Drug Abuse Health Feed

Drug abuse or addiction is not a sign of weakness or a character flaw, but it takes a lot more than willpower to overcome the problem. Abuse of illegal or certain prescribed drugs can trigger alterations in the brain – alterations that may lead to strong cravings and an impulse to use that makes sobriety seem like an unachievable goal. However, there is good news – no matter how hopeless the situation may seem, or how many times you have tried to break free and failed, with support and appropriate approach, the cure is possible. The most difficult choice for many to make when trying to overcome drug abuse is recognizing the problem and deciding on whether to make a change. It is natural to feel unsure about whether you are ready to start recovery. You might be concerned about how you are going to survive without OD’ing on certain drugs. Well, Psychological Rehabilitation can help you overcome the crises.

Rehab Psychology to Break Free from Drug Abuse Committing to sobriety involves altering a few things –

How you cope with stress

Who you allow in your life

How you utilize your leisure time

How you perceive yourself

Psychological rehabilitation takes into account the above points and uses the following techniques to overcome drug abuse include –

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy – a psychologist helps the patient recognize the factors that are triggering for her/his craving for drugs, and manage or avoid those triggers. CBT also helps the person steer away from destructive behaviours and thoughts.

Motivational Interviewing – this involves a structured conversation between the psychologist and the patient. Through such conversations and motivational interviewing, the therapy aims to increase the patient’s motivation to overpower drug abuse. For example – the therapist will help them identify the difference between how they are living in present and how they want to live in the future.

Participation in Activities – Psychological rehabilitation suggests that being immersed in a group activity can keep you distracted. Therefore, participate in an engaging task and see may witness the urge slowly fade away.

Behavioural treatment in Rehabilitation Psychology can be particularly effective when combined with conventional medical treatment – it imitates the effects of specific drugs in a controlled way or reduces the ‘high’ the person enjoys after doing drugs. Besides, you can always talk to a relative, a friend or a trusted family member to reach out for help and comfort.

Drug addiction is a condition, which is abnormal or pathological and occurs due to excessive use of alcohol, drugs, smoking or other such addictive substances. The different effects of addiction are acute drug use, drug-seeking behavior, relapsing vulnerability, slow response to natural stimuli, and last but not the least, low motivation in life.

Drug addiction is regarded as a community disease as it leads to crimes, violence, failure in school, child-abuse, the loss of productivity and domestic violence. That is why it is very important to eradicate this problem from society; especially the teens should be educated on the same.

Madatya in Ayurveda
In Ayurveda, the problems of drug addiction is dealt under the heading of Madatya, meaning ‘intoxication’. The state of individual occurs due to continuous use of drug, alcohol, tobacco or any substance of high intoxication. Madatya is relative to the third and fourth stage in the addiction process i.e., drug dependence and drug abuse. Madatya kills the will to live a happy and healthy life because it is a total opposite of ‘ojas’, which means a source of energy. Madatya and wellness can’t go hand-in-hand in a body.

Addiction and doshas
The Ayurvedic states that the doshas are aggravated by the overdose of drugs into one’s body. They are Vata (Air), Kapha (Water), Pitta (Fire) or a combination of all three doshas termed as Tridosha.

Treatments in Ayurveda
In Madatya, Ayurveda balances the aggravated doshas. It first detects the doshas, and then treats them. Ayurveda uses herbal remedies to treat the symptoms, discards the toxins (ama) collected in the body and motivates and regenerates cells and tissues. There is a phase in the de-addiction process where the patient becomes confused because their intelligence level drops due to drug abuse. Ayurveda treats this problem with the use of herbs like Yashtimadhu (Glycyrrhizaglabra), Brahmi (Bacopamonnieri), Shankhpushpi (Convolvulus pluricaulis) and Guduchi (Tinosporacordifolia).

In Ayurveda, treatment of Sattva Guna, meaning the quality of goodness, is done to promote mental health. The patients are made to follow strict healthy practices like consumption of natural vegetarian food, practice Yoga, and meditation and follow a daily routine of less anxiety and stress. Activities like wearing neat and clean clothes, walking and spending time in natural flowery ambiance with good friends, listening to good music and all other forms of natural relaxants and entertainment are also a part of treatment. These will boost the soul and mind of the patients and make them grateful to God for their lives.
 

