Drug Addiction - What is drug addiction?
Drug Addiction - There are many addictive drugs, and treatments for specific drugs can differ. Treatment also varies depending on the characteristics of the patient. View drug addiction articles posted and modified on a daily basis.
Drug addiction problems associated with an individual's drug addiction can vary significantly. People who are addicted to drugs come from all walks of life. Many suffer from mental health, occupational, health, or social problems that make their addictive disorders much more difficult to treat. Even if there are few associated problems, the severity of addiction itself ranges widely among people.
A variety of scientifically based approaches to drug addiction treatment exists. Drug addiction treatment can include behavioral therapy (such as counseling, cognitive therapy, or psychotherapy), medications, or their combination. Behavioral therapies offer people strategies for coping with their drug cravings, teach them ways to avoid drugs and prevent relapse, and help them deal with relapse if it occurs. When a person's drug-related behavior places him or her at higher risk for AIDS or other infectious diseases, behavioral therapies can help to reduce the risk of disease transmission. Case management and referral to other medical, psychological, and social services are crucial components of treatment for many patients. The best programs provide a combination of therapies and other services to meet the needs of the individual patient, which are shaped by such issues as age, race, culture, sexual orientation, gender, pregnancy, parenting, housing, and employment, as well as physical and sexual abuse.
Drug addiction treatment can include behavioral therapy, medications, or their combination.Treatment medications, such as methadone, LAAM, and naltrexone, are available for individuals addicted to opiates. Nicotine preparations (patches, gum, nasal spray) and bupropion are available for individuals addicted to nicotine.
Components of Comprehensive Drug Addiction Treatment
The best drug addiction treatment programs provide a combination of therapies and other services to meet the needs of the individual patient.Medications, such as antidepressants, mood stabilizers, or neuroleptics, may be critical for treatment success when patients have co-occurring mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, or psychosis.
Treatment can occur in a variety of settings, in many different forms, and for different lengths of time. Because drug addiction is typically a chronic disorder characterized by occasional relapses, a short-term, one-time treatment often is not sufficient. For many, treatment is a long-term process that involves multiple interventions and attempts at abstinence.
Today’s youth face many risks, including drug abuse, violence, and HIV/AIDS.
Responding to these risks before they become problems can be difficult. One
of the goals of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is to help the
public understand the causes of drug abuse and to prevent its onset. Drug abuse
has serious consequences in our homes, schools, and communities. From NIDA’s
perspective, the use of all illicit drugs and the inappropriate use of licit
drugs is considered drug abuse.
Prevention science has made great progress in recent years. Many interventions
are being tested in “real-world” settings so they can be more easily
adapted for community use. Scientists are studying a broader range of populations
and topics. They have identified, for example, effective interventions with younger
populations to help prevent risk behaviors before drug abuse occurs. Researchers
are also studying older teens who are already using drugs to find ways to prevent
further abuse or addiction. Practical issues, such as cost-benefit analyses,
are being studied. Presenting these findings to the public is one of NIDA’s
most important responsibilities.
Research over the past two decades has tried to determine how drug abuse
begins and how it progresses. Many factors can add to a person’s risk
for drug abuse. Risk factors can increase a person’s chances for drug
abuse, while protective factors can reduce the risk. Please note, however,
that most individuals at risk for drug abuse do not start using drugs or
become addicted. Also, a risk factor for one person may not be for another.