Drug abuse is characterized by the excessive use of illegal drugs, prescription drugs or even over-the-counter drugs. Drug abuse eventually leads to drug dependency whereby the drug begins to take control over you and affects your daily activities as well as your physical health.

Treatment

Treatment of drug abuse normally involves a series of steps to be undertaken. These are:

1. Group therapy
2. Counseling
3. Drug addiction

Furthermore, treatment of drug abuse generally follows a 12-step program which continues even after the treatment as a part of the recovery process.

Detoxification

Detoxification, or simply detox, is a procedure involving medical care while attempting to deal with withdrawal symptoms after your initial break from drug use. Since dealing with withdrawal symptoms can be quite problematic, you will certainly have to consult a doctor who will probably prescribe you certain medications.

Therapy
There are different types of therapy needed to overcome the problem of drug abuse. These include:

1. Group therapy, where you can interact your problems with other people who are going through the same ordeal.

2. Motivational interviewing (mi), where you can resolve mixed feelings with regard to quitting and treatment.

3. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), where you can learn to take control over your actions as well as change your thought and behavior pattern in order to adjust to a drug-free life.

4. Motivational enhancement therapy (met), where motivational interviewing is used to help give you more motivation with respect to quitting drug consumption.

5. Family counseling, or even couples therapy, where you can learn how to stay drug-free as well as improve your relationship with your family members or with your partner.

Treatment programs

Treatment programs are often similar to therapies and are classified into three types:

1. Inpatient treatment
2. Outpatient treatment
3. Residential treatment.

How to Treat Drug Abuse

Drug addiction is one of the social menaces and in most people, what starts off as a result of peer pressure and trying to be cool ends up affecting lives significantly. It is not just social, but also affects financial, physical, emotional, and social well-being. The small periods of happiness given by the drug is followed by months and years of torment.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has identified that drug addiction causes chemical and structural changes in the brain, leading to dangerous and self-destructive behaviours. The brain s response to stimulus like pleasure, joy, happiness, and pain are altered with constant drug abuse. For instance, the neurotransmitter called dopamine, which makes one feel good, is usually produced by the brain in small amounts. However, drugs increase this level to 2 to 10 times more, making the person feel extremely high and happy. Since the body is unable to reach the highest level of happiness on its own, the dependency on these drugs to feel good increases.

Repeated use of the drugs leads to increased dependency, wherein the brain refuses to feel good without reaching those high levels of dopamine. The issue is mostly seen in teenagers and young adults but can be seen in any age group.

October 2 is recognised as National Anti-Drug Addiction Day and nationwide campaigns and drives are done to help people overcome addiction. One of the main reasons a drive this size is required is because of the social stigma attached to the problem. Most families shun away from recognising it as a problem that can be easily treated, and so the affected person is sucked deeper into the problem.

Overcoming addiction: One of the main success factors for treating addiction is for the affected person to recognise that he or she is addicted and needs to get rid of the problem.

    There are national toll-free helplines that are set up, which can guide through the whole program. This way, if required, anonymity is maintained and support for overcoming addiction is increased.
    It involves a group effort involving the affected person, family and friends, medical and clinical personnel, and counsellors in some cases.
    Cognitive behavioural therapy: The person is made conscious of the change in behaviour and the way drugs affect it. Healthier patterns to be happy and joyful are discussed.
    In most cases, the underlying reason for reaching out to drugs needs to be addressed also to prevent relapse.
    Group therapies where the person makes friends who have faced similar issues and overcome the problem. This increases their accountability and commitment to getting rid of the problem.

Drug abuse is a national social menace and needs more free admittance and management.

National Anti-Drug Addiction Day - Overcoming Addiction

Drug addiction is an addiction of a very severe kind. This causes the sufferer i. E. The drug addict to seek and use drugs compulsively despite the destructive consequences to themselves and those around them. This is known as a chronic brain disease because of the functional and structural changes it causes in the brain. It is the overpowering dependence on illegal or legal medications and drugs. One cannot quit taking drugs just by strong will or good intentions. Ayurveda's holistic method combines exercises, meditation, and herbal medicines to cure addiction towards drugs.

