Chemical Dependency

Chemical dependency, or substance addiction, is a crippling condition that has the potential to destroy one’s well-being, relationships, livelihood, and even life. It has a powerful hold on a person’s life. Breaking free requires an enormous amount of effort, focus, and support.

The good news is that freedom is possible and support is available. Christian counseling for substance abuse and chemical dependency can provide that support for someone who is struggling, and/or their loved ones who want to know how to approach their relationship during addiction.

Although addiction can bring feelings of shame, guilt, and despair, the counselors at Flower Mound Christian Counseling have a compassion-based approach, with the goal to walk with clients through the recovery process in the light of God’s love and grace.

Whether you are struggling with chemical dependency or substance addiction, or you want to support a loved one in recovery, or you’re not sure how to set boundaries with a loved one in active addiction, the counselors at Flower Mound Christian Counseling are here for you.

Keep reading to learn more about Christian substance abuse treatment and individual or group counseling options.

You’ll often hear three different terms used to describe the struggle with addiction: chemical dependency, substance abuse, and substance use disorder.

These terms are often used interchangeably. Substance abuse is a commonly used phrase that has been replaced in the DSM-V (the manual used by mental health professionals to help with evaluation and diagnosis) with substance use disorder (SUD).

Chemical dependency is defined as “the medical term used to describe a pattern of using a substance [drug] that causes significant problems or distress.” (Johns Hopkins University)

Dependence on any substance is a significant step on the road to addiction. It may not yet be a full-fledged addiction, but there is a physical and/or psychological dependence on the drug that has begun to cause problems in one’s life.

A substance could include alcohol, nicotine, or any form of over-the-counter, prescription, or illegal narcotics or other substances. These substances are known to be psychoactive, or mind-altering, which creates a huge potential for addiction. As the body and mind become dependent on the substance, the person will experience withdrawals when the substance is not taken.

Most of us probably know someone who is struggling with chemical dependency. It’s an incredibly common condition that affects millions of Americans and people around the world.

American Addiction Centers cites a 2017 survey that says almost 20 million Americans ages 12 and up have experienced substance use disorder.

That is a staggering percentage of the population that has struggled with chemical dependency and addiction in one form or another.

Substance abuse is an epidemic problem today that is costing millions of lives. It’s responsible for an estimated 1 in 20 deaths worldwide every year. In the United States, the number of deaths due to drug overdose is three times what it was in 1990. Nine out of 10 people with substance use disorder started using the substance before the age of 18. The most common age range for using addictive drugs is the 18-25 age range.

Since young people are particularly vulnerable to addiction, it’s crucial to educate and intervene early. Addressing the problem of addiction at its root can prevent tragedy in the future. In addition to the tragic loss of lives, addiction creates costs of over $600 billion annually in the United States.

Substance use disorders often co-occur with other mental health conditions, whether one is triggered by the other or not. One in five Americans who has an anxiety or depression disorder has also been diagnosed with a substance use disorder (American Addiction Center).

This means it’s incredibly important for early intervention to be the norm for substance use disorder, and for substance abuse treatment to include psychotherapy for any co-occurring mental health conditions. The counselors at Flower Mound Christian Counseling are available to help you in this process.

The Mayo Clinic provides lists of symptoms that are focused on the individual with addiction, and those who can observe them from the outside.

If you are concerned that you’ve become dependent on or addicted to a substance you use regularly, here are some symptoms to consider:

• Have you tried and failed multiple times to quit using the substance?
• Do you drive or participate in other potentially dangerous activities while using?
• Do you continue to use even though you know the substance is causing problems in your life?
• Do you spend outside of your means to obtain the substance?
• Do you take more than you planned to do?
• Do you have extreme cravings that feel impossible to deny?
• Do you feel like you’re going through withdrawal when you try to stop using?
• Do you spend an inordinate amount of time obtaining, using, and recovering from using the drug?
• Are you going against your moral code to obtain the substance?
• Are you missing out on important opportunities or avoiding basic responsibilities due to substance use?
• Are you fixated on maintaining your supply of the substance?
• Do you have to use more now to get the same effect you experienced in the past?
• Do you feel the need to use it every day or more than once a day?

Acknowledging problematic substance use is a painful and humbling experience. If you answered yes to more than one of the above questions, it can take courage to sit with those answers and consider doing something about them. You are not alone in your struggle; many people have walked this road before you and begun a journey to recovery.

If you are not the one struggling with possible addiction, but you’re wondering if your loved one has succumbed to substance abuse or has recently relapsed, the Mayo Clinic offers some signs to watch out for as an external observer:

• Has the person’s behavior changed significantly? Is he or she being secretive and disrupting his or her relationships due to this new behavior?
• Is he or she exhibiting physical symptoms such as eye redness, weight changes, or lack of energy?
• Does he or she seem to be having financial problems? Does he or she ask for money often? Has he or she stolen money or items?
• Is he or she neglecting his or her personal appearance or grooming?
• Has he or she been missing school or work or has his or her performance or grades suddenly dropped?

Often, our intuition will clue us in that there is a problem before we’ve even recognized it logically. If your loved one is exhibiting the above behaviors, know that there is help. Although we cannot change an addict, we can learn how to best support him or her in love and compassion, which sometimes requires confrontation or “tough love.” Individual sessions at Flower Mound Christian Counseling can help you navigate this difficult road.

The bad news is that recovery is very hard. The mental health problems that often co-occur with substance use disorder can exacerbate the condition and make recovery even more difficult.

The most common conditions to occur with SUD are depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and personality disorders. Often, the substance is used to help tolerate these other symptoms. The journey of recovery will involve treating those other conditions as well as the SUD, and the counselors at Flower Mound Christian Counseling can help.

Substance abuse not only affects mental health, but physical health as well. It can affect every system in the body, including heart, respiratory, liver and kidney, gastrointestinal, and neurological. It can have permanent neurological impacts.

The good news is that while recovery is difficult, it is absolutely possible. The Surgeon General estimates that 50% of people with an active addiction eventually recover.

There are numerous methods available for recovery, based on the initial screening and evaluation process. A Christian counselor in Flower Mound can work with you to create a treatment plan.

Early intervention is the ideal situation, but it’s never too late to start recovery. Whether you work in conjunction with a 12-step program or not, your individual counseling process can support you all the way through your recovery journey.

It may involve acknowledging harmful patterns and past trauma, setting goals, managing triggers along the way, and building skills to manage life outside of substance abuse.

Group counseling may also be an option for your recovery process. Whether you’re seeking individual or group counseling, please contact our office to discuss your options, or browse our directory of professional Christian counselors. You are not a lost cause, and God cares for you. Start your recovery process today with Flower Mound Christian Counseling. You are never alone, and you do not have to recover alone.

Resources:

• https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/substance-abuse-chemical-dependency
• https://www.innovodetox.com/2020/09/28/difference-between-chemical-dependency-substance-use-disorder-addiction/
• https://americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/addiction-statistics
• https://www.addictioncenter.com/addiction/addiction-statistics/
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/drug-addiction/symptoms-causes/syc-20365112
• https://www.addictioncenter.com/addiction/addiction-vs-dependence/
• https://www.npr.org/2022/01/15/1071282194/addiction-substance-recovery-treatment
• https://www.mentalhealth.gov/what-to-look-for/mental-health-substance-use-disorders
• https://mpmacolorado.com/2021/07/17/the-effects-of-substance-abuse-on-your-physical-health/
• https://addiction.surgeongeneral.gov/key-findings/recovery