Beginner’s Guide to Men’s Recovery

As a man, you are brought up to be strong, solve your own problems, and not ask for help. If you are struggling with an addiction, though, finding the help you need is not showing weakness. Addictions are diseases, just like heart attacks or pneumonia, and the experts at our rehabilitation facilities can help you on your path to recovery.

Are You an Addict?

Recognizing substance addiction or abuse can be difficult for men. Many of you friends may be part of a fraternity party or boy’s night out culture in which excessive or binge drinking or drug use is considered a proof of masculinity or rite of passage into true manhood. Even worse, studies have shown that students routinely overstate their alcohol use in a way that makes addicts think their behavior is “normal” when they are really consuming the amounts of drugs or alcohol other people are only pretending to consume. Men are particularly prone to substance abuse and addiction and suffer more substance-related health and other substance-related problems than women. Your first step to recovery as a man is accepting that you have a problem and need help.

Signs of Substance Abuse

Excessive or binge use of drugs and alcohol are harmful to your health but are not the same as addiction. The key signs of substance abuse are:

• Substance use leads to problems at work or school
• You have legal problems related to substance use
• You use substances in a dangerous fashion, while driving or operating machinery
• You’ve experienced blackouts or loss of control
• You engage in violent behavior while under the influence
• You suffer from substance-related medical conditions

Rehabilitation programs can help you with substance abuse issues even if you are not an addict.

Signs of Addiction

While addicts may have many of the symptoms of substance abusers, the following elements suggest that you are an addict:

• Withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking the substance
• Cravings for the substance
• Requiring increasing amounts of the substance for the same effect
• You consume the substance in the morning to start your day
• You feel guilt about substance use but can’t stop taking it
• You feel you have no control over your substance use