People usually start off using drugs as a way to escape the problems of daily life, drugs make them feel better, happier, remove worries for a short time and generally make the person feel on top of the world. Using drugs however has serious consequences on a person’s health and more and more of them have to be taken to achieve the same results the longer they are used.

A person using cannabis or heroin can very quickly become addicted until giving up the drug is almost impossible to do and they no longer take them to give them a buzz but simply just to be able to survive day to day life.

What are the symptoms of drug abuse?

Describing drug use and problems associated with addiction is hard as each drug is different and can cause different problems, there is however some basics which relate to overall drug use and abuse. Each drug will produce different patterns of:

• Use
• Intoxication.
• Hangover.
• Overdose.

Substance abuse or addiction covers many different levels including:

• Using large amounts of the drug without seeming to be intoxicated.
• Using large amounts of the drug for experimentation.
• Using large amounts of the drug to get intoxicated.

The addict may use drugs for more than just one of the above reasons and many will turn to different drugs to get different effects. Trying to understand why people take and become addicted to drugs isn’t easy, but almost all of the people who take drugs did so in the beginning for the enjoyment and good feelings it brought them.

Spotting someone who is on drugs in the beginning is very hard and for parents who are worried their children might be taking them keeping open communication is perhaps the best way to go. Teenagers can be a problem though as the more you enquire into their behaviour the more likely they are to see it as an intrusion which could push them further away and lead to resentment and total refusal to communicate.

The effects of drug dependency

When you think about coming off drugs people automatically think of the withdrawal effects but there is far much more to it than just physical withdrawal symptoms. Breaking the habit affects the mind as well as the body and these feelings can be much harder to deal with than the physical ones, common feelings are:

• Anxiety and depression.
• Sleep and rest.
• Self esteem.
• Having to learn how to cope.
• Learning to control moods.

The symptoms and pattern will depend greatly on the type of drug that a person is addicted to, the type of person they are and the circumstances in which they are trying to quit.

What you can do to help

Just by admitting there is a problem and wanting to take steps to deal with it is a major step forward to recovering from addiction, the next step forward is to get the right support for your addiction. If your addiction is tranquillisers or alcohol then it could be just as dangerous to try and give them up immediately.

You should always get advice from your Doctor and sometimes a Doctor can prescribe medication to help you get through the first phase of quitting. For you to be successful it is also important that you seek help through counselling and a wide source of information on groups which can help with your particular addiction can be found online.

Listed below are several different programmes to help people to recover from drug addiction, each programme is designed to tackle certain issues of addiction and the problems it can bring the person. The programmes are treatments which are designed to work alongside any existing treatment programmes the addict may be in and to enhance them.

The Matrix Programme

This programme was designed to help those addicted to stimulants quit their addiction, during the programme addicts will learn about the critical issues this addiction brings and aids in the prevention of relapse. While in the programme addicts will receive help and support from trained therapists and will be continually monitored for use of drugs while attending the programme.

The program is also aimed at families of the addicts who are affected by their loved ones being addiction. Research has shown that addicts attending this programme have shown significant reductions in the use of drug and alcohol and have made improvements psychologically. The treatment has also shown to be successful in the treatment of cocaine and opiate addicts.

Supportive expressive psychotherapy

This programme is aimed at cocaine and heroin addicts and has two main parts:

• Support techniques – These help the addict to talk openly about their addiction and personal experiences.

• Expressive techniques – These help the addict to realise and find answers to interpersonal problems.

In this problem emphasis is put on the role the drug use plays in relation to feelings and behaviour and helps the addict to see how problems can be solved without turning to drugs. Studies have showed that many of the addicts attending this programme maintained what they had learned on leaving the programme.

Individualised drug counselling

This programmes focuses directly on stopping or reducing drug use and focuses on issues associated with the use of drugs such as the problems they cause in families, unemployment and illegal activities.

The programme places emphasis on short term behavioural goals and addicts are given individualized counselling to help them develop strategies for coping with refraining from taking drugs and keeping off drugs in the future. This type of programme when combined with others has proved to be a great success with users of cocaine and heroin when treated as out patients.

Motivational enhancement therapy

This programmes is an approach to changing behaviour patterns in those addicted to drugs, it involves strategies designed to bring out rapid and motivated changes in the addict. The programme consists of an initial assessment which is then followed by individual treatment sessions with a therapist.

The therapist will devise a plan for the addict which strengthens their motivation for giving up the addiction which helps in the prevention of relapse. This programme has had great success in the treatment of those addicted to alcohol and substances such as marijuana.

Treatments for drug addiction vary greatly on factors such as the type of drug the person is addicted to and the type of person they are, successful treatments for addicts will usually be a combination of therapy and other services. Problems caused by a person’s addiction can also vary; a person can suffer mental health, health, occupational or social problems which make their addiction more difficult to treat.

What types of treatment are there?

Drug addiction treatments can include behavioural therapy such as counselling, cognitive therapy and psychotherapy, medication and more often than not a combination of both. Behavioural therapy is an excellent way of helping people deal with the cravings associated with withdrawal, it also teaches the person how to avoid addiction in the future and can help with relapses.

The ideal programme will provide the person with a combination of therapies and other services which are tailored to meet the needs of the individual. Things taken into account are age, sex, race, culture, parenting, housing and employment.

Medications are also used in successfully treating the addict; methadone is often used for those addicted to drugs while nicotine products such as chewing gum and patches are available for those addicted to cigarettes. Treatments such as anti-depressants may also play a crucial role in addicts who suffer from depression or anxiety related problems.

Treatments will be given for different lengths of time and in a wide range of settings depending on the addiction, because relapses are common short term one time treatments generally are not successful and are rarely used. For the majority of addicts treatment will be long term and can involve multiple attempts.

Why can’t addicts quit by themselves?

Almost all addicts think that they can quit without help in the beginning and many do indeed try, however almost all addicts who try on their own fail to quit for any length of time. Addicts who have used substances for any length of time have been found to have significant changes in the way their brain functions and these changes last for a long time after the person has stopped using.

These changes have behavioural consequences including a strong compulsion to use drugs despite the consequences. Other factors that have an effect are stress from work or family problems, meeting friends from the past who are associated with the addiction and problems occurring from the environment, for example coming across smells, places or objects that the person associates with their addiction.