Archive for November, 2009

Utilizing Behavioral Therapy as a Drug Rehabilitation Method

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Rehabilitation on November 12th, 2009

It is a well-known fact that drug abuse can result to high levels of social differentiation and discrimination. People reputed to be users tend to be outcast by those in the majority group, since drug use is not only discouraged, but also greatly frowned upon by most members of society. There are also those that seek medication for this condition by taking “soft” alternatives for their drugs in order to slowly eradicate it from their systems, but the social stigma will still remain.

drug abuserHence, the answer to this predicament is to utilize another form of therapy – in this case, behavioral therapy – to help those under the influence to look at the reasons for their drug addiction, as well as to help them cope in a society that once shunned them for their habit.

So how does behavioral therapy as a drug rehabilitation method help, especially since not everyone is willing to undergo treatment? To properly analyze this, we can look at the benefits that this therapy brings. One, it helps people cope with their sudden and sometimes violent cravings for drugs. It also helps them understand why they act the way they do during these moments, which is most important in establishing and reestablishing deeper ties with their family and friends, effectively improving their communication and, by extension, their social functionality.

Here, the advantages of behavioral therapy lie in its ability to help people cope with themselves as well as with society. But, sometimes, doing this individually has minimal effect on the rehabilitation process. Often, it is also effective to undergo group therapy, since this reinforces the individual’s confidence to finally kick the habit. Through group therapy, an individual realizes that there are other people who have gone through the same predicament.

While medications can help greatly in drug rehabilitation, it won’t be as effective without proper behavioral therapy. The two go together, and in terms of combating the stigma that goes along with being a drug user, behavioral therapy is critical.

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How Effective Can Drug Addiction Treatment Be?

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Rehabilitation on November 11th, 2009

The saying “once you pop, you can’t stop” is an ancient adage and excuse for being addicted to something, and being addicted to drugs is one habit that brings this to light. On your own, it is excruciatingly hard to stop drug addiction, especially when the withdrawal symptoms begin to kick in. Those determined to kick the habit choose to seek professional treatment, but now we raise the question — How effective can drug addiction treatment be?

drug abuseTo further understand the effectiveness of drug addiction treatment, let’s first take a closer look at the goals of this kind of treatment. The primary objective is to set the lives of patients back on track, since drug addiction has serious physical, mental, and social consequences. Physical consequences can include a growing dependence on the drug, which can result to loss of appetite as well as weight loss. Mental side effects include paranoia, acute anxiety and stress. The social consequences of drug addiction include being labeled as deviant – something that can demarcate and cast out the patient from his or her social groups, which can further encourage rebellious behavior on the individual’s part.

With that objective set, the effectiveness of drug addiction is also variable, since each person has a different set of experiences. Each patient must first be put into scrutiny before determining the kind of treatment that is best suited for him. How long has he been using drugs? Does his drug addiction stem from something deeper? The outcome of each treatment depends on the background of the individual, as well as his willingness and determination to undergo the treatment each step of the way.

Generally, there are set objectives and procedures when it comes to drug addiction treatment, but its effectiveness can only be determined by the patient himself.

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Prescription Drug Abuse: The Danger of Easy Access to Supply

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction, Prescription Drug Abuse on November 10th, 2009

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to go to the streets to buy drugs. Some of the drugs that can cause addiction are readily available at your local pharmacy. But the fact that it is sold legally does not change the reality that these drugs can also damage your body if taken in unchecked doses. Taking drugs such as valium, decongestants, and even cough syrup is dangerous in high doses, which makes the task of understanding the nature of prescription drug abuse a lot more important.

Prescription Drug AbuseWhile street drugs such as marijuana, meth, and cocaine have immediate extreme effects on the body, prescription drugs are relatively milder, but this does not mean that they are less dangerous. The most common abused prescription drugs include painkillers, sleeping pills, decongestants and cough syrup. All of these drugs are made to numb the senses, and can give the user an artificial sense of being free of pain and discomfort.

So why abuse prescription drugs? The reasons for this phenomenon are mainly social, a dimension of analysis that must not be overlooked when it comes to drug addiction. But whatever the user’s reasons may be, the fact of the matter remains the same — that they want to enjoy the feeling of escaping from reality, if only for a moment. The perception that using drugs to simulate this feeling may seem foolish at first, but then again, it shows how desperate the person can get out from the unpleasant experiences that life can bring them.

While the thought of them being legal gives people some degree of comfort when using them, prescription drugs can still be as dangerous as street drugs if taken in high quantities. The cycle of addiction would still apply to both kinds of drugs, where you may be trapped in it and find yourself unable to get out because of the sense of uncontrollable dependence on the drug.

