Drug Addiction Treatment

What Is Drug Addiction Treatment?

Before medical science established that drug addiction was a disease, most people wrongly believed that ending an addiction was simply a matter of willpower and discipline. Sadly, many families are still clinging to this now discredited attitude toward drug abuse – and, consequently, their lives are filled with conflict.

Family members who fail to understand the true nature of drug addiction criticize, blame, nag, argue, bargain, and fight with their addicted loved one. They try to end his addiction by throwing away his drugs and limiting his money. They cannot understand why he endures poor health, car accidents, job loss, divorce, legal entanglements and so many other serious problems just because he refuses to stop using drugs. They cannot understand why he prefers drugs to loving them. These families are under constant stress and constant heartbreak. That's Why we listed Best USA Rehab Center details with proper guidance .

A Disease, Not a Choice

What these families do not understand is that drug addicts do not have a choice. When they try to quit on their own, they experience unpleasant symptoms. Some drugs produce flu-like withdrawal symptoms, such as excessive perspiration, chills, nausea, headache, and tremors. Other drugs produce symptoms that are evocative of mental illness: hallucinations, terrifying images, and confusion. Depending upon the type of drug that a person has been abusing, sudden withdrawal without proper medical supervision can life-threatening,. Having issue no worry just ask any question on FaceBook RehabPhone Number Page

In addition to enduring withdrawal symptoms, the addict is also likely to experience overwhelming cravings for her old drug. She knows that just one small “hit” of her old drug of choice will take away her withdrawal symptoms and cravings, and restore her body back to “normal.” Even if she manages to stop using drugs for a while, the odds are high that, without professional help, she will be pulled back into her old drug-using lifestyle.

Scientific Insights

The modern view of drug addiction is that it is a physical condition that requires medical treatment, just like cancer, diabetes, or any other disease. Scientists now know that drug addiction is related to individual physical characteristics, including a potential genetic basis. For example, children of alcoholics are four more times more likely to become alcoholics themselves.

By using the latest brain-scanning technology, researchers have watched people respond to drugs such as cocaine and alcohol and discovered that not everyone reacts the same way. Some people’s brains simply “light up” with extreme pleasure when they try certain substances, and they become hooked on them almost immediately. Other people do not feel any pleasure whatsoever. Follow us on Twitter Rehab Contact Phone Numbers .

Scientists also know that certain drugs alter the way receptors in the brain operate, which in turn changes the way an addict experiences pleasure. Certain drugs literally take over the central nervous system and brain, so that the addict’s main priority in life becomes getting and using his drug. He cannot help this dependency any more than a diabetic can control his need for insulin.

To overcome their addictions, people who are in this condition need professional intervention.

Effective Treatment

Modern professional drug addiction treatment often means living away from home for a while:

•     The first phase of treatment, withdrawal from the drug, must be done under 24-hour medical supervision.
•     After withdrawal, the person usually continues to live at the facility for a few months or more, with the length of time depending on the individual case.
•     The idea is for an addict to get completely away from the old drug lifestyle and friends, and to make a fresh start, while living with other people who facing similar problems.

Recovering addicts and alcoholics undergo counseling, classes, lectures, physical exercise, relaxation training, and other therapies.

Follow-up care and family counseling are important components of drug addiction treatment once the person goes back home. Most former drug addicts remain in support groups and other programs for years.

The majority of drug addicts relapse (use drugs again) after they leave treatment centers. However, this is not necessarily viewed as a failure; rather, it is considered to be a normal part of the progression toward a drug-free life.

Even with the likelihood that they will relapse, most people who participate in a professional drug addiction treatment program significantly enhance the likelihood that they will successfully recover and go on to live a productive, drug-free life.
Resources

1. Bellenir, Karen. Drug Abuse Sourcebook. Detroit: Omnigraphics, 2000.
2. Childress, Anna Rose. “What Can Human Brain Imaging Tell Us About Vulnerability to Addiction and to Relapse?”
3. William Miller and Kathleen Carroll (editors). Rethinking Substance Abuse. New York: Guilford Press, 2006.
4. Colvin, Rod. Prescription Drug Abuse. Omaha, NB: Addicus Books, 2002.
5. Jay, Jeff and Debra. Love First: A New Approach to Intervention for Alcoholism and Drug Addiction. Center City, MN: Hazelden Organization, 2000.
6. Kritsberg, Wayne. Adult Children of Alcoholics Syndrome. New York: Bantam Books, 1988.
7. Marlatt, Alan, and Judith Gordon. Relapse Prevention. (New York: Guilford Press), 1985.
8. National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide,” posted at http://www.nida.nih.gov/
9. Tsuang, M., Bar, JL, Harley, RM and Lyons, MJ. ”The Harvard Twin Study of Substance Abuse.” Harvard Review of Psychiatry, Volume 9, No. 6, pg. 267-279.