Posts Tagged Drug Addiction

Treatment of Drug and Substance Addiction – An Overview

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Drug Rehabilitation, Drug Testing, Prescription Drug Abuse on October 16th, 2009

addiction

The disease of addiction entails a lot of complexities which affect every sphere of the addict’s life as well as that of his family members. Addiction, like any other chronic disease, is treatable. Treatment of addiction has several components which aims at making the victim drug free and rehabilitating him into the mainstream of life. It covers detoxification and management of medical problems, providing individual, family and group counseling and extending follow-up care.

Treatment of addiction is primarily based on certain guiding principles, the salient one being that recovery from addiction is possible though there is a probability of relapse and recovery is usually a long process. The treatment procedure must focus on various needs of the recovering person – physical, psychological, legal, vocational, spiritual and others. Counseling forms an integral part of the treatment and this should continue for an adequate period of time. Regular monitoring of the individual’s needs, problems and his progress is essential.

The involvement of family, community, workplace and support groups facilitate recovery. Co-morbidity is one of the most chief factors since most of the addicts do suffer from different types of physical or mental problems which, if left untreated, will take a more serious form in recovery and this might act as a trigger for relapse.

The initial step in treating an addict is assessment of the causes of addiction and identification of the most appropriate treatment modalities which could meet his needs.

Detoxification is the next step which deals with the abstinence syndrome caused by the cessation of the use of drugs. Detoxification can be done in a controlled environment such as at a detoxification center or on an outpatient basis.

The early detoxification phase is followed by counseling – individual or group. This enables the client to assess his problems and motivates him to develop coping skills.

An effective treatment procedure should have a component of aftercare since it is essential to sustain recovery.

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Women and Drug Addiction: Any Correlation?

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Drug Rehabilitation, Drug Testing, Prescription Drug Abuse on October 14th, 2009

drug and women copy
Drug addiction is a serious problem that has been affecting both the genders without any bias. Women have been known to play the multiple roles of home makers as well as bread earners. But the common notion about the fairer sex is that they are emotionally stronger than males and have a strong shoulder to bear all the responsibilities that their counterparts fail or resign from doing. But the truth is that the more you are tough the easier it is to break you.

The underlying vulnerability is masked by the toughness and the burden of responsibilities and constant stress make them internally vulnerable and a physical or emotional disturbance might cause a turmoil triggering drug abuse leading to drug dependency.

Women drug abusers face serious challenges to their well-being during their lives. Researches show that a large number of them present a history of physical and sexual abuse. The condition worsens when such women get into flesh trade just to earn the money to sustain their drug taking habit. The result is obvious – sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS.

Often it is found the initiation of the habit is through her male counterpart – spouse or boyfriend- who is also an addict. In such cases it becomes very difficult for the women to abstain from drugs since the lifestyle of the partner supports it.

Research indicates that women become more easily dependent on certain drugs like cocaine even after experimental or casual use. Thus by the time she seeks treatment she may be severely addicted.

A problem with female addicts is that most of the time they do not seek treatment due to fear of rejection from their family members, community. But treatment is an absolute necessity for them. A comprehensive treatment approach that takes care of the special needs of women together with support and encouragement from the family and community is essential to help them in refraining from addiction.

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Legalizing Pot – will that really help?

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Drug Rehabilitation, Drug Testing, Prescription Drug Abuse on October 12th, 2009

Pot
The ban on cannabis use in California had been in effect since 1913. After 96 years the state Assembly is considering the issue of legalizing the use of pot just like alcohol. The Assembly Public Safety Committee considered the legal, financial and criminal consequences of legalizing the drug. The state has been going through budget crisis and it is being held that the millions of dollars that goes towards fighting cultivation, sale and use of this cash crop could be utilized to aid the state to overcome this crisis. Tax officials believe that the struggling state could earn revenue of around $1.4 billion annually.

Assemblyman Tom Ammiano said, “It is time to take our heads out of the sand and start to regulate this $1.4 billion industry. By doing so, we can enact smart public money that will bring much needed revenue into the state and improve public safety by utilizing our limited law enforcement resources more wisely. The move toward regulation is simply common sense.” The $1.4 billion is Ammiano’s estimated value of both illegal and medical marijuana. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger does not support the matter but said that he is open to a “robust debate” since the legalization could save money and generate state funds.

The law enforcement agencies stand against the issue. According to them, legalization of pot will increase the use of the drug and crimes associated with it. But Ammiano felt that regulation would decrease the accessibility of the drug to young people, “specially those recruited to sell it.”

Opponents like John Redman of Californians For Drug Free Youth said, “This is bad to tax something that is going to be harmful to our youth, harmful to our communities, harmful to our churches.”

Problems related to alcohol and prescription drug use has been growing by leaps and bounds in the state and the nation as a whole. Don’t you think legalization of pot will add to the problem?

