Signs of drug and substance abuse and natural drug addiction treatment.

Drug Addiction

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What is Drug Addiction?
Diagnosing Drug Addiction
What Causes Drug Addiction?
Help for Drug Addiction
More Information on Drug Addiction

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What is Drug Addiction?

Drug addiction is a complex condition (more recently called Drug Dependency) that has been defined as a disorder that manifests in the obsessive thinking about and use of drugs. It is a condition that may be progressive and fatal if left untreated.

Drugs work by affecting the chemicals in the brain and inducing an artificial state of euphoria or a ‘high’. But as the body gets used to the effects of the drugs, it takes more and more to achieve the same affect, thus starting a never-ending quest to attain this false happiness - with frightening consequences.

As the disease progresses, drug users will allow relationships, jobs, studies, careers and children to fall by the wayside as drugs become a central need in their life. People addicted to drugs may also find themselves in denial.

For addicts to continue such a destructive, self harming and damaging way of life there has to be a very strong level of denial existing to keep them from fully seeing the truth and reality of the illness. Therefore, denial exists as a survival mechanism to protect the disease. With substance abuse treatment, addiction can be treated and a better, healthier lifestyle adopted.

Who is Most at Risk for Drug Abuse and Dependency? Is There a Cure?

Drug abuse and the development of dependency are problems that can affect anyone, from suburban mothers addicted to sleeping pills to children persuaded by peers to smoke marijuana. Teenagers and young adults are considered to be a particularly high risk group for developing drug abuse problems. This may be because these are important periods of transition and change and it is often during transitional times when people start to experiment with new things and begin to face new life stressors.

People are also at higher risk if they are depressed, have self-esteem issues, have a family history of substance abuse or feel like they don’t fit in with society. Drug addiction is often justified and viewed as harmless fun or necessary escapism by users. However, the consequences can be devastating, long-term and even fatal.

There are a number of substance abuse treatment options if you feel that drug abuse is a problem in your life, or if you are concerned about a family member or friend. Drug addiction is often a downward spiral to destruction, but there are always outstretched hands ready and waiting should you decide to reach for help.

What are the Most Commonly Abused Drugs?

Alcohol
Marijuana
Mandrax
Heroin
Rohypnol
Ecstasy
Codeine
Tranquilizers
LSD
Crystal methamphetamine (Meth)
Speed
Cocaine
Appetite suppressants
Cough mixture
Inhalants
Prescription pain or sleeping medication

Diagnosing Drug Addiction

A drug abuse problem is usually diagnosed when the drug-user seeks help for this problem, or a concerned family member encourages an appointment with a General Practitioner, drug counselor or psychologist. If you decide to seek help, you can expect to be asked a few questions regarding your drug use and any difficulties you may be experiencing.

You may also be asked if you’ve ever tried to, or felt like you should stop or cut down, if you feel any guilt or feel that you may have a problem, or if you’ve ever taken drugs as a way of “coping” with life problems.

What are the Symptoms of Drug Dependency and Abuse?

Some individuals who have tried drugs or use them frequently will know when infrequent drug use becomes drug abuse and dependence. Denial however, is very powerful and may blind many people to the fact that drugs are becoming a problem. Drug abuse and dependence can be recognized by the following signs:

Feeling that you NEED the drug on a regular basis
Ensuring that you have a constant supply of the drug
Behaving in uncharacteristic ways in order to use, such as stealing money, lying to loved ones, or becoming aggressive when something stands between you and your next drug taking session
Feeling helpless to deal with life’s problems and stressors with out the ‘help’ from your drug of choice
Repeatedly failing attempts at stopping your drug use
Development of tolerance towards the drug
Putting yourself and/or others in danger when under the influence, such as driving while intoxicated, or participating in other risky behaviors, including unprotected sex
Deterioration in relationships, work performance or financial status
Clashes with authority, the law or other legal problems
Justifying use – “everyone does it”, “need it to relax”, “it’s only sleeping tablets/marijuana”

What Causes Drug Addiction?

The questions that seem to come up time and time again when looking at drug abuse are: “Why can some people take drugs without ever becoming addicted to or dependant on them?”, “Why can some people stop habitual drug use, but others continue on a life long pattern of drug abuse and addiction despite many failed attempts to stop?” These questions have been the motivation for much research.

Factors in the Development of Drug Dependency

Genetic factors - Substance abuse in general seems to run in families and studies have concluded that addiction has a genetic component. While environmental factors influence whether someone uses drugs, abuse and dependence may be largely influenced by genetics.

Poor coping and self-medication – Many people enter the world of drug abuse as a means of escaping unpleasant feelings such as depression, stress or anxiety and it becomes a way to cope with tension. Others use drugs as a form of self-medication. For example, a person suffering from social anxiety may take drugs in order to become less inhibited and less afraid of social situations.

The Highs - Different drugs have different psychological effects and create different mood states. For example Marijuana is often taken as a relaxant, where cocaine is a stimulant and is typically taken to induce a state of energy and euphoria. These feelings are pleasurable and serve as positive reinforcement - people continue to take drugs to recapture this pleasurable high.

The Lows - On the other hand, what goes up must come down. There comes a point in drug addiction where it takes more and more to reach these gratifying highs and so more drugs are taken. The more drugs that are taken, the harder the ‘come down’ afterwards. Some people enter deeply painful and depressed states and taking more drugs is often seen as the only way to relieve these unpleasant feelings.

Social and cultural factors – Many children are exposed to the idea of drugs at an early age through their parents, siblings, peers and the media. Children that have had substance abusing parents are more likely to use drugs themselves as are those whose social peer group promotes the idea of drugs. Similarly, cultural values place different emphasis on the perception of drugs.

Help for Drug Addiction

Substance abuse treatment often involve a variety of different methods. For some drug addictions, detoxification programs and certain prescription medication may be used to combat the physical aspects of drug withdrawal.

However, more often than not coping with drug dependency involves a great deal of focus on treating psychological factors that contribute to dependency.

Treatments for Drug Dependency

Drug Treatments
Certain medications can be used to assist with different aspects of the detox and treatment process. Methadone and buprenorphine are some examples of prescription medications used to help reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms. While these drugs may be suitable for some people as a part of a broader treatment plan, it is advised that you research all possible side-effects and contra-indications of these medications.

Psychological and Educational
There are many behavioral treatments available to assist someone attempting to stop a drug abuse problem. Both inpatient and outpatient treatments can help the individual by promoting behavioral changes and providing a structured program for a healthy recovery. Many of these programs such as Narcotics Anonymous and Narcon have high success rates.

Acupuncture, hypnosis and other therapies
Although these approaches were once seen as being ‘alternative’, many have become part of the mainstream treatment of drug addictions and commonly form part of the overall treatment program with great benefit.

Natural Herbal and Homeopathic Remedies
Drugs and drug addiction are not new phenomena although the variety of synthetic drugs available increases on a daily basis. Addictive drugs such as opium and its derivatives have been around for centuries and have well-established treatment methods in the traditions of Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine in particular. Consequently there are a variety of natural herbal and homeopathic remedies that can help with the various problems associated with drug detox and withdrawals. Certain herbal extracts such as Dandelion and Fennel can be used to increase liver functioning for detox purposes, while others such as Passiflora and certain tissue salt compounds can help sooth anxious nerves and an agitated mind.