Myth #4: Alcohol addiction isn’t as bad as drug addiction

Feb 18, 2022

When treating addiction, denial can show up in many forms. A common attitude among clients is to assume that their addiction is less severe than others because of the substance being used. A frequent example is an alcoholic who claims that their dependence is not as serious as someone who is addicted to a class A drug. Alternatively, somebody who has an addiction to a class A drug may find the idea of recovery more daunting because of the perception that their condition is more serious than that of those around them.

These assumptions are dangerous and only serve to hinder recovery. Addiction is a serious disease and understanding it fully will help a lot with recovery.

The main difference between alcoholism and drug addiction is that alcohol is legal and many controlled drugs are not. We also live in a culture where drinking alcohol is sociably acceptable, whereas taking drugs is not. This makes identifying alcohol dependence more difficult as it could be hiding in plain site. Society also tells us that drinking alcohol is less serious than taking controlled drugs, so it is only natural to assume that alcohol addiction is less serious than that of drugs.

Social acceptance is also a factor behind the rise in prescription drug addiction. There is a lot less exposure around this type of addiction and many people are unaware of the risks simply because it is prescribed by a trusted doctor. However, like many other drugs, the consequences of abuse can be serious.

Many people enter alcohol or drug rehab thinking that once they are clean of one substance, they can begin using another. Therefore, some people will stop taking illegal drugs and drink alcohol instead. However, the psychological reasons behind the addiction are often still there and using alcohol or other drugs can either lead to a relapse or addiction to the new substance. Total abstinence is recommended for recovery.

Addiction is a serious illness and is defined not by the substance being taken, but by the individual. Whilst there are differences between treating drug and alcohol and drug addiction, they are treated equally as serious.

Myth #2: Alcohol/Drug addicts are bad people

Jun 4, 2022 |

Addiction is not a moral failing or weakness. Those struggling with addiction aren’t bad, although they do bad things to maintain their habit. They are just very sick. Addiction is a brain disease that rewires the cerebral cortex resulting in poor judgment and impulse control. It manifests in compulsive substance use in spite of harmful consequences. It’s progressive in nature ending in jails, institutions, death or recovery.

Myth #3: You can’t be an addict if you hold down a job

Jun 3, 2022 |

Becoming addicted is easy because no one knows that’s what they’re doing. We tell ourselves we’re having fun. We need it to relax. We minimize the severity of our addiction by focusing on what we still have, not on what we have lost. For example, I have a roof over my head. I still have a job. The alcoholic says I only drink beer. The cocaine user says I don’t use meth. The meth addict says I only smoke drugs, I don’t inject them. The pill-popper says at least I don’t use heroin. Addiction denies itself in the scariest voice of all – your own.