Ayurvedic remedies:

Panchakarma therapies-only an ayurvedic expert should perform the panchakarma therapies and rituals on you. It promotes cleanliness and helps in detoxifying the body. These therapies are done using various herbs and oils in accordance with the ancient traditions to eliminate negative conditions.
Virechana-it is the most useful panchakarma therapy to treat addiction. Virechana is known to cleanse the gastro-intestinal tract and purify the blood of toxins of a period of a few days. It helps decontaminate your spleen, stomach, liver, kidneys, colon, intestines and sweat glands through varied herbs and laxatives such as castor oil, mango juice, raisins, cow's milk, psyllium seeds, flaxseed husk, prune and senna.
Rasayana therapies-rasayana therapy is another very useful ayurvedic treatment for treating drug abuse and addiction. It is based upon the transmutation and conservation of energy to improve the mental as well as physical characteristics in order to increase your body's natural metabolic processes while enhancing your immune system and brain function. Rasayana therapy consists of intricate face, head and full body massages which are combined with medicated creams and herb oils. This therapy is also useful to remove artificial aging which occurs due to prolonged drug abuse.
Yoga-the chaotic chemicals are known to wreak havoc on the drug addict's brain during the process of recovery. Resorting to exercise or yoga will help generate extra endorphins which are very helpful for clarity. To recover from drug addiction, you must join a structured yoga class along with other ayurvedic therapies. Yoga is beneficial since it stimulates every part of your body without applying too much stress on any one part.

Ayurvedic Remedies for Drug Addiction

Recently the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) published a journal claiming that addiction is a complex disease rather than a voluntary condition. The journal also mentioned that for decades, the approach towards recovery from addiction has been mismanaged.

Addiction is treated as a disease now. Pharmaceutical approach and therapy have been quite popular since the last few decades, but is there a better alternative to treating addiction and helping in recovery?

Alternative treatments for curing addiction have been in works since quite a while. Acupuncture is one such approach that has been found to be very effective when it comes to treating people with addiction and helping them to recover.

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese healing method that involves stimulating different sections of the body in order to manipulate the body to harness energy and healing powers. This method includes insertion of long sterilized needles in certain parts of the body. An Acupuncture specialist carefully does it in a painless way. During an acupuncture session, the practitioner may also use other methods like Cupping and Massage.

The main ideology behind Acupuncture is balancing the QI energy that flows through human bodies. To harness and balance this energy, Acupuncture requires stimulation in different sections of the body, like the Cardiovascular system, Endocrine system, Nervous system and Immune system.



How does Acupuncture help in Addiction?

To understand Acupuncture s role in addiction, it is first important to understand what addiction does to a human body.

Addiction causes a major damage to the Endocrine system; it disrupts the balance of the hormones that are responsible for happiness and wellbeing of a person. This disruption of balance leads the person to go haywire and drop into a pitfall of bad decisions.

Acupuncture helps in restoration of that balance in the body. Multiple studies have shown that Acupuncture helps in restoring the Endocrine system, especially the Dopamine hormone (hormone responsible for happiness).

This involves inserting sterilized needles in the specific spots in the body, which are responsible for Dopamine release. After the Dopamine levels in the body have been elevated, the person suffering from addiction deals better with the withdrawal symptoms.

Is Acupuncture Effective with Addiction?  

Acupuncture is used as a treatment for Smoking Cessation. A group of smokers were gathered for a survey. This people in this group were trying different methods like medicines, Nicotine patches and e-cigarettes. The results weren t very effective at first Then, Acupuncture became a part of this treatment. The survey found out that people who used Acupuncture along with these treatments showed better results than people who only used conventional methods.

Though acupuncture has proven to be very effective when combined with other treatments, it is important to remember that it isn t a cure for Addiction by itself. Consulting an experienced Acupuncture practitioner who deals with addiction can help a person effectively get out of addiction.

Addiction -How Can Acupuncture Help In Getting Rid Of It? 

The World Health Organization defines Alcoholism as, chronic continual drinking, frequent episodes of intoxication, and preoccupation with alcohol, despite the adverse affects of it. It lays the perspective Alcoholics Anonymous (1939)-that alcoholism, characterized by the individual s loss of control over drinking and thus over his or her life, was a sickness -was carried into the scholarly literature in the 1950s in the form of the disease concept of alcoholism.

