Articles On Drug Abuse - A Collection Of Articles On Drug Abuse Prevention Research

Drug and alcohol abuse is the chronic or habitual use of a drug and intake of alcohol for a non-medical purpose, with the objective of altering states of body and mind for the user. The use of illegally manufactured drugs and the abuse of legal drugs are both included here. For instance, not only illegal drugs such as heroin, cannabis, cocaine or ecstasy, but also legal drugs like tranquilizers, painkillers and sleeping pills can be abused. Some people even abuse some herbal medicines and cough syrups.

Drug abuse may even cause death or injury by overdose, accident or aggression, and can damage the central nervous system, liver and psychological health. It also greatly causes harm to self, family, friends and other associates, and is fraught with serious legal consequences like imprisonment and hefty fines. Drug abuse by teenage people is very common, which can gradually lead to disastrous consequences in the future. A large proportion of immature deaths in people between 15 and 24 are reportedly caused by drug or alcohol abuse. Such lethal abuse also leads to violent criminal acts, such as assault, murder or rape. Some young people also take to drugs to overcome severe depression and anxiety.

If a child of the family suddenly starts performing badly in school, makes a new group of friends, behaves in an aberrant manner or tries to keep aloof from other family members, in fact he or she has some reasons to be suspicious. Physical signs like constant nagging cough, red eyes, and changes in eating and sleeping habits should also serve as warning signals. In most of the cases, a physician or health care professional is needed for treatment of drug or alcohol abuse. The choice of therapy will depend on the particular needs of the individual concerned, and the drug that is being abused. Treatments for drug abuse include psychological therapies, and medication to help the patient with withdrawal symptoms. The aspects of a person that deserve special attention during treatment include detoxification, relapse prevention and long-term rehabilitation.

Drug or alcohol addiction treatment typically involves several effective and interactive steps to help an addict to successfully withdraw from using the drug. The treatment method must be followed by counseling and attending self-help groups to help the recovering addict to resist any crave for using the addictive drug again. The primary step of effective drug addiction treatment is the withdrawal therapy or step of detoxification that involve reduction of the dose of the drug or temporarily substituting the drug with other substances that have less severe side effects. This step is followed by the counseling step which begins after a successful detoxification.

Behavior therapies can help the ex-addict people to develop ways to cope with his drug cravings, suggest strategies to avoid drugs and prevent relapse, and offer suggestions on how to deal with a relapse if it occurs. Therapeutic counseling session can also involve talking about the ex-addict job, legal problems and relationships with family and friends. Counseling with family members can effectively help people to develop better communication skills and to be more supportive.

• Emma Bullock
• 22/01/2009, 12:59 PM
• 0 Comments