug use disorder, seek specialized treatment for recovery. All people have a right to help.

What Drugs Are Habit-forming?

Dependency-causing drugs include strong chemicals that alter your brain. Some are threatening enough to be outlawed. Others are approved medicines but can become hazardous when used improperly or consumed too frequently. Below are some of the most common addictive drugs in the US:

• Narcotics dull the senses, which enables them to be powerful pain relievers. Even so, some also take them to dull other uncomfortable feelings and can become addicted rapidly. Narcotics are typically categorized as opiates or opioids. Opiates are naturally derived drugs. Opioids are synthetic. Heroin is a common illegal narcotic. Legal substances like OxyContin, Vicodin, Percocet, fentanyl, and morphine have therapeutic uses but are dependency-causing and commonly abused.


• Benzodiazepines are mood-changing drugs typically prescribed for mental health disorders. However, they can give rise to addiction when not taken appropriately. Their sedative qualities produce a feeling of being relaxed. Xanax and Klonopin are widely recognized benzos.


• Stimulants consist of prescriptions like Ritalin and Adderall, as well as illegal drugs like methamphetamines and cocaine. They activate your central nervous system, causing you to become focused, energized, and euphoric. Taking too much of stimulants can be fatal.

Each of these sorts of drugs can lead to a drug use disorder. They all possess the potential to destabilize your life and cause life-threatening medical conditions. Find help for yourself or a person you care about at the initial indication of substance dependency.

How Does Drug Addiction Start?

There are many reasons why people start using habit-forming drugs. Many do so for pleasure because they like the effects those chemicals create. Some people become dependent on prescription drugs they're consuming for medical treatment. Another group of people initiate the use of drugs to self-treat undiagnosed mental illnesses and find temporary comfort.

No matter the primary factor for first using these substances, the route to addiction is generally the same. Your body grows reliant on the drug, and you become ill when you don't use it. You use more just to function. You may progressively take larger amounts for the drug to have an impact. You appreciate how it makes you feel. You feel miserable without it and continue using it. Ultimately, those chemicals take control of the pleasure center of your brain, and you are unable to experience pleasure unless that drug is active in your body.

Once you're addicted, obtaining a steady supply of the drug is the only thing that matters. Many people harm relationships, suffer medical issues, forfeit jobs, and take great risks as a result of drug addiction. Your addiction controls you and everything in your life, and you are helpless to recover without skilled support.

What Are Some Indications Of Drug Addiction?

You might think that a drug use disorder would be clear. However, these disorders can look different among individuals, and those you love will commonly try to hide their drug use from family members. If you aren't sure if you or a loved one have a drug use disorder, consider these indicators:

• Feeling an overwhelming urge to take the drug


• Unsuccessful efforts to cut down on or cease using the drug


• Allocating much time and energy acquiring the drug, taking it, or dealing with its effects


• Consuming a prescription drug for longer periods or in larger amounts than ordered


• Having difficulty handling responsibilities due to drug use


• Giving up once-liked pursuits to consume drugs


• Continual use of the drug even when it affects relationships


• Continuing to use the drug even though it takes a toll on your physical and mental health


• Having to take more of the drug to attain its effects


• Going through withdrawal when attempting to quit


• Putting yourself at risk to obtain or take the drug

Drug use disorders often look different among individuals. If you or someone close to you are displaying any indications of drug addiction near Yorktown Heights, talk to a doctor or addiction treatment professional.

Where To Find Drug Addiction Treatment In Yorktown Heights

Drug use disorder treatment is a multi-tier process. Most people will slip up and need to return to certain steps more than once. You won’t be “cured” of drug use disorder, but numerous individuals find recovery and use what they explore during treatment to build a fulfilling, sober life. The solution is locating skilled, reseach-supported treatment that matches your needs.

Everybody’s recovery journey will be distinct. However, treatment typically involves the these steps at accredited treatment facilities:

• Drug detox is the process of letting your body cleanse itself of drugs. Your system will do this automatically if you refrain from taking more drugs. But, if you have a drug dependence, your body will go into withdrawal without using. To properly complete detox, you should check into an inpatient detox treatment center that supplies round-the-clock medical guidance and takes steps to keep you comfortable.


• Drug rehab programs also offer inpatient treatment. Throughout rehab, you’ll continue to live at a treatment facility and enjoy access to medical care for any persistent withdrawal symptoms. You attend different kinds of psychotherapy every day with the aim of grasping your addiction, cultivating new positive habits, and treating any co-occurring mental disorders. You should remain in rehab until you feel physically and mentally strong enough to leave that sober environment.


• After you finish rehab, you should still receive expert addiction care. Outpatient addiction and mental health care will help you live your life without harmful substances. These programs offer continuing counseling sessions and medication management. At first, you might attend outpatient care every day and head home in the evenings. Gradually, you won’t need as much therapy and could only attend therapy weekly or less.

Everyone has a right to specialized, supportive addiction treatment. No matter how advanced your addiction is, recovery is possible. Seeking the right support at an accredited treatment facility is necessary for your future. You don’t have to face addiction alone. You will find multiple possibilities for drug addiction treatment near Yorktown Heights.

How Can Families Support A Loved One Struggling With Drug Addiction Near Yorktown Heights?

People with a drug use disorder need all the help they can find. Friends and family can be essential to addiction recovery. If you are close to a person with a drug use disorder, here are some ways you may support them:

• Help them enter a treatment facility


• Help them cover the cost of treatment


• Go to family counseling with them


• Play an active role in aftercare planning


• Give them a safe, sober place to live in


• Withhold judgment


• Set ground rules around their drug use


• Help them get to outpatient treatment appointments

Get Help For Drug Use Disorders Near Yorktown Heights Today

Nobody should confront drug use disorders by themselves. If you or a family member are struggling with drug addiction, recovery is possible. Turn to The Counseling Center At Yorktown Heights at 914-977-0608 or submit the contact form on this page. Someone will answer you promptly to talk about treatment. All calls are free and secure. We answer at all hours, 365 days a year. Find help now. We are ready for you.