Alcoholism is on the rise as per the current global scenario. In fact, one of the main concerns after cigarette smoking is that of consuming excessive alcohol. Those who consume alcohol in an excessive quantity often create health hazards for themselves, and their behaviour makes it difficult for those who live in their immediate surroundings. For most people, a rehabilitation centre is the only option to treat alcoholism. But this is not so.

Homoeopathy too can effectively treat the problem of alcoholism. There are certain medicines which work wonders in getting you rid of this bad habit.

Nux Vomica: When your alcoholism is in its earliest stages, then it becomes easier to leave this addiction. For those people who have just started to fall prey to alcohol, Nux Vomica is a wonder medicine. It is administered for faster relief against your drinking problem. It starts showing its effects within a month s time.
Sulphur: Sulphur is a medicine which helps in curing many health issues. It is mostly prescribed to those who have started experiencing liver issues due to excessive drinking. One of the vital organs of the body, the liver, is affected when you drink excessively. Thus, to prevent degeneration of the liver, sulphur is usually prescribed.
Cannabis Indica: Marijuana is often treated as a medicinal plant. There are many extracts derived from this plant which is later on used to make many useful medicines. One such homoeopathic medicine is Cannabis Indica. It helps in not only detoxing the body against the ill effects of alcoholism but also helps in preventing associated symptoms to show up.
Natrum Mur: This medicine is derived from the extracts of what you know to be simple common salt. Once consumed it helps in blood cell production, cellular regulation, and albumin production. These help in coping up with extreme alcoholism. At times, alcoholism is triggered in people due to depression. Natrum Mur also helps in coping up with depression.
Avena Sativa: This is derived from the oat leaves. Just as oats themselves are considered to be one of the healthiest foods to consume, this medicine made from the oat leaves is no less. It helps to relax the senses and detoxifies the body against alcohol.
Acid Sulph.: A marvelous medicine if the patient has the family history of alcholism.
Quercus: Works wonderfully in mother tincture form.
Thus, these are some of the most important medicines that are administered on those who suffer from the problem of alcoholism. If you or any of your near ones have fallen prey to this habit, then it is recommended that you immediately take help of your homoeopathic practitioner to help you out of alcoholism.

Note: There are certain organizations that are actively helping people with alcholism and their families. A few are:

Brahmakumaris
Alcholic anonymus
Al-anon family group
Click, If you wish to consult for alcohol addiction and hangover symptoms.

Alcohol Addiction And Ways Homeopathy Can Help You Leaving It!

Are you confused about whether you are a sex addict or not? Well, loving to have sex and being a sex addict are two completely different things and if you want to know the difference then you must look out for the signs of sex addiction.

Signs of Sex Addiction

One of the common signs of sex addiction is the urge to masturbate at most times. And it means literally at all times. If you find yourself doing it before going out to work, after lunch or even before sleep, then you might be a sex addict.
If you feel a constant crisis in your life, this could also be a symbol of being a sex addict. If you are constantly changing your sex partners and still find yourself in a crisis, then something is really not ok.
Thirdly, if you care only about yourself when it comes to sex, it is another sign that you are a sex addict. You might be a caring person in other cases, but when it comes to sex, you tend to become selfish and start exploiting others.
If you are having sex without the consent of your partner and do not think about the consequences attached with it, it is a sign that you are a sex addict.
How Can You Deal With Sex Addiction?
Sex addiction might seem impossible to deal with but there are ways which can help you out.

The first step towards dealing with sex addiction is that you should know the difference between healthy and unhealthy sex. You should be able to differentiate between the both.
Avoid the places that can trigger your addiction towards sex. You are the only person who will know your triggers. If it is a bar or a pub, then avoid going to those places, instead go on a dinner with your loved ones.
Try engaging in activities that interest you as this can help you get over the urge to have sex. These will also help you stay active and be more productive.
Cutting ties with contacts that help you fulfill your sexual desires can be a great way to manage sex addiction.
Always remember that your loved ones are always there for you. Confide in a close friend regarding your addiction and he or she will help you out. Sex addiction is not hard to overcome if you have the willpower to do so.
If the above-mentioned tips do not help, seek assistance from a professional.

Sex Addiction Symptoms - How Can They Be Dealt With?

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