Posts Tagged Drug Abuse Treatment

A Bloodcurdling Trend in Drug Addiction

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Drug Rehabilitation, Drug Testing, Prescription Drug Abuse on December 4th, 2009

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Flashing blood is the new technique of addiction that is gaining immense popularity among the teenagers along the Kenyan coast. It is a cash saving method whereby a user injects himself with heroin or any other illicit drug. He then draws a syringe full of blood and pass on the syringe to the next injector to inject himself. Thus these users are not only sharing needles or other paraphernalia but also blood. No wonder the numbers of Hepatitis C and HIV positive cases are escalating in geometric progression.

Recently a study on drug abuse had been conducted at Kalindini and Mombasa districts. The study, sponsored by National AIDS Control Council and carried out by DARAT, an organization based in Mombasa, indicated that a sample of 120 narcotic users including injecting drug users showed an exceptionally high rate of Hepatitis C and HIV positive cases. The drug users were all residents of Mombasa and Kalindini.

Dr. Timothy Mugusia, who was involved in the study said, “Over 70 per cent of them were found to be infected with hepatitis C while half of them were HIV positive.” He also said, “An abnormally high rate of HIV and hepatitis among injecting drug users at the Kenyan coast points to ‘flashing blood’ among local users.”

The practice was first reported in Dar es Salaam two years ago. Sheryl McUrdy of the University of Texas and Paul Kilonzo of the University of Dar es Salaam first reported the incidents of flash blood in a study published in the African Journal of Drug and Alcohol studies in 2006.

Dr. Mugusia estimated that there are around 6,000 drug injectors in Mombasa and Kalindini and most of the users are in their early 20s. The women in Mombasa have threatened to strip publicly if the government fails to take any immediate steps to check drug use in this part of the city since it is eroding the productivity of the youth.

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Effective Methods of Drug Abuse Treatment

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Treatment on November 30th, 2009

There may be numerous methods of treating drug addiction, but the basic goal remains the same — to help individuals kick the habit off and get it completely out of their system. Since drug addiction is a disorder that results from drug usage over an extended period of time, it would be a bit much to expect for positive results from only a single treatment. Therefore, treatment is also a long-term, ongoing process. This is done in order to prevent relapse, which can render the time and money spent for treatment utterly worthless.

drug abuseThe methods utilized in treating drug addiction vary, and this can range from behavioral therapy to medication prescription. Behavioral therapy, for instance, aims to target the patient’s reasons for drug use, which are usually grounded on social context. Methods such as counseling, contingency management, and social analyses are often used in this kind of therapy, and the intensity of each session can also vary in proportion to the severity of the patient’s case.

On the other hand, medication prescription is a method utilized in order to find substitutes for the drug. For instance, those addicted to nicotine are offered medications such as gums, patches, and lozenges, which contain chemicals that mimic the nicotine’s effect of the body minus its adverse effects.

Of course, the effectiveness of these treatments also depends on factors such as proper monitoring and intervention measures. After all, it would be pointless to undergo treatment if the patient is going to revert to using drugs afterwards.

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Importance of Support in Drug Addiction Treatment

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Rehabilitation on November 15th, 2009

Perhaps one of the most difficult things to come to grips with is finding out that your loved one is addicted to drugs. The initial and most common reaction is shock, especially if you knew that he was living a clean life well before the addiction even started, and the frustration that this can give to you can lead to conflicts later on.

family supportBut what you need to understand when you find out about it is that it is often an involuntary act, especially if it has been going on for quite a while. The longer the user has been taking drugs, the harder it is to escape because of the strengthening craving and growing dependence on the substance.

With this in mind, it becomes a difficult task to pry him away from using drugs. In fact, it is quite inadvisable to do so forcefully, since this may lead to possible violent encounters. Encouraging them to get treatment can be one of the things that you can do for them without great risk of damage to your relationship.

The hardest part of any recovery is the withdrawal stage. This can sometimes be fatal if left alone. The feelings associated with withdrawal also depend on the length of drug use –the longer the drug use, the more intense the sensations become, which can be extremely unpleasant for the individual. In this case, realize that he cannot make it through without guidance and support, which can be given by both medical professionals and friends.

Of course, drug treatment is not a one-shot deal. It is a long, painful, and ongoing process, and hoping that the individual can get over it miraculously may be a bit much to expect. Feelings of pain can surface long after contact with drugs, and these must be anticipated and dealt with carefully. Emotional support is critical even after treatment. Only then can true, lasting recovery take place.

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Admission to Drug Abuse Is Significant to Recovery

Posted by DrugFreeHomes 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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Crisis Intervention – An Important Aspect of Drug Recovery

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Drug Rehabilitation, Drug Testing, Prescription Drug Abuse on October 24th, 2009

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The risk of relapse remains for most drug abusers throughout their life. Several factors might trigger relapse, crisis being one of them. Crisis is a painful event or situation that can disturb the normal functioning and emotional state of the individual. A crisis in an abstinent person’s life can push him back into the nasty cycle of drug addiction. But, every problem is not a crisis. The individual, in his course of recovery, learns to solve several problems on his own. But there are situations that cannot be solved with just his usual problem solving resources. It is during such situations that a professional help is required to deal with the situation and help the person continue with his recovery.

For a recovering drug user crisis may emerge from any of the following situations –

Family situations like lack of family support, separation, physical illness in the family, death of a close family member can give rise to crises for the abstinent user.

Interpersonal problems arising from difficulties in relationships within and outside the family can lead to crises. Positive emotions like a promotion, marriage, birth of a child could also act as crisis situations.

Personal and social situations involving problems resulting from the person’s previous drug use like legal action for some criminal action done before, ostracism from the community due to previous behavior are also potential causes of crisis.

Economic situations like losing a job, failure to repay debt, failure to find a job could also spark off a crisis.

Following a crisis, the person feels anxious, hurt, upset or angry. He might try to deal with the problem on his own or with the family members. But if he fails then the emotional problems might worsen and he might run the risk of relapse. This possibility usually lasts for 4 to 6 weeks and it is a critical period when he needs help to stay on his path of 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

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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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