50 Before And After Pictures That Show What Happens When People Overcome Addiction (New Pics)

While the number of people suffering from addiction is disheartening, the good news is that nearly 75% of them are either in recovery or have completed treatment and are working on staying on the right path. Similarly, roughly 75% of all individuals who seek addiction treatment are successful.

Something that helps battle addiction is support and understanding. This can be done by educating ourselves and shedding more light on the misconceptions about substance abuse, which can hinder the progress of providing people with the care they need. 

To better our understanding of this epidemic, we reached out to experts for their insights. One of them is Gillian Tietz, educator and host of the Sober Powered podcast, who uses her biochemistry background and previous experience of alcohol abuse to spread information about addiction.

We also contacted Dr. Hannah Roberts, PsyD, a clinical psychologist and mindful drinking coach who helps individuals change their drinking without judgment or a sobriety requirement through her online course, Mindful Moderation.

Tietz explains that some people find illicit substances appealing because they let a person feel however they wish to at any moment. Roberts mentions, "Humans are always looking for ways to feel different or better and have done so throughout time. Many substances DO alleviate physical or emotional pain or help people feel different in some way. The problem is that these effects are often fleeting."

Another reason why people abuse substances is to relieve negative emotions like anger or strengthen positive emotions like happiness and excitement. “Boredom is also a big trigger for addiction because you don't have to find someone fun or interesting to do, alcohol/drugs can instantly make boring activities fun and make us instantly feel comfortable and connected around people we don't know or like,” Tietz adds.

She also mentions that people who struggle with addiction tend to have a lower tolerance for discomfort and can't tolerate a wide range of emotions without getting overwhelmed or checked out (known as the window of tolerance).

“When emotion goes beyond what we can tolerate, it feels very unpleasant, and we can use alcohol/drugs to bring it back into our window. However, when you repeat this process over and over, your window shrinks and you become less resilient. Plus, alcohol damages all areas of the brain, and when we get sober, emotions will actually be heightened and more intense for the first few weeks or months after all the years of numbing.”

Some turn to harmful remedies when they wish to escape a life they don’t enjoy. Tietz shares this from her own experience. “I looked forward to the 2 hours of enjoyment I'd get from drinking because it made the next 22 hours of misery tolerable. I couldn't stand my life, and drinking was an escape from that.”

However, something that people don’t realize in the moment is that even though addiction provides a couple of hours of relief, it’s actually fueling those bottled-up feelings even more. She further explains, “Plus, when we drink/use constantly, we can't improve our situation or make our lives more fulfilling. A main part of sobriety is to build a life you don't want to escape from. Your actual life becomes the reward, not the 2-hour escape.”

Tietz also mentions that people who struggle with addiction usually don't have appropriate self-care mechanisms in place. ”They can be people pleasers, not know how to set boundaries, put everyone else's needs before their own, and go go go all day without breaks. By the time the end of the day comes along, alcohol/drugs feel like "me time" because they don't know how to practice self-care. In reality, they're not getting "me time." They're checking out and turning off their brains because they desperately need a break. Poor self-care is one of the most reliable predictors of relapse.”