How To Be Succesful While Trying To Overcome An Addiction

People who have drug and substance addiction problem have one thing in common. Most of them do not do well career-wise. In America, thereare many celebrities that have come out publicly and talked about theirstruggles with addiction. Majority of them became an addict after using drugsto deal with stress and pleasure. Unfortunately, this became their way of life. Finding a drug rehab that takes Medicaid can be a crucial step towards recovery for individuals seeking treatment.

However, some of them managed to conquer the addiction that held them back and eventually reached their goals. Thus, there are people who have been successful in life regardless of their addiction. But, how is addiction related to stress?

Addiction and Success

Research indicates that there exists a correlation betweencreativity, success, intelligence, and addiction. Basically, a good addict anda successful individual have the exact same characteristics and traits. These characteristics are dedication, obsession, risk-taking, strong drive tosucceed, and adventure or novelty seeking.

The study goes further to state that successful individualsare likely to become addicts because they are generally good learners. Thebrain pathways “learn” what makes them feel good and this leads to addiction. Success and addiction have a clear correlation that indicates how people who havepersonalities for high achieving or becoming successful are likely to becomeaddicts.

Success comes with pleasure especially among women since they are more involved in raising families. This pleasure affects brain pathways that make resisting substance abuse impossible. The general assumption that the patients in the women-only treatment centers (more info here) became addicts because they derived pleasure from substance abuse, and therefore abused it more, is wrong.

The genetic variations which predispose individuals to becoming addicts are the mutations responsible for weak dopamine system. Therefore, people use more substance seeking their pleasure point. Forinstance, a person can have their desired effect after having a couple ofdrinks while an addict requires up to ten drinks to achieve the same effect.

Other Factors

Clearly, genetics plays a role in being successful and addiction but there are other factors too. Some people become successful after enduring stressful moments or trauma earlier on. An early experience fuels the drive to succeed. In some cases, this is also the same thing that leads to addiction. Some people lack basic needs while growing up and this drives them to strive to succeed. On the other hand, some people endure pain due to lack of basic needs and this leads to self-medication and eventual addiction.

Research has shown that a risk that is similar to the environmental risk for drug abuse can also happen in utero. If a child is neglected or abused, they can eventually become an addict. Even when a mother has the flu while pregnant, the child that is born can end up being an addict. That’s because the child will have stress hormones in the brain that can change brain circuitry, particularly the reward system. In the acute phase,this can lead to craving and in the long-term, higher chances of becoming anaddict.

Battling Addiction

Getting sober may seem difficult but it’s possible if a woman who is battling addiction seeks treatment at a reliable women’s rehab center. In many ways, starting afresh after addiction is even more challenging. That’s because a person needs to go through withdrawal symptoms and conquer cravings for more drugs. The first step to overcoming addiction is to want to get clean. It requires a lot of willpower and dedication, but with the proper support, it is achievable. Another critical factor is to set a plan on how to make the transition back to a normal lifestyle and stick to it. With determination and discipline, one can regain control of one’s life and become successful.

Resuming the normal lifestyle when a person has been used to being ‘high’ most of the time is not easy. It’s a transition process with several changes, steps, and resolutions. Nevertheless, it’s possible to beat addiction and the challenges that come with it and eventually become successful in life.

Here are some of the women who have overcome addiction and succeeded in life:

1.    Oprah Winfrey

This is among the most successful black celebrities. Forbes has ranked her at the top of the list of the Most Powerful Celebrities 5 times. Winfrey talked about her drug abuse problem in the 1990s when she admitted that she had abused crack cocaine and dealt with codependency issues.

2.    Paula Abdul

This successful American Idol judge admitted that she was an addict for 12 years. The successful godmother of the aspiring pop musicians admitted that dependency on strong painkillers almost killed her. Fortunately, she underwent treatment at one of the female rehab centers in California, recovered, and bounced back to excel in her career.

3.    Wendy Williams

This successful media personality has been quoted by the media saying that she was a “functioning addict”. Wendy was battling cocaine addiction during her time on the radio before she appeared on the television.

4.    Chaka Khan

This famous R&B singer admitted to having struggled with drug addiction and alcoholism at some point in her life. In fact, there was a time the media reported that she postponed her tour to seek help at a women’s rehabilitation center. The decision of this 63-year old Grammy Award winner to seek treatment was influenced by the death of Prince, who she termed as her good friend.

5.    Monifah

This R&B singer was famous in the 90s. However, she took a long hiatus due to heavy cocaine addiction. Monifah admitted that she suffered cocaine addiction for 7 years. Fortunately, the smooth singer is now back after seeking help with addiction.

Slow but Steady

Clearly, it’s possible to overcome addiction and pursue your goals in life. But, it should not be assumed that a woman who just left a rehab center is ready to enter the normal world and take their life by the horns. That’s because she may say that she feels great, recharged, and reinvigorated. She may want to live her life fully. However, she should be careful not to take more than she can possibly handle. It’s important to realize that life can be different for a reformed addict. Therefore, a person who has just left a rehab center should take time to readjust.

Most importantly, being successful after being an addict for some time requires time to make up for the damage you caused when abusing drugs. It’s highly possible that you did bad things to your loved ones. Your omissions and actions may have caused animosity or upset. No matter how happy other people may be for your sobriety or health, you will eventually start seeing how old wounds influence how they behave towards you. Therefore, look for ways to repair the damage you caused and focus on making things right.

The Bottom Line

Nobody is immune to addiction. However, it’s possible to beat addiction and move from rock bottom to lead a successful life by seeking drug rehab for women. People may feel discouraged and not believe themselves when struggling with addiction. Nevertheless, the celebrities highlighted in this article have been through their lowest moments, learned from them, and beaten an addiction to rise back to success.