Substance abuse (or) addiction disorders is a condition that refers continuous use of particular chemical substance (alcohol, smoking, cannabis, etc) which act as a rewarding stimuli of the brain and makes the individual feel as pleasurable, feel as euphoric or gives the sense of highness or at least give the sense of relax despite its adverse effects on health, occupational, interpersonal and social well being. Despite the longstanding powerful myths and misconceptions about substance addiction, science revealed that addiction is chronic brain disease which changes the structure & functioning of the brain. These changes can be long lasting, and can lead to the harmful behaviours. Addiction is just as other health diseases such as heart or kidney diseases which disrupt the normal functioning of the underlying organ and it can be fatal if left untreated. Addiction affects all ages as the babies in the womb to the elderly people.
Signs and symptoms of addiction:
Initially, a decision to take any substance mostly voluntary by an individual or by peer group pressure to see the pleasurable effect of the drug or because of the everlasting human nature of risk taking, trying new behaviour. Also initially everyone believes that they can control their use but soon after its use, addiction takes over their lives. Long term substance abuse affects physically and psychologically and common signs of substance addiction follow.
Increased Tolerance to the substance: a person’s body adapts to a substance to an extent that it needs more and more of it in order to have similar previous pleasurable effect.
Withdrawal symptoms: once the effect of substance reduced and further substance not taken, person may experience physical, psychological symptoms ranging from nervousness to seizure and anxiety to confusion of mental function.
Continued use despite negative consequences: person continue taking substance even after it causing problems in his daily life such as job, relationship, legal problems.
Loss of control over the substance use
Risk taking behaviour after substance intake
Neglecting other activities: prolonged substance use makes a person spent more time on consuming or seeking the substance rather than spending time with families and other activities.
Dys-regulation of biological function: prolonged substance use changes the normal functioning of the body causing sleep disturbance, less food intake & digestion problems, changes in physical appearance, skin problems.
Changes in mood: though substance use initially gives sense pleasure, gradually it affects the overall mood causing uncontrolled anger, depression.
Changes in cognitive functions: Prolonged use of substance diminishes person’s memory, reasoning, planning & decision making ability.
Course of addiction disorders:
Addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disease which will affect person’s quality of life if left untreated. Most people think that they can control or abstinent from drugs once they decide to quit. However repeated failures of cessation of substance use are evident in most people because of its strong addictive factors of the substance which changes the entire structure and function of the brain after prolonged use. Again common myths and misconception about substance use also delays the early seeking proper treatment and cause severe damage to the brain. Common myths follow
MYTH 1: Addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disease which will affect person’s quality of life if left untreated. Most people think that they can control or abstinent from drugs once they decide to quit. However repeated failures of cessation of substance use are evident in most people because of its strong addictive factors of the substance which changes the entire structure and function of the brain after prolonged use. Again common myths and misconception about substance use also delays the early seeking proper treatment and cause severe damage to the brain. Common myths follow
MYTH 2: Addiction is a disease; there’s nothing that can be done about it. Most experts agree that addiction is a disease that affects the brain, but that doesn’t mean anyone is a helpless victim. The brain changes associated with addiction can be treated and reversed through therapy, medication, exercise, and other treatments.
MYTH 3: Addicts have to hit rock bottom before they can get better. Recovery can begin at any point in the addiction process—and the earlier, the better. The longer drug abuse continues, the stronger the addiction becomes and the harder it is to treat. Don’t wait to intervene until the addict has lost everything.
MYTH 4: You can’t force someone into treatment; they have to want help. Treatment doesn’t have to be voluntary to be successful. People who are pressured into treatment by their family, employer or the legal system are just as likely to benefit as those who choose to enter treatment on their own. As they sober up and their thinking clears, many formerly resistant addicts decide they want to change.
MYTH 5: Treatment didn’t work before, so there’s no point trying again. Recovery from drug addiction is a long process that often involves setbacks. Relapse doesn’t mean that treatment has failed or that sobriety is a lost cause. Rather, it’s a signal to get back on track, either by going back to treatment or adjusting the treatment approach.
Causes of Substance Abuse Disorders and factors affecting its course:
Genetic factors: Scientists estimate that genetic factors account for between 40 and 60 percent of a person’s vulnerability to addiction, including the effects of environment on gene expression and function. Adolescents and individuals with mental disorders are at greater risk of drug abuse and addiction than the general population.
Environmental factors:
Home and family: The influence of the home environment is usually most important in childhood. Parents or older family members who abuse alcohol or drugs or who engage in criminal behaviour can increase children’s risks of developing their own drug problems.
Peer and school: Friends and acquaintances have the greatest influence during adolescence. Drug-abusing peers can sway even those without risk factors to try drugs for the first time. Academic failure or poor social skills can put a child further at risk for drug abuse.
Other factors:
Early Use. Although taking drugs at any age can lead to addiction, research shows that the earlier a person begins to use drugs the more likely they are to progress to more serious abuse. This may reflect the harmful effect that drugs can have on the developing brain; it also may result from a constellation of early biological and social vulnerability factors, including genetic susceptibility, mental illness, unstable family relationships, and exposure to physical or sexual abuse. Still, the fact remains that early use is a strong indicator of problems ahead, among them, substance abuse and addiction.
Method of Administration. Smoking a drug or injecting it into a vein increases its addictive potential. Both smoked and injected drugs enter the brain within seconds, producing a powerful rush of pleasure. However, this intense “high” can fade within a few minutes, taking the abuser down to lower, more normal levels. It is a starkly felt contrast, and scientists believe that this low feeling drives individuals to repeated drug abuse in an attempt to recapture the high pleasurable state.
Management:
Hospitalization is necessary for the abusive level, those with physiological complaints and psychotic features along with substance.
Patients and their family members are Psycho-educated about the treatment process, since it happens in a gradual manner for the complete recovery.
Psycho-Social treatment like behavioural therapies are used in order to change the thinking and behavioural patterns.
Patients are also encouraged to involve in rehabilitation activities for their effective functioning.
Ahana Hospitals offers best care and de-addiction treatment for substance abuse patients. For assistance on addiction disorder Contact us or Call us at 1800-3000-2233.
