The Way Out Recovery SCV, an outpatient rehab in Santa Clarita, is defining addiction and discussing the symptoms to help people understand what a diagnosable addiction looks like.

“How to best simply describe it is to be participating in a behavior that you know is not good for you and it’s damaging the people that love you … and taking a toll on every factor of your life,” said Bob Sharits, program director at The Way Out Recovery SCV. “You do not want to be doing the things that you’re doing, and yet (you can’t stop). That’s what addiction looks like.”

Certain symptoms are needed in order for a person to be diagnosed with an addiction, with questionnaires available to help a person determine if they might have an addiction, according to Sharits. 

Related: Program Director From Outpatient Rehab In Santa Clarita Gives Testimony Of Recovery

A few questions Sharits noted a person can expect to see in these questionnaires include: 

• Does the substance or behavior ever interfere with family life? 
• Have you ever drank or used when you didn’t want to?
• Have you ever used more than intended?
• Have you have had the inability to stop when you wanted to? 
• Does it take you more of the drug to achieve the same desired effect, or does the same amount not affect you in the same way?

One major symptom of addiction is continued use despite negative consequences, which can be confusing to some people depending on the way they personally define negative consequences, according to Sharits. 

“A lot of people will think, ‘Well, I’ve never gotten a DUI or I’ve never, I don’t know, wrecked my car. I’ve never been arrested or I’ve never been in the hospital,’” he said. “But let’s break down negative consequences.” 

To give an example, Sharits referred to teenagers who have started getting in “trouble” because of marijuana use but insist they do not have an addiction, despite their parents being in “crisis” after discovering the drug use.

“Parents come in and they are in crisis, … but then when we talk to the kids, what do the kids say?” Sharits explained. “‘It’s not a big deal. If my parents hadn’t made it such a big deal, it wouldn’t be.’ So how do you get through to that kid?”

One negative consequence Sharits tends to point out with these teens is the pain their marijuana use is causing their family. 

“Let’s simplify it — let’s take it and put it on a scale: smoking weed on one side of the scale and breaking Mom’s heart on the other side of the scale. What’s your choice?” Sharits said. “The kid will always say, ‘Oh my God, I love my mom. I wouldn’t want to break her heart.’ But yet you continue smoking pot.” 

If the teen did not have the addiction symptom of continued use despite negative consequences, their response to this “scale” would be, “Oh my God, it’s breaking my mom’s heart? I’m sorry, Mom. I’m not going to do it anymore,” Sharits said. 

However, when the teen instead responds by insisting that it’s their mother’s “problem” and there is nothing wrong with their marijuana use, Sharits noted this is a reflection of the way the brain operates as a result of addiction. 

“When addiction starts to cross into the mind, the addiction makes the decisions,” he said. “And part of that is rationalization, justification.” 

Ed. Note: This article is a KHTS Community Spotlight based on a recent radio interview with The Way Out Recovery Outpatient Rehab in Santa Clarita.

In Santa Clarita, drug issues are a major concern for many. The mission of The Way Out Recovery Outpatient Rehab in Santa Clarita is to provide high quality, effective alcohol and drug rehab outpatient services to the Santa Clarita Valley. The Santa Clarita rehab’s goal is to assist adolescents, adults and their loved ones in becoming happily and usefully whole, free from drug addiction. Those seeking alcohol and drug treatment in Santa Clarita, a drug rehab in Santa Clarita, a teen drug rehab or simply a “rehab near me” can rest assured that The Way Out Recovery SCV’s philosophy is to teach life-long coping skills and strategies to assist in improving quality of life and living happily and meaningfully without the need of destructive behaviors.

The Way Out Recovery SCV – Santa Clarita

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDfSx9I4t0Q&t=2s

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