Learning about addiction is a wise choice if you or a loved one struggles with it. Also, you can prevent addiction by sharing your knowledge with others before they fall into substance abuse. However, you must ensure that the information you attain is correct. The places you get your addiction education matter. Find out how to learn more about addiction while getting factual, scientifically-based information on substance use and recovery from Harmony Hills.
The Importance of Addiction Education
Learning more about addiction and how it happens turns you into a trusted source for your family and friends. If you want to prevent substance use in a loved one or friend, arming yourself with facts will make arguing less likely to occur.
The best time to talk to your loved ones and friends is before they start to use drugs or alcohol and before they need to seek help from a residential treatment center. Substance use can create changes in the brain that make a judgment and situational assessment more difficult. Therefore, someone during addiction will have less capacity to understand and listen to facts. Consequently, you must learn as much as you can about addiction before the problem enters your life or the life of one of your loved ones.
Start with Trusted Sites
Of course, the first place you will turn to for information on addiction is the internet. However, the information available is not always correct. Sometimes, inaccuracies come from outdated data. In other instances, misinformation comes from people who portray opinions or rumors as factual. They often don’t do this to give wrong information purposefully. They may believe the inaccurate data themselves. Therefore, you should remain discerning about where to find the most reputable sources to get accurate information.
Good places to start are government websites. For example, the National Institute on Drug Abuse has several websites that translate many of the difficult concepts involved in addiction into easier to understand language.
A general rule of thumb to follow when looking at websites is to find those that end in .gov or .edu. The former refers to government-owned and operated sites. The latter are websites hosted by universities.
Talk to a Professional
The next way to get accurate information is from a professional. If you already have a counselor or therapist, ask if they have resources that you can share with your family members. For parents, talk to your child’s school counselor on age-appropriate drug and alcohol abuse information.
Look for informational talks hosted online or in your area by psychiatrists, counselors, or others in the drug treatment field. If possible, attend these events and take notes. Don’t be afraid to ask questions of the expert if the event gives you the opportunity. Remember, the more you learn, the better you can answer any questions about substance use treatment programs, detox center programs, and recovery.
Consult an Addiction Education Guide
Printed and online guides that cover the basics of addiction and recovery can inform you about both. For instance, with our online addiction guide, you can find out the following:
- The definition of addiction
- Causes of addiction
- Impacts of addiction on the brain
- How professionals treat addiction
Any addiction guide that you consult should cover these basics. Additionally, sources for the information should come from reputable websites or have addiction-science experts such as psychiatrists or physicians consulting on the piece.
Find Specific Addiction Education in FL Information Through Harmony Hills
If you or a loved one lives under the weight of addiction, contact Harmony Hills to learn more about our recovery programs in Florida that can bring relief. First, phone us at 855.494.0357. You can learn about how we use what we’ve learned through addiction education to help our clients to seek recovery. With our evidence-based treatment methods, we work with our clients to help them in their efforts to overcome their addiction struggles.
