Taking Personal Responsibility for Addiction

Regarding substance abuse or addiction, taking personal responsibility for addiction means being accountable for the misuse or abuse of alcohol or drugs. The user is responsible for the consequences, even if the intentional result of the substance abuse was not to develop an addiction.

Substance Dependence

Substance dependence is a long-lasting medical condition that can cause significant chemical changes in the brain. Such changes can affect reasoning, behaviors, personalities, cognitive abilities, and even motor skills. It can also cause severe health conditions in various body organs.

Many drugs or alcohol addicts under the influence will display different behaviors such as neglecting personal responsibilities, uninterested in employment or education, and poor hygiene.

These consequences which occur due to substance dependence can hinder the recovery process.

Avoiding Responsibility

People usually abuse alcohol and drugs to escape personal commitments such as work, family, or education. Substance abuse causes the addict to shun from unwanted conditions where they feel painful or uncomfortable.

Substances or drugs are an excuse for corrupt behavior, and both the addicts, including those around them, will tolerate it for an acceptable reason. Overcoming an addiction implies handling uncomfortable conditions that caused it. Addicts can feel stressed and will have to work hard to recover. However, without accountability, the addict will never recover. Avoiding responsibility is usually perceived during recovery and may include:

• Developing other addictive behaviors such as sexual addictions, gambling, workaholic, overeating, among others
• Passive hostile actions such as accusing others of obstructing or hindering recovery
• Expecting that if a relapse occurs, somebody else will be responsible
• Procrastinating and avoiding significant goals during recovery
• Keeping a perfectionist attitude – insisting that the recovery methods should abide by specific patterns or schedules or else it is useless.

Drug addicts may also avoid taking responsibility for their addictions by letting others become responsible. Some addicts develop mutually dependent relationships with people that allow them to avoid guilt or blame.

Also, Friends, family members, spouses, and even employees will conceal mistakes and provide excuses for bad behaviors that cause continuous addictions among addicts.

Accepting Personal Responsibility for Addiction

It involves acknowledging that everyone is responsible for the choices made in their life. If an individual decides to drink alcohol or abuse drugs, it is not somebody else’s fault. Every person should accept that they are to blame if they make poor choices in life. One can also control where they desire to be in their life.

If addicts choose to continue abusing drugs or alcohol, they should accept any inevitable consequences of their poor decisions. Some of the results of continuous substance abuse include sicknesses, broken relationships, injuries, job loss, and discrimination.

Many addicts can identify triggers or reasons for their constant substance abuse. These can include peer pressure, anger, social settings influence, stress, anxiety, sadness, boredom, or loneliness.

Therefore, drug addicts can accept responsibility for addiction, overcome it, and attain full recovery. They can do so if they admit it is not only an issue with drugs or alcohol but present triggers that influence them to addiction.