If you or someone you know has a substance abuse problem one of the first questions that comes to time is why does the person who is addicted to the substance stop using the drug on their own? Here is a brief overview of that answer.
Almost everyone who starts out using drugs or alcohol believes that at some point in time they can stop using the substance on their own. While there are the occasional addicts who have success with this many people find that they quickly go back to using their substance of choice.
Even though they had no intention of going back to using drugs or drinking alcohol many addicts cannot help it. It is believed that long term use of drugs and alcohol can actually change the shape and structure of the brain. These changes can range from brief periods of memory loss to behavioral changes. Some of the most common changes that the brain undergoes over a long period of drug or alcohol use is the inability to have impulse control. This lack of impulse control leads many people to continue to use the substance of choice long after they have given up their addiction.
While the addict might have had good intentions of stopping their substance abuse the changes in the brain cause them to not be able to stop on their own. This is why it is important to see therapy or enter a rehab center. One of the most common forms of therapy that is recommended for addicts is behavioral therapy. Behavioral therapy can actually help the addict relearn impulse control so that they can eventually give up their addiction.
