The "Addict's Delusions"...often prevent real care from ever happening for the Addict and their family. You need to understand how this works...asap...whether you're the "addict" or the "co-addict"/family or friends. NOTICE: ALL PERSONS in this relationship (with the Addiction) NEED a RECOVERY PROGRAM. "It's about Behavior..." remember.
During the course of "trying to get help" for "your addict" - whether it is the addict or "someone attached" to the addict doing the searching for help (which is most common) - it is important to understand what you are up against. Most do not, and are what is called "clueless" unfortunately. This is not just a problem about "pills" or "drugs" but almost nobody understands this going into care. (See page on "What's Really Going On") To get real help for this nearly impossible to deal with issue, you must have a cooperative and "ready" addict - first - absolutely! The "co-addict" cannot make this occur either.
NOTICE: Things that hinder most addicts from being "ready" to get the help they need are all of the following "DELUSIONS". Such things are "delusions" to the expected process of beginning a workable Recovery Program. Study how many of the following you are presently experiencing - with "your addict".
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THINGS THAT ADDICTS (AND THEIR FAMILIES) DO OR BELIEVE THAT PREVENT GOOD CARE FROM EVER BEGINNING:
1. Believes (and assumes fully) "all the addict needs is just different pills...called Suboxone". Hey, it "feels" better so it's all they need. WRONG.
(It's not about taking a different drug that treats Addiction or the addict would have that licked already, no? There's more to it than just this, but for complex and different reasons entirely, the addict and the "co-addicts" assume this is the answer quick, almost always...which is a disaster pending reality.)
2. Believes/Assumes "I can handle it" when it comes to getting this thing called Addiction under control...for a myriad of ignorant reasons & excuses that "almost make sense". WRONG.
3. Believes work, money, children, wife, anything...are any one or all more important than getting and maintaining what has to be "good verifiable recovery" for a real addiction...that will kill you if not treated right.
4. Believes/Assumes "we can do this"...without telling anyone about it or going the full course of (often rarely found) what has to be expert treatment.
5. Believes can get it right (i.e. stop doing drugs) this time...which is the "next time" always...having already tried to quit many times, but cannot.
(Hint: The definition of INSANITY is "doing the same thing over and over again - expecting different results!" If you already knew how to do this - quit doing drugs - you'd have already done this, wouldn't you? Answer: Yes.)
6. [This one's somewhat commical to those of us who understand the process of Addiction well.] Believes/Assumes if they "change locations" to another entire place - on the globe - all things will be better & the problem then disappears. WRONG. (Hint: This is so common, it has a name: "Geographical Cures" do not work.)
7. Believes if changes drugs to another less potent or different drug - then, s/he can "handle it". WRONG.
8. Believes the "methadone* game" will work for them better. DISASTEROUS! (We've seen addicts go down forever using this "alternative" legal route of ab-using opiate drugs!)
9. Believes that nobody can tell what the addict is doing day to day "using drugs"...that it's all still a secret. WRONG.
10. We often hear (from both the addict and the "co-addicts") how "We can handle it." How is this different than #2 above? This "We can handle it" comes AFTER WE get the chance to present the TRUTH about their REAL circumstances, post evaluation, yet still (like the good "controllers" many addicts and "co-addicts" are today), they choose to believe they still "...can handle it". WRONG. (Hey, that's how they've "handled it" so well so far, no?)
11. Believes they've been "done wrong" or "done unto" in some way by someone in the past today. They carry this with them as their excellent excuse to "do drugs" to sooth the pain, too. When you take the "poor poor pitiful me" path, that's gonna be your excuse for "doing drugs" for some time to come. (Some here focus on the doctor that prescribed all those drugs to them - if the drugs were obtained by "prescription" - "it's their fault; not mine" - as the total cause of their addiction. WRONG. Q.Who forced all those drugs down your throat or up your nose or into that needle & into your veins? Anybody do that to you, really?) Until the light of reality hits that "it doesn't matter what's happened to you in the past" or what excuse you're now using to "use drugs" - then you'll just be stuck in the muck until you "get over it". Oh well. Wallow in it till you're happy, I guess...which won't happen...so "do more drugs!" WRONG.
12. Believes continuing the "fantasy" or "living the lie" that they've long been living, that includes "doing drugs" in it all - however your "dysfunctional behavioral system" goes today or "your world" now mal-operates for you - will somehow cause you to be able to stop this tornado of drug use, soon? WRONG. What this "fantasy living" does is "keep you sick" until you "get real" with what needs to be real help. Hey, it only makes sense that you don't know how to treat this today actually. If you did, again, wouldn't you have already done this for yourself?
13. Assumes good help is everywhere, and all "help" is the same everywhere, too. Assumes it's a simple thing to "treat addiction" today; they'll be able to get good help and "get over it" anytime - on their schedule. Sure you will... [See "How to Treat Addiction" properly]
14. Assumes they'll be alive or able to "get help" whenever they want - later. (Often, the only chance to get the help they need is "passed" and the addict never returns...or is able to return for that help.)
15. More coming...
*Methadone - is the "guerrela opiate" of all the world! There is not another drug as powerful in the opiate category - as long-acting and potent, etc. - of medications. This means highly significant things when you're on it..
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