Substance abuse is a major issue among many causes due to the excessive use of drugs or substances. It may lead to physical, mental, and social harm. Finding an effective substance abuse treatment is no more difficult. Researchers now have a better understanding of such behavior and there are many drug education campaigns running to provide complete knowledge to children and adolescents. As per the National Survey on Drugs Use and Health, around 8.1% of the population regularly receives treatment for substances in the United States.
Recognizing Drug Addiction
The very first stage towards recovery is to recognize the addiction problem. Different types of drugs such as alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, heroin, or nicotine can affect a person’s brain and behavior that leads to an inability to control the use of legal or illegal drugs. As time passes, the person starts to take larger doses of the drug and even finds it difficult to stay without drugs. Here are some common symptoms of drug abuse –
- Intense cravings for the drug regularly like daily or even multiple times in a day.
- Inability to stop using the drug instead of trying.
- Using the drug even after knowing it’s causing serious problems physically and mentally.
- Spending a huge amount of money on the drug, despite financial problems.
- Getting engaged in activities is another common drug influence.
Types of Treatment
An individual with an excessive drug addiction should immediately consult a drug disorder counseling specialist to prevent the situation from worsening. Luckily there is a wide range of substance abuse treatments available. It’s not that the same treatment will work on every person. Depending on the symptoms, and other complications, a person is treated. Here are the stages of treatments for addiction-
- Counseling & Behavioral Therapies: In this process, the family, friends, and society play a vital role. This therapy may occur on a one-to-one group, or family basis as per the condition of the patient. There are different types of therapy available including, cognitive-behavioral therapy, multidimensional family therapy, motivational interviewing, etc.
- Detoxifying: This is the very first stage of a substance abuse treatment where different types of medication are used to clear out the substance accumulated in the body of the individual. Most of the detoxification methods include the end of medication or liquor substances from the body.
- Treatment with medication: Medication combined with behavioral therapy can effectively reduce drug addiction. Medications like acamprosate, and lofexidine are effective medicines approved by the FDA that can reduce drinking behavior.
There are both hospital-based and residential-based treatments available. Anyone who is struggling with an addiction can take the help of substance abuse treatment. A patient who is dependent on substances of abuse can face some serious health issues. Drug addiction side effects may include liver failure, brain stroke, anxiety, tremors, insomnia, heart attacks, cancer, and much more. Remember it’s never too late. Drug use and addiction are preventable if taken proper treatment.
