SUBSTANCE ADDICTION
Substance Addiction is a physical dependence on a chemical substance. The dependence leads to unpleasant symptoms, called withdrawal, when a person stops using the substance. People often begin using an addicting substance because it initially gives them pleasure. By the time addiction has developed, the pleasure is often gone. The driving force behind continued use is a need to avoid the unpleasant symptoms of withdrawal.
SUBSTANCE ADDICTION
Substances We Treat
OPIOIDS ADDICTION
HEROIN ADDICTION
COCAINE ADDICTION
MARIJUANA ADDICTION
PRESCRIPTION DRUG ADDICTION
HALLUCINOGEN ADDICTION
FENTANYL ADDICTION
OXYCONTIN ADDICTION
KETAMINE ADDICTION
METHAMPHETAMINE ADDICTION
SUBSTANCE ADDICTION TREATMENT AT SAHARA WELLNESS CENTER
Substance addiction treatment at SAHARA WELLNESS CENTER is client-focused. We know that every client requires their own unique recovery plan, based around their personal needs and preferences.
Through a strategic, medical and holistic approach, mixed therapeutic methods and staff with decades of experience, Sahara Wellness Center provides the setting, resources and tools necessary for your successful recovery from addiction.
Recovery is a lifelong journey of building new and healthy habits, avoiding triggers and fostering mental wellbeing. This is why we also include a complete aftercare plan to ensure you are fully supported when you leave us.
Admitting there is a problem, and seeking professional help, is the first step to building a much improved and more fulfilling life. Please contact to discuss treatment options. We are here and ready to help.
WHAT IS SUBSTANCE ADDICTION?
Substance addiction (also known as drug addiction or substance use disorder) is a chronic brain disorder that causes the compulsive seeking and use of a substance, despite the harmful consequences to the addicted individual and those around them.
An addiction results when substances – whether drugs or alcohol – are used excessively and repeatedly to the point that a person becomes dependent on them and feels as though they cannot function without them.
HOW DOES A SUBSTANCE ADDICTION START?
Substance addiction often begins with the experimental use of recreational drugs in social situations, but it can start with exposure to over-the-counter or prescription medications as well.
The substances are typically used to produce pleasure, alleviate stress and/or pain, or escape from/alter reality.
The changes that occur in the brain over time significantly challenge a person’s ability to exert self-control in resisting the intense impulses urging them to continue taking.
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF SUBSTANCE ADDICTION?
Substance addiction is a highly complex condition. While there is no single cause that can be identified to predict if a person will become addicted, several risk factors are known to play an influential role in the development of substance use disorders. These include:
Biological factors (e.g. gender, genetic vulnerability, physiological vulnerability)
Psychosocial factors (e.g. underlying mental health issues and personality traits, such as high impulsivity and sensation-seeking or low self-esteem)
Contextual factors (e.g. family history of substance misuse or addiction, poor coping skills, lack of social support structure, history of trauma, social pressure and chronic stress)
Sociocultural or environmental factors (e.g. media influence, easy access to substances, low socioeconomic status or community poverty).
The characteristics of the drug type also play a role in whether or not a person becomes addicted, as certain substances, such as heroin, cocaine and painkillers have the capacity to form an addiction more rapidly.
WHAT ARE THE STAGES LEADING TO SUBSTANCE ADDICTION?
Over a time period, people who become addicted to substances commonly move through five stages:
Experimentation
Regular use
Problem or risky use
Dependence
Addiction
There are a wide range of factors that influence whether a person will become addicted or not. These risk factors include family history, genetics, personality traits and personal circumstances.
SUBSTANCE ADDICTION TREATMENT AT SAHARA WELLNESS CENTER
Substance addiction treatment at SAHARA WELLNESS CENTER is client-focused. We know that every client requires their own unique recovery plan, based around their personal needs and preferences.
Through a strategic, medical and holistic approach, mixed therapeutic methods and staff with decades of experience, Sahara Wellness Center provides the setting, resources and tools necessary for your successful recovery from addiction.
Recovery is a lifelong journey of building new and healthy habits, avoiding triggers and fostering mental wellbeing. This is why we also include a complete aftercare plan to ensure you are fully supported when you leave us.
Admitting there is a problem, and seeking professional help, is the first step to building a much improved and more fulfilling life. Please contact to discuss treatment options. We are here and ready to help.
WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMONLY USED SUBSTANCES?
One reason why substance addiction is so complex is that people can become addicted to such a wide range of substances, and their effects on each individual can vary.
