Addiction can lead to many harmful illnesses and behaviors and can be a challenging health problem to beat. When a person develops a drug or behavioral addiction, they typically persist in their use of, or engagement in, an addictive substance or conduct despite their awareness of, or knowledge that such use or behavior is associated with adverse outcomes. Fortunately, addiction treatment is possible once its symptoms are recognized.

How Is Drug Addiction Diagnosed?

Excessive or prolonged substance use can have adverse effects. For example, dependence shows up when someone tries to cut back or stop using but cannot because of the strength of their addiction. Other diagnostic criteria for drug addiction include an indication of poor control, physical reliance, social issues and dangerous behavior.

How Is Behavioral Addiction Diagnosed?

The diagnostic criteria for behavioral addiction are theoretically similar to those for drug abuse. These include signs that the behavior is becoming a fixation, less self-control over the behavior, tolerance, withdrawal and adverse psychological and social effects. Some common behavioral addictions include:

A man listing addictions influencing health and lifestyle on a blackboard.
  • Sex
  • Gaming
  • Gambling
  • Shopping
  • Eating
  • Internet/Social Media

How are Drug and Behavioral Addictions Addressed?

Anyone who has struggled with addiction or knows someone who has understands that recovery is not simple or linear. However, there are some direct components to healing addictions.

3 Factors That Keep an Addictive Loop in Place

Addictions are the symptoms of a combination of 3 factors:

  1. Something that at one point provided you or your loved one with relief (albeit momentarily) from some pain in their life
  2. A psychological loop that connects your current life pain with the potential effectiveness of the potentially addictive behavior
  3. A feeling of shame related to the behavior

All three of these factors keep the addictive loop in place.

Changing negative into positive behavior.

Breaking the Addictive Loop with Holistic Addiction Recovery Services

When looking to resolve or heal an addiction, we need to address all these factors, so the body and mind can believe they do not need to promote these loops any longer.

This generally includes some of the following more concrete actions:

  • Creating a plan as we advance that is more appealing than the current addictive moment

  • Making a present moment that is more effective than the current behaviors by utilizing grounding techniques

  • Meditation

  • Ancient yogic breathing techniques to release emotions and center energy

  • Sound through the body and instruments such as a gong

  • Acknowledging and changing the current thought patterns/neuron patterns

  • Resolving shame and forgiving oneself

  • Self-ownership by using somatic-oriented techniques as well as typical western psychology

While we offer various modalities, the best way to help someone get better will depend on who they are and what they are going through.

Multiethnic young friends people putting their hands together showing community support.

The Importance of a Community Setting in the Addiction Healing Process

A significant part of ownership and accountability is developed in a community setting. While this process is always something that must start and end within, the community, friends and family of the participant are always a vital component, especially during our personalized addiction retreats.

Earth’s Edge Wellness has standard programs and personalized retreats to help people addicted to drugs or behaviors. Contact us when you want to begin your addiction recovery journey.