Myths About Addiction And Rehab You Should Forget
- Written by News Company
Addiction and rehab conjure up some very specific pieces of information for some people, and not all of these imagined things are necessarily useful. Whether learned from pop culture or anecdotal information, this kind of information can actually be quite harmful, regardless of whether you’re the person with the addiction or simply know of someone with an addiction. Some of these are so pervasive that they’re actually quite commonly held beliefs, so in this article we take a look at myths related to addiction and rehab to give you a better understanding of these circumstances.
Addiction doesn’t present itself consistently in all sufferers
You might have a very specific idea of who might want to engage with drug rehabilitation in Melbourne, but the image of the person you conjure up may be very far from the reality of the situation. Although there are certainly instances of people being obvious examples of addicts, in many cases people addicted to drugs and/or alcohol can hide their addictions very well. For example, it’s not uncommon for people addicted to substances working in high profile jobs that net them impressive salaries, which is quite dissimilar from the homeless stereotype many people imagine when they think of addicts. And because it’s in many addicts’ best interest to not get caught out or discovered, you might not have any idea whatsoever that they are mentally or emotionally struggling with an addiction – they might just put on a façade to throw you off their scent. People with addiction have families, have jobs and can be highly sociable, affable people – addiction often doesn’t carry obvious symptoms, which is why its so helpful to discard preconceived notions of what it can be.
All examples of addiction are the same
Addiction to some might be a blanket term for anyone addicted to some kind of substance, which in turn means that people with addictions should all be treated the same way. This couldn’t be further from the truth, however – as every person is different, every person with an addiction must be treated in a unique way. This is because the root cause of the addiction can be hugely different depending on the individual, and for this reason their case has to be approached in a way that will be completely different when compared to someone with a seemingly identical case. For example, two people, each with a family, a high paying job and an addiction to alcohol will undoubtedly have dissimilar reasons, triggers, and experiences for their addiction. As such, they must be treated in very different ways to achieve success – a blanket approach here can be harmful, so it’s important to take care.
The divergent nature of addiction
Although popular culture may have inadvertently caused you to believe addiction is a simple open and shut case, and all people with addiction are the same, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Overcoming these myths is the most important aspect of properly understanding someone with an addiction, as is opening your mind to really understand what an addict can be. At the end of the day, it might surprise many to know that the homeless people you see on your walk to work are not truly representative of people with addiction – they’re people just like you and me.