Addiction Treatment Myths

In May of 2006 HBO, USA Today and The Gallup Poll asked US adults, who had an immediate family member with a drug or alcohol addiction whether they thought addiction was a disease.

Three-quarters of U.S. adults who have a family member suffering from a drug or alcohol addiction think that addiction is a disease.

Whether you agree or disagree alcoholism was first recognised as a disease as early as 1785, by Dr. Benjamin Rush, signer of the Declaration of Independence and physician of George Washington's Army.

In his widely dispersed essay on "the effects of ardent spirits," Rush clearly called intemperance a disease and, an addiction.

Addiction Relapse Prevention - Using the Cross Addiction Worksheet to Reduce Odds of Relapse

Many recovering people who begin the process of becoming clean and sober, harbor the notion that they can continue to hang on to some remnants of an old drinking/using lifestyle. They often initially believe that specific drugs are The Problem. Initially alcoholics/addicts may not consider use of other drugs (including alcohol) as problematic. When the idea of being addicted to all mood altering drugs does come up, the idea is often dismissed as not being applicable. Denial and an absence of insight makes other historical drug use or even recent drugs used to "help with getting over" a drug problem, seem unimportant. When addicts compare the impact of the most recent drug of choice on their lives with other drug episodes, the other drugs probably pale in comparison.