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Cocaine Addiction Escalates in London

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Drug Rehabilitation, Drug Testing, Prescription Drug Abuse on October 10th, 2009

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Britain has the highest number of cocaine abusers than any other country in the European Union – a report furnished by the Home Office (interior ministry) declared this.

The official figures showed that 12,354 adults were now receiving treatment for dependency on cocaine. The figures also indicate that 3 percent of all 15-69 years olds used cocaine in the previous year meaning that almost a million people had taken the drug – the highest number since data was first collected in 1996.

The workers of the finance sector have been worst affected and the major responsibility for this critical situation has been attributed to the constant stress and depression that has resulted from recession. Don Serratt, the Chief Executive of Life Works, said he has noticed a 25 percent increase in the number of people seeking treatment for alcohol or cocaine abuse in the past few months. American born Mr. Serratt was addicted to drug and alcohol but has maintained sobriety for the past 27 years.

“It has a lot to do with the current economic environment,” voiced Serratt. “Either they have been made redundant or (they have) fears around being made redundant or fears around lowered income because many of these people have high personal overheads,” he said. “Even if you keep your job but you are looking at making a fraction of what you made, it adds quite a bit of stress.”

The users generally did not admit that they were having a problem until their performance was affected. Thus it took nearly nine months for the problem to surface. He accused the firms for not being able to handle the problem and for not treating it seriously. “Most of them do not even have a drug or alcohol policy,” he said. A lot of firms even have no training to identify and to deal with addiction.

Britain’s economic crisis might be easing now but the situation regarding drug use might not improve with that ease.

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Beware of the Prescription Drug, Adderall – It is Addictive

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Drug Rehabilitation, Drug Testing, Prescription Drug Abuse on October 2nd, 2009

adderall

Prescription drug abuse has been a growing source of concern. Often the victims start using the drug without even knowing about its addictive nature. But gradually, with increased usage, the primary purpose of using it fades away and the person gets hooked to it.

Adderall is one such prescription drug, the use of which has gained tremendous popularity among college students as well as housewives. It is a Central Nervous System stimulant and students use it for staying awake at night during their exams. It also helps in reducing weight and is thus well-liked by women who like to shed that extra fat to get the swimsuit figure. The increasing demand for Adderall prescriptions amongst parents of college students coupled with a college culture that encourages its use is leading to a rise in Adderall addiction.

Adderall is a Schedule II drug and its annual sale is roughly $600 million. You need a prescription to get this drug since it has high potential to be abused and may lead to severe physical and psychological dependence.

The effects of Adderall are insomnia, lack of appetite, nausea and vomiting, palpitations, dizziness, changes in heart rate and blood pressure which usually increases but may also decrease in certain cases, headache, abdominal pain, digestive problems skin rashes and itching, weight loss, unexplained muscle tenderness, muscle weakness, flu like symptoms, toxic psychosis and psychotic episodes. Paranoia, hallucinations, feelings of hostility, excessive repetition of movements and formicaton (sensation of bugs and worms crawling under the skin) are related with long-term, excessive use of the drug. Overdose may also lead to cardio-vascular failure and convulsion.

Thus Adderall is not really a buddy as your friends might be portraying it. Don’t get lured by its temporary benefits since it might pave your way to the rehab centre in the near future.

For more information on the matter you can call The Atlanta Recovery Center of Georgia at 1-877-236-3981.

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Myths About Pot Smoking

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Other on September 30th, 2009

PotSmoking

Substance abusers who fail to abstain from chemicals despite several treatment efforts, generally think of switching over to some other forms of chemicals for harm minimization. Often we come across confused parents who try to make a deal with their children that, “if you stop using all other drugs you will be allowed to smoke only pot.” This is not really surprising since throughout the world marijuana is the most popular drugs because of its euphoric effects. The myths associated with marijuana are also responsible for its widespread acceptance. A good number of users and their family members believe that they are smoking herb – a natural product. Isn’t that a consolation!

But parents must be aware about the three common myths about marijuana use and then decide on their course of action.

#  Marijuana is not addictive. It does not create physical dependence. This is absolutely an incorrect notion since continued use of pot leads to physical dependence which is evident from the symptoms that are noticeable once the substance is withdrawn. Lack of appetite, poor sleep, fatigue, aggression are some of the withdrawal symptoms associated with the substance. 

# Marijuana is natural and thus good for health. All natural products are not safe for health. Mother nature also produces certain things which are detrimental for health. Marijuana affects the Central Nervous System specially the cognitive aspect of the brain. The effects, though subtle, are often irreversible. Short term memory is impaired, a slower processing speed leads to slowing down of the brains ability to solve problems. Prolonged usage in adolescence might lead to neuroplasticity.

# Marijuana is a natural healer for diseases that cause pain. Studies have shown that THC, the primary chemical in marijuana helps AIDS patients to gain weight and prevents cancer patients from experiencing nausea. Thus THC is filtered and extracted and used in different pills. But actual marijuana has at least 400 cancer causing chemicals apart from THC which might cause devastating effects when they react with THC in the body.

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