To understand why the problem is so widespread, people must recognize the complexities around not just getting sober — but staying sober, Kelly said. Those predispositions can combine with a history of trauma or developmental experiences to make someone much more likely to develop an addiction, Kelly added. For some people, mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety occur alongside but independent of their addiction, Kelly said. “It does not mean that this individual is never going to be able to achieve recovery,” Dick said. “The devious nature of drugs means that when an individual has been using heavily, it also changes their brain and that makes it harder to maintain recovery,” Dick said.

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Persons: Matthew Perry, “, “ I’ve, ” Perry, ‘ Will, ’ ”, Danielle Dick, Dr, John F, Kelly, ”, ‘, ’, ” Dick, Dick, ” Kelly, —, they’ve, Dick said, you’ve, Don’t, Nancy Diazgranados, relapses, ” Diazgranados, Matt Organizations: CNN, Hollywood, Rutgers Addiction Research, Harvard Medical, Hospital Recovery Research, US Centers for Disease Control, Addiction, CDC, National Institute on Drug, National Institute, Alcohol Locations: Piscataway , New Jersey, Massachusetts, United States