Alcoholic and Addicts New In Recovery: The Challenge With Rules

Alcoholics and addicts new in recovery are a notoriously undisciplined bunch. They have difficulty accepting rules enforced on them by others and are quick to buck any type of external authority. It would seem that this can be for many a manifestation of their addictive disease, and once through with alcohol detoxification or drug withdrawal, they must begin to accept rules that have been set down by others.

Sometimes these rules are those set forth by drug rehabilitation centers. Others must face up to rules designed and implemented by the courts or the probation officer. On occasion, the family attempts to exert increasing control on the alcoholic/addict by creating specified instructions for acceptable behavior.

Regardless of where the rules come from, newly recovering alcoholics and addicts have a difficult time adhering or complying. Part of the disease of alcoholism and addiction is an unnerving and continuous self-absorption. It is, by its very nature, a disease that insists that the sufferer (the alcoholic/addict) attend only to their needs. This should be obvious--we're talking about people whose primary drive is to get and stay drunk or high, regardless of the consequences.

True recovery begins when sober alcoholics recognize this tendency to put themselves first and to put themselves above whatever laws that should direct their behavior. These misdirected souls need to accept direction. As recovery continues, they may begin to internalize a sense of immediate right and wrong, but until that time, others have to set down the rules, to lay down the law. And all should expect the alcoholic/addict to try and find their way around these very same rules.

Treatment of Prescription Drug Addiction

One of the most common forms of addiction in the United States and Canada is that of prescription drug addiction. This type of addiction can be particularly difficult to treat because the addict will often insist that they are justified in taking their large doses of prescription medications. After all, they were prescribed by their doctor. Or several of their doctors. Denial is king here.

Doctor shopping is a common occurrence with prescription drug addicts. If one doctor does not give them what they want, they go to the next doctor. Usually, if the doctor tries to set limits with the amount or frequency of a medication, or stop it altogether, the patient will become irate. If the doctor gives in, great! If not, it's off to the next doctor's office.

Even though they had to "shop for it", somehow getting the prescription is like a justification for taking the medication. "My doctor told me I need this. It's not that high of a dose". "Obviously I need it or the doctor wouldn't have prescribed it to me". Yet, when you look at the person's life, you see it falling apart at the seams. They are a shadow of the person they once were. Relationships are failing. Their job is faltering. Their marriage is full of strife. They no longer seem like the happy and productive person they once were.

As you can see, one of the first steps in treating prescription drug addiction is to get through the denial aspect. Next, you must begin to detox the person off of the prescription drugs. Drug detox for each individual drug has to be considered. With prescription drug addiction, usually there is more than one drug involved.

Experienced professionals are needed to tackle the difficult issues that occur in the early stages of prescription drug addiction. The best drug rehabs are able to offer a holistic, individualized approach to both the drug detox and the subsequent addiction treatment. Denial might be king with prescription drug addiction. But denial, in this case, will eventually kill you.

The Natural Order of Things

One can't live on the planet without observing some of the standard overarching laws by which everything must exist. Some very basic principles guide the planet and it's ability to sustain life: gravity, for example. If the planet wasn't stuck in it's orbit, there might be no life. If the planet didn't exert it's own gravity, everything would float off. The simple physics of gravity keeps us bound to the earth--it's the natural order. An inescapable truth.

Yet we have found over the last century that we can overcome gravity. We can launch massive barrels of steel into the air, filled with thousands of tons of equipment and humans, and bring it all down on the other side of the globe. We can thrust building sized rockets into outer space, and hold building sized spacecraft in orbit around our planet.

Of course this takes a monumental effort. But the natural order of some things can be surmounted.

The natural order for the alcoholic/addict is as clear as the law of gravity. The natural state--the most comfortable state of being--for the alcoholic/addict is to be using, high, or drunk. Anything else for someone suffering from untreated alcoholism or drug addiction is an unnatural state. Strange as this may sound, it is a truth; until the disease is arrested or the person dies, an alcoholic/addict must use and will.

But just as with the law of gravity, this natural order can be overcome. Alcohol treatment and drug treatment is available, support can be found. The diseases of alcoholism and addiction can be arrested. The person need not die.

We can fly massive planes. We can launch and construct space stations. And with the right kind of effort, with appropriate detoxification, with alcohol and drug rehabilitation, with caring and nurturing support, the natural order can be reversed.