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Understanding the Reasons of Drug Addiction

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction on November 9th, 2009

The social stigma attached to the label “drug addict” is a highly discriminatory one. However detestable an activity it is for the majority of people who choose to live their lives the right way, knowing how and why drug addiction persists within society is important in order to curb it and possibly eliminate it at its roots. There are definite reasons as to why drug addiction begins, and you will probably be surprised why it happens.

drug addictThose that most of us call “drug addicts” are stuck using drugs not only because they want it, but because their bodies start to become dependent on drugs. A large number, if not all drug addicts like to believe that they can stop drug use by their will alone, and these same people also choose not to undergo rehabilitation. But the likelihood of escaping the trap of drug usage is slim, especially if used in the long-term.  There are mental changes associated with long-term drug use, and this can affect and alter the way people behave, leaving them unable to control some actions – including their strengthening craving for more drugs.

So why do some people choose to use drugs? The reasons for this phenomenon can actually be quite logical – most drug addicts choose to use drugs because of the strong desire to escape from the stresses of their daily lives. These include psychological stress from work, home, or in school. The desire to escape reality becomes one of the most fundamental reasons of prolonged drug addiction.

With this mindset to guide our line of thinking, understanding drug addiction becomes a lot less difficult. The labeling and stereotyping of drug addicts prevents us from looking at the reality of drug addicts – that they are persons trapped within the cycle of drug use. Analyzing the reasons for their habit is a pressing task, and should not be taken lightly.

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Marijuana Use During Pregnancy Affects Baby’s Development

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction on November 8th, 2009

Several studies have shown that the use of marijuana, and other drugs by extension, can cause harm to a pregnant mother’s developing baby. These effects may not necessarily be visible, but the damage that these can cause goes on at a far deeper level. So while the mother may seem all right at first glance, the baby, being the more sensitive of the two, suffers on very high and unprecedented levels.

pregnancyWhy does marijuana damage the baby more? For one thing, the baby’s internal organs are still developing, and that small dosage that the mother takes is proportionally larger to the baby, hence the difference in damage. Marijuana’s active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly known as THC, can hinder neuron development, and the baby can have problems with basic cognitive skills such as memory retention.

A study conducted by Harkany of the Karolinska Institute’s Molecular Neurobiology Division in Sweden shows that a certain type of receptor in the brain latch onto chemicals called endocannabinoids, a chemical that goes along with marijuana use. According to this study, these receptors guide the development of axons, which are the main channels of communication from neuron to neuron. But when these same receptors are exposed to endocannabinoids, these axons can’t position themselves the way they’re supposed to, leading to impaired neurological development.

This can also partly explain the increased tremors and the high-pitched cry that a baby can have, since these can signify that there are problems in the development of the baby’s nervous system.

This is why doctors strongly advise pregnant mothers not to take any drugs during the course of their pregnancy, since the effects touch mainly on the baby’s mental development. This can lead to more problems later on as the child grows up, and there can be behavioral problems as well as learning impediments brought by their mother’s drug usage during pregnancy.

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Admission to Drug Abuse Is Significant to Recovery

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction, Drug Rehabilitation on November 7th, 2009

It may be excruciatingly hard to tear away from the habit of using drugs. In some cases, the shock of withdrawal can kill the user, and in other cases, it drives the user insane. Before this can happen, it is important to acknowledge the problem before it gets any worse. Admission is the first step on the road to recovery and rehabilitation.

drug abusePerhaps it may not be noticeable during the first few times, but as it goes on, the habit may become as frequent as eating and breathing. As the dependence grows, so does the shame of admitting it. After all, it would make one feel foolish to admit that they have become a slave to a substance that they thought they would never even think of using in their lifetime.

The feeling of isolation may prevent the user from acknowledging the problem, thinking that they are the only ones who are going through with that kind of experience. The only surefire way to evade this problem is for the user to realize that he is not alone. Drug abuse has become an underground culture around the world, and it spares no one, regardless of race, nationality, and financial status.

The people around the drug abuser also play a significant role in recovery. Confronting the user directly and prematurely can lead to his denial of drug use, which can make things a lot more complicated later on. And even if you get an admission, you cannot be assured that the user would want to undergo rehabilitation, especially if he or she feels threatened. The feeling of being supported through the whole ordeal can give the user some degree of assurance, and this can also give him a sense of comfort knowing that there would be someone to help him get through the rough patches in the road to full recovery.

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