The most commonly used drugs in substance use disorders include:
Depressants (e.g. alcohol, tranquillizers, benzodiazepines, Valium, Xanax)
Stimulants (e.g. amphetamines, ecstasy/MDMA, cocaine, methamphetamine)
Opioids (powerful painkillers, such as morphine, heroin, codeine, Vicodin)
Cannabinoids (e.g. marijuana, hashish, K2/spice)
Hallucinogens (e.g. LSD/acid, ketamine, PCP, mushrooms)
Inhalants (e.g. glues and solvents, aerosol sprays, cleaning fluids, nitrous oxide)
Anabolic steroids (e.g. stanozol, oxandrin)
Prescription drugs
Over-the-counter drugs (e.g. sleep aids, cold and flu remedies, diet pills).
WHAT IS POLYDRUG ADDICTION?
Polydrug use is a rising phenomenon, which involves taking multiple drugs in combination to achieve certain desired effects. For example, many people will drink alcohol and take painkillers simultaneously, to intensify the feelings they can get from each drug. The main reasons for polydrug use include:
to intensify or prolong the pleasurable effects of an individual drug
to help to control or balance out the negative effects of individual drugs
to substitute sought-after effects, providing new or more intense highs.
Combining drugs in this way is dangerous and carries extra risks. When combined, individual drug effects become extremely unpredictable. Polydrug addiction presents a range of specific complications to recovery. At Sahara Wellness Center we address the unique clinical challenges presented by this form of addiction.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN EFFECTS OF SUBSTANCE ADDICTION?
The majority of the effects of substance addiction are noted in the brain and on a person’s mental health. Brain imaging from addicts shows physical changes in areas of the brain that are critical for decision-making, learning, memory, judgment and behaviour control. These physical changes alter how the brain works, leading to compulsive and self-destructive behaviour. Furthermore, symptoms of deteriorating mental health can present with the following:
Anxiety
Agitation
Cognitive impairment
Depression
Lack of focus
Memory loss
Permanent brain damage
In relation to Concurrent Mental Health Disorders, the symptoms of a mental health disorder appear first, and drugs are used to self-medicate the symptoms. In contrast, substance addiction may appear first, followed by a mental health disorder. For example:
Anxiety Disorder
Major Depressive Disorder
Mood Disorders
Schizophrenia.
A combination of such mental issues often results in negative consequences across all areas of a person’s life, such as:
poor performance at work/loss of employment
Diminished Social/Recreational Activities
Changes In Mood
Issues Within a Relationship and Family
Loss of Interest in Self-care and Personal Hygiene
Increased Impulsiveness, Impaired Judgment and Risky Behaviours
Legal/Financial Troubles
HOW DOES SUBSTANCE ADDICTION AFFECT PHYSICAL HEALTH?
In addition to affecting brain chemistry and function, continued substance use adversely affects almost every organ in the body.
The specific damage caused by a substance addiction will depend on the type. However, common physical effects of a substance use disorder include:
a weakened immune system, increasing susceptibility to illness and infection
cardiovascular problems, including collapsed veins and heart attacks
nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain
decreased liver function/liver damage/liver failure
kidney damage/kidney failure
respiratory problems – chronic bronchitis/emphysema/lung cancer
seizures, strokes and brain damage
several types of cancer
withdrawal symptoms, if the drug is reduced or stopped.
The effects of substance addiction will continue to worsen without the support of professional help, resulting in negative consequences across all areas of a person’s life.
Fortunately, most of the damage caused by substance use disorders can be minimized (or reversed) by getting sober. The only way to prevent permanent damage is to seek professional help to treat the addiction as soon as possible.
SUBSTANCE ADDICTION TREATMENT AT SAHARA WELLNESS CENTER
Substance addiction treatment at SAHARA WELLNESS CENTER is client-focused. We know that every client requires their own unique recovery plan, based around their personal needs and preferences.
Through a strategic, medical and holistic approach, mixed therapeutic methods and staff with decades of experience, Sahara Wellness Center provides the setting, resources and tools necessary for your successful recovery from addiction.
Recovery is a lifelong journey of building new and healthy habits, avoiding triggers and fostering mental wellbeing. This is why we also include a complete aftercare plan to ensure you are fully supported when you leave us.
Admitting there is a problem, and seeking professional help, is the first step to building a much improved and more fulfilling life. Please contact to discuss treatment options. We are here and ready to help.
COMMITMENT TO YOUR RECOVERY
Your path to getting your life back from addiction begins with our compassion and Clinical excellence. From the second your call is answered by our Clinical Care Team Member you will know that you have made the right choice. That is just the beginning, from the moment you arrive at Sahara Wellness Center, you begin the process of healing. Our caring and compassionate staff will take care of your every need, so that our Doctors and Counsellors can help you safely and comfortably overcome your addiction. Our evidence-based approach includes combining medicated- assisted detox (if necessary), one-on-one therapy, group sessions, recreation, wellness, nutritional support and many other effective proven modalities. Sahara Wellness Center provides Clinical Excellence at every level to insure the greatest chance of success for your recovery.
