Crossing Over

There are those who have said that they drank or drugged for years without harmful consequences of their use. Then one day they somehow "crossed over the line". They became unable to control their chemical use. Crossing the line is when the brain adapts to the chemical use and overrides the rational or reasonable thought processes. The chemical use-reward sequence that leads to the euphoria in the pleasure center becomes "hardwired" or imprinted into the brain. Once this occurs normal drinking and social drug use are impossible. They have crossed the line into addiction. They no longer can control the use.

People who are chemically dependent do not crave particular drugs but rather they crave the euphoria that a drug produces. While each person may have a favorite drug, the person is actually addicted to the feeling of intoxication.

I was recently asked why a recovering opiate addict could not drink alcohol. This is the answer. A chemically dependent person cannot replace one drug with another because it is not the drug but the feeling of intoxication that is the problem.

Addiction is a progressive terminal disease. Left unchecked the addiction can take a life either through accident or from physical complications. However, how many addicts really think about this in the early stages of their chemical use?

Alcohol & drug use becomes progressively worse over time as the tolerance to the chemical increases and to obtain that feeling of euphoria becomes more of a challenge. The higher the level of toxic mood altering chemicals in the body, the more damage is done to the organs & nervous system. The liver has a harder time detoxifying the chemicals. The body can no longer function in a normal manner. The health deteriorates. Consumption rises. All hell breaks loose.