Addiction: The Disease That Lies
Addiction Explained
Dr. Marvin Seppala, chief medical officer of Hazelden, wrote this article for CNN Health in the wake of Glee star Cory Monteith’s death. Dr. Seppala explains that addiction is a disease that affects the limbic system, a part of the brain that is a key source of cognitive outcomes related to memory, emotion, and reward. This part of he brain is altered in an addict so that ingestion of drugs and alcohol takes priority over all other means of survival. While treatment can be very effective, the largest roadblock to recovery for addicted populations is that most addicts fail to recognize that they need such resources. We all must accept responsibility for becoming educated about addiction and treatment options, as well as for raising awareness and intervening in the lives of addicts when they are clearly unable to seek help on their own.
The Disease Lies To The Addict
Instead of focusing on how the addict lies to their loved ones to continue using, this article focuses on how the disease of addiction lies to the addict to keep them using. Addicts tell themselves it will be different this time, they will only take one pill, one hit or one drink, even though countless past attempts prove otherwise. At Bluefield, clinical time with our licensed professionals and daily attendance of 12 step meetings helps our students to escape this flawed way of thinking. We encourage our students to learn to ask for help, whether its recovery or academics related, to address their issues and get them the help they need.
