Spending the Holidays with Loved Ones vs. Getting Needed Opium Addiction Treatment

Someone struggling with opium addiction may be hard pressed to make the decision to get needed treatment help. During the holiday season, this decision becomes even more so difficult to make.

While the holiday season is typically a time where family and loved ones spend time together, this time of year can be especially troublesome for people struggling with opium addiction. The swirl of activity that typifies this season places added stress on addicts and non-addicts alike.

Juggling work schedules, a medley of parties on top of gift shopping would throw most anyone off their daily routine. This type of stress and pressure can easily aggravate an opium addiction problem. For these reasons, someone considering getting needed opium addiction treatment help may want to seriously consider following through rather than waiting until the holidays are over.

The Opium Addiction Cycle

Whether your drug of choice is opium or any one of the opium-based drugs on the market, the risk of developing opium addiction remains the same. Opium-based drugs include a range of prescription pain medications, such as morphine, codeine and oxycodone as well as the street drug, heroin.

According to the Journal of European Neuropsychopharmacology, the opium addiction cycle takes root once the damaging effects of the drug start to impair the brain’s reward system. The reward system determines what’s most important in a person’s life as well as what drives his or her behaviors within any given day.

This system also depends on a stable balance of neurotransmitter chemicals to function normally. Chronic opium abuse disrupts the brain’s chemical balance in a big way to the point where reward system functions start to redefine a person’s priorities, motivations and overall belief systems.

The Family Dynamic

Family stress can aggravate your addiction.

The family dynamic has to do with the way individual members interact with one another and the roles they fulfill within the family unit. During periods of stress and pressure, dysfunctional communication patterns within a family can easily become more pronounced, according to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

During the holiday season, a dysfunctional family dynamic will take center stage more so than any other time of year. For someone struggling with opium addiction, these changes can easily drive increases in drug use during the holidays.

Holiday Stress

While any form of stress can aggravate an addiction problem, holiday stress in particular comes with emotional overtones that tie in with a person’s family traditions. Many families also struggle specific issues, such as money problems, a lost loved one or conflicts between family members.

Holiday stressors also encompass the expectations of the season in terms of spending time with loved ones and getting into the “spirit” of the season. Add to this a string of parties and celebrations where alcohol and drug use prevail and someone struggling with opium addiction has every excuse in the world to indulge in drug use without reservation.

When to Consider Getting Opium Addiction Treatment

If you’ve already experienced multiple setbacks on account of drug-using behaviors, waiting to get opium addiction treatment until the holidays end can come with serious consequences. When left untreated, the effects of opium addiction become increasingly worse as a person’s life slowly but surely spins out of control. Ultimately, the physical and psychological damage that opium causes can leave a shell of a person in its wake, so the sooner he or she gets needed treatment help the better.

If you or someone you know is battling an opium addiction this holiday season, please feel free to call our toll-free helpline at 877-743-0081 (Who Answers?) for more information on addiction or to get information on opium addiction treatment programs in your area.