Posted by Martin Preston
on
26 May 2023
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Call Us: 0330 111 2015
Call Us: 0330 111 2015
In the UK, it is a truth commonly acknowledged that alcohol and drug consumption is a huge problem – and it isn’t just people who live here that notice it. As a 2021 Vice article reported, many people who visit the concrete streets of our great nation are ‘shocked’ by how ‘integral’ drinking culture is to the Brits. The article goes on to suggest that ‘blackouts’ (drinking so much that you remember nothing the next day) are seen as totally normal, alongside the habit of ‘drinking at lunch’.
Can 28 days in rehab help you stay sober for good? Addiction is very treatable but, just like other chronic disorders, like diabetes and asthma, it can’t be cured. Receiving treatment in a residential rehab facility is only the first step in a person’s recovery.
If you’re considering entering into treatment for alcohol or drug addiction, you’ll no doubt be wondering how effective it is. Are you going to walk out of a rehab centre with a completely different outlook on life or will you fall at the first hurdle? The truth is the success rates of addiction treatments are very hard to measure. The effectiveness of treatment for any health condition, from diabetes to high blood pressure, varies from person to person. So, how can you know what will work for you?
The stigma around addiction can be traced back to the early 1800s. Over the hundred years that followed ‘alcoholics’ were labelled, clinicians who treated ‘addicts’ were criminalised, and ethnic groups were marginalised. Fast forward to present day and the stigma around addiction has changed, but still remains.
Are you dependent on alcohol or do you just like a drink? Have you been taking more painkillers than you need because it’s a habit or are you addicted? Is taking cocaine every weekend just a bit of fun or a compulsive disorder? Dependence and addiction take many forms and it’s not always glaringly obvious if you have a problem.
This report also takes into account such topics as legal drinking ages around the world, if cannabis has been legalised and to what extent, how drastically alcohol guidelines according to gender, the penalties for ignoring drink and drug-related guidelines, and much more. This has subsequently allowed us to create our Drug and Alcohol Guidance Around the World Report.
Addiction is a brain disease. That’s what the NDA’s former director, Dr. Alan Leshner, proclaimed in his 1997 pivotal paper and countless others have supported this theory over the past quarter of a century. More recently, advancements in neuroscience and addiction research have continued to show that drug and alcohol addiction is less about how we behave and more about what’s going on deep inside our brains.
We all enjoy a little flutter every now and then. From the lure of penny slot machines on a seaside pier to the annual office sweepstakes, the temptation to gamble follows us throughout our lives. We’re a nation of armchair gamblers, too. Despite changing shopping habits, The National Lottery has just announced another bumper year with 1.8million new online registrations recorded at the end of 2022.
Seeing a loved one fall into alcohol or drug addiction can be a hugely painful experience. While you care deeply for the person affected, their behaviour can leave you feeling angry, helpless, guilty, frightened, lonely, exhausted and disappointed. Often the person suffering with addiction is blind to the destruction they’re causing, which can make accessing help extremely challenging.
Being told to ‘cheer up’ or ‘snap out of it’ isn’t helpful for someone with depression. If only they knew how to escape the relentless feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Depression can make it hard for people to find any joy in life. They withdraw. Become shadows of their former selves. Feel sad, empty and worthless. They may not even realise they have a recognised clinical disorder. So, how do you help someone with depression?
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