Drug Abuse and Drug Treatment Programs

When one talks of drug abuse, the quote that comes to mind is - I tried sniffing Coke once, but the ice cubes got stuck in my nose-Anonymous.Drug addiction is a problem plaguing many lives today. Many people resort to drugs to escape the bitter truths of life. Alcohol binge to do away with depression, sleeping pills to cope with anxiety and stress, popping painkillers to relieve that pain-drugs seem to provide a quick fix to all of the miseries of addicts. What they don’t realize is that what appears as a quick fix actually has extremely negative, long term consequences. Drug addiction leads to the path of self destruction.

Drug treatment programs are primarily concerned with putting an end to compulsive urge to use drugs. There are a number of approaches to treat addiction. Drug treatment programs could involve behavioral therapy (such as counseling and cognitive therapy), medication, or a combination of both. The choice of the drug treatment program would depend on the extent of drug addiction. Also, since drug addiction has a negative impact on ones personal and professional life, these problems will also have to be addressed at the same time.

For patients suffering from anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, psychoactive medications, such as anti depressants, mood stabilizers, and anti psychotic medications can play a crucial role in drug treatment. Behavioral therapies could involve motivation and evolving strategies to cope with urge to take drugs.

For people suffering from opoid dependency, vivtrol treatment can prove to be quite effective. Opoid dependency is a condition characterized by an individual’s inability to do away with the use of opoids, such as morphine, heroin, oxycodone, and prescription pain medications, even when it is known that it in his or her best interest to do so. Vivtrol treatment is also used in case of alcohol abuse.

Vivtrol treatment involves administration of vivitrol (naltrexone), a non-narcotic and non- addictive substance, through injection once a month. It blocks receptors in the brain responsible for stimulating the pleasurable effects of alcohol and drugs, and thereby helps do away with cravings for drugs. It is for patients who have already undergone opoid detoxification. The main advantage of vivtrol treatment is that involves once in a month injection and so keeps cravings for drugs at bay for almost a month, unlike other medications which have to be taken on a day to day basis to treat daily cravings.

Drug addiction is a problem not only affecting physical and mental health but also affects the societal, familial, and professional life of an individual.Drug addicts need to be treated with care and compassion. The fact that the individual has admitted her or his addiction actually proves that the de-addiction program has already begun.