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Alcoholics and Addicts do not have any willpower
The decision to try an addictive substance for the first time may be voluntary. However, freedom even in this decision may be weakened by such factors as peer pressure, an inherited biological condition predisposing the individual to a craving for this substance, or a valid reason for taking it in the first place, i.e. as a painkiller prescribed by their GP. But as the individual slips from the first use to repeated use, from misuse to full addiction and chemical dependence on the substance, freedom of choice diminishes and usually disappears.
Alcoholics can drink socially
There are a few scientific studies that suggest this, but most of them look at ‘problem drinkers’ and do not differentiate between ‘intentional alcohol abuse’ and ‘pathological alcohol dependency’. An individual who socially drinks can keep this under control, whereas an individual who is alcohol dependent cannot. Therefore the question has to be asked... ‘Why would someone whose life has been devastated by alcohol ever want to drink socially?
Crack is more addictive than cocaine
There is no pharmacological reason why the form of a drug or the route of administration should change the 'addiction' liability of the drug. In fact, science is beginning to realise that the actual drug is not the cause of 'addiction'; rather, the susceptibility of the person to the drug determines how much the 'addiction' (dependency) develops.
Anyone who drinks too much is an alcoholic
If this were true, then the majority of university students would be alcoholics! In fact, most students ‘abuse’ alcohol, but only a small number display a physical dependence.
Alcoholics and addicts can stop if they really want to
It is incredibly difficult for an individual who is addicted to either alcohol or drugs to achieve long-term abstinence or sobriety without professional help. Research has shown that long-term drug and alcohol abuse can actually alter an individual’s brain function, causing them to crave the substance even more.
People have to want treatment in order to get well
Let’s be honest, most addicts and alcoholics do not want treatment. They know they will no longer have access to the drugs or alcohol they are addicted to, and they do not want to go through the intense detoxification period and the following days without their drug of choice. People seek treatment for a number of different reasons, i.e. due to the breakdown of a personal relationship, because the court has ordered them to, or because family or loved ones have urged them to seek help. Studies have shown that the reason why someone seeks treatment has very little influence on overall success rates.
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