Rochester, MN

Drug Addiction and Recovery in Rochester, Minnesota

Rochester is a city in Olmsted County, Minnesota with a population of 210,358 people, making it the third largest city in the state. Consistently voted one of the best places in the United States to live, and in 2016 it made the top of the list.

Perhaps most famously known for being the location of the world renowned Mayo Clinic, which is the number one employer in the city and forms the core of the local economy. The downtown area is almost entirely formed by the Mayo Clinic’s hotels, shops, restaurants and other facilities.

Rochester is also home to IBM’s Rochester campus, Rochester Federal Medical Group, and many agriculturally based companies, such as Seneca Foods, Kemps and Kerry Group, and their subsequent processing plants. This vibrant, diverse and rich city is clearly a top destination for those looking to live a happy, healthy life.

Why Don’t People Just Stop Using?

The disease of addiction is cunning, baffling, and powerful. Addiction is still not fully understood, however it is a disease and requires expert treatment to overthrow its deadly grasp. The person will certainly have an aspect of mental obsession with the substance as well as an abnormal physical reaction once it is ingested.

The National Institute of Health classifies four separate stages of substance abuse, which are experimentation, ongoing use, dangerous use, and dependence or addiction. Once a person has reached the final stage, physical dependence, he or she will most likely need help to stop using. In essence, the addictive substance hijacks the normal neural processes and convinces the person that the substance is more important than anything else, even survival.

As a result of the strong hold that the addictive substance has on the user’s mind, he or she may truly not realize what is happening. Denial is a given in cases of addiction and often the person believes that they are not causing any harm to themselves or others. They simply cannot see what seems obvious to those around them.

How Can I Help a Loved One Stop Using?

The most frustrating and disheartening part is having to watch a loved one struggling with substance abuse destroy his or her health, opportunities, relationships and life in general. The best way to help this person is to stage an intervention and encourage him or her to enter an addiction treatment center.

An intervention is a conversation where the person is confronted about his or her substance abuse and subsequent behavior. The disease of addiction kills far too many Americans a year. Do not let your loved one become just another statistic.