Nearly all addicted individuals believe at the outset that they can stop using drugs on their own, and most try to stop without treatment. Although some people are successful, many attempts result in failure to achieve long-term abstinence. Research has shown that long-term drug abuse results in changes in the brain that persist long after a person stops using drugs. These drug-induced changes in brain function can have many behavioral consequences, including an inability to exert control over the impulse to use drugs despite adverse consequences—the defining characteristic of addiction. Understanding that addiction has such a fundamental biological component may help explain the difficulty of achieving and maintaining abstinence without treatment. Psychological stress from work, family problems, psychiatric illness, pain associated with medical problems, social cues (such as meeting individuals from one’s drug-using past), or environmental cues (such as encountering streets, objects, or even smells associated with drug abuse) can trigger intense cravings without the individual even being consciously aware of the triggering event. Any one of these factors can hinder attainment of sustained abstinence and make relapse more likely. Nevertheless, research indicates that active participation in treatment is an essential component for good outcomes and can benefit even the most severely addicted individuals. LOTUS Behavioral Health occupies a 19,000 sq. ft facility located in beautiful Winter Springs Fl. At this facility, the transformation process begins with a multitude of individualized services to meet the needs of our patients through: Substance Use and Mental Health Evaluations Day/Night Treatment Intensive Outpatient (IOP) Outpatient Individual therapy Group Therapy Telehealth Marriage & Family Therapy Medication Management Anger Management Relapse Prevention Aftercare Services Substance use disorder rarely develops in a vacuum. Visit www.lotusbh.org