IT CAN’T HURT –
Sept. 2, 2025 – Why do people so often need to be pressured to seek treatment when addictive substances are destroying their lives? Quite simply, drug use feels good, at least in the short term, making many people ambivalent about giving it up. And treatment requires hard work in the short term to overcome the visceral pull of addiction, before it brings long-term relief.
In a national sample of 476 individuals who had sought treatment for an alcohol problem, more than nine in 10 reported being pressured to quit or change their drinking by their family, spouse or partner, friends or others. People under legal pressure to seek care can thus be in a situation similar to others in the same treatment program.
Why do people so often need to be pressured to seek treatment when addictive substances are destroying their lives? Quite simply, drug use feels good, at least in the short term, making many people ambivalent about giving it up. And treatment requires hard work in the short term to overcome the visceral pull of addiction, before it brings long-term relief.
