Stages of Addiction

Stages of Addiction

person struggling with heroin and depression with head down and face hidden

Table of Contents

Fully Understanding the Stages of Addiction to Manage Your Recovery 

Addiction is such a problematic issue because it doesn’t happen all at once. For most people, it happens so gradually that they barely notice the changes during the stages of addiction until it is too late. As a result, you must fully understand the stages of drug addiction. Ask yourself which stage of addiction recovery you’re at before you get treatment at the addiction recovery center in ME. Reach out to the residential/inpatient rehab program in Portland, ME, for addiction treatment.  

Trying Out Early Experiments 

The earliest of the stages of addiction is the experimental phase. Experts state that this period can last from a person’s first dose until they start taking regularly. For most people, this stage is all they ever experience with a drug. Remember: many people use drugs and never develop an addiction. Therefore, the stages of addiction recovery for most here is more comfortable to handle. All they have to do is walk away from a drug to stop using it. If you are in this stage, stop right now before things get worse.  

Establishing Patterns 

When you don’t quit during the earliest stages of addiction, you often end up falling into a usage routine. This stage occurs when you create patterns that dictate how you use drugs or alcohol. For example, you may get drunk every Friday and Saturday night and recover on Sunday. At this point, your stages of addiction recovery is a little harder to manage. Simply put, you’ll have accepted a substance as part of your life. Many, many people are at this stage of addiction in the world today. And, thankfully, most never get any worse.  

Taking Risks 

As the addiction worsens, people may start venturing outside of their standard patterns of abuse. Typically, this results in people taking risks that they shouldn’t. For example, you may get drunk every weekday and drive home from the bar. Or you may start buying prescription drugs illegally to feed your opiate addiction. Unfortunately, care during the late stages of drug addiction like this one may be harder to handle. People at the “risk-taking” stage often feel invincible or in control of the situation. Some might even become addicted to the thrill of abusing substances in a risky way. Help is always available at drug detox centers in ME with programs including:  

Becoming Dependent 

Once you become physically dependent on a drug, you have passed into the late stages of addiction. Not everybody becomes physically addicted, and specialists aren’t sure why. They believe that genetic predisposition has a lot to do with it. When it comes to the stages of drug addiction, though, this is often the most painful. Trying to quit can lead to extensive emotional and physical suffering. Detoxification, followed by dual-diagnosis, may be necessary. Otherwise, you may progress to the last and most devastating of all addiction stages.  

Developing a Disorder 

In the last of the stages of addiction, you have developed an actual disorder. This means that you have passed physical dependency and become psychologically addicted. For example, you may believe that you cannot live your life without a drug. You may even think that you are weak or “deserve” to be addicted. Thankfully, a high-quality addiction recovery center ME option can help. By admitting that you have a problem, you open the door to treatment effectiveness. Don’t think that your life is over just because you have a substance abuse disorder. Instead, contact Liberty Bay Recovery to get medical treatment and regain your sobriety.  

Don’t Neglect the Stage of Addiction Recovery 

If you need help from an addiction recovery center ME can trust, please call 855.607.8758 today. At Liberty Bay Recovery, we provide detox treatment, residential care, intensive outpatient treatment, sober living, and much more. Our holistic care gives you the insight that you need to keep your recovery as focused as possible. So please verify your insurance to get started on the path towards recovery.