Although there is no single reason why someone may have suicidal tendencies, certain things can increase the risk. An individual is more likely to have suicidal thoughts if he has a mental health condition like depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. The vulnerability also increases in cases of alcoholism, drug abuse or poor job security. It may not be possible to prevent suicidal thoughts, but keeping one's mind healthy with regular exercise, healthy eating and maintaining friendships can help one deal better with stress. 

It can be very upsetting, when someone says things which sound as if the person is considering suicide. One may not be sure what to do to help as to whether one should take talk of suicide seriously, or if intervention might make the situation worse. Taking action is always the best choice. One of the best things one can do if someone is feeling suicidal is to encourage them to talk about their feelings and to listen to what they say. One can provide the best help by listening and not being judgemental. If the person has been diagnosed with a mental health condition like depression, one can take advice from his care team. 

One should avoid offering solutions. While listening, do not give in to the temptation of providing a solution. One should ask open-ended questions so that the person remains in control and expresses his feelings. On the contrary, it will offer an opportunity to talk about feelings which may reduce the risk of acting on suicidal feelings. Ensure that the person is not left on his own, if there is an immediate danger. One cannot always tell when a loved one or friend is considering suicide, so one must be on the lookout for warning signs. The warning signs could be talking about suicide, buying or stocking pills, withdrawing from social life, increase in alcohol or drugs, personality changes like severely agitated and saying goodbye to people as if seeing them for the last time. It is also important that one does not make judgements about how a person is thinking or behaving. 

After listening to their feelings, one may feel that certain aspects of their thinking and behaviour are making their problems worse. But pointing this out will not be particularly helpful to them. Reassurance, respect and support will only help someone during these difficult periods. As a final note, one must realise that talking to someone about their feelings is not long lasting and can help them feel safe and secure temporarily. Professional help can provide long-term support to help someone overcome their suicidal tendencies. That will the person to deal with the primary issues behind someone's suicidal thoughts, besides offering advice and support.

Drug addiction is a major problem in today's world. The major part of these drug abuse victims are teenagers. There are several reasons may drive your teen kid to hard drugs which include peer pressure, neglect, curiosity or just for the sake of being cool. This could be a major concern for the parents whose children get addicted to drugs but an important thing to keep in mind is that the only person who can help your kid overcome addiction are the parents.

Here are a few measures that can help your kid overcome drug addiction:

1.  In order to put your kids on the right path, the most important thing is to show them love. You should keep aside your anger, fear and grief and approach them. Tell them why you are scared or angry. Proper love and affection is required to bring your kids back to the normal track.
2. Try to find their strengths and weakness. Your child should be complemented for any good thing he or she does. You should observe them properly and try to perceive their current nature and mental state.
3. You should try to keep your calm and talk to them instead of scolding, shouting or threatening them. You must also listen to them carefully and try not to react in any way. Talk to them about your concerns and see whether they are cooperating with you.
4. Getting your kids involved in some activity, which will let them mix with a different group of peers will be a positive remedy. You have to make them feel good about themselves. Try to find ways so that your kids will get into some positive, productive activity.
5. Fixing an appointment with a psychiatrist who deals with drug abuse situations can also help you deal with the issue. You must explain to your kids that there is an obvious reason behind their addiction, and it must be solved for their own good.
6. You should also connect with the counselors at schools and colleges. They have seen many cases like your child’s and know about the situation well. You can enroll your kids in a substance abuse program which is connected with his school.
7. You must tell your kids that what they are doing is risky and illegal and as parents, you have the right to help them overcome this in order to maintain good health, and that you do not want them to go to prison.
8. Find an expert therapist specializing in teen substance abuse and make your kids have weekly appointments with him. A good therapist knows the best ways to guide your kids to the right path.

Drug addiction in kids is a common syndrome these days. If your kid is into hard drugs, you need to do your best to save him and help him overcome the 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:

1. 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 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

Drug addiction is an addiction with 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:

1. 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 is the most useful Panchakarma therapy to treat addiction. Virechana is known to cleanse the gastrointestinal 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

Is someone close to you into drugs? Are you concerned about him or her having a drug problem? There are several patterns of drug abuse, which help you to determine the extent of drug abuse a person is undergoing. It is important for you to recognize your dear ones’ drug use patterns and analyse whether you need to take further steps. The different drug abuse patterns are classified as follows:

1. Hard drug use
   • Hard drugs like cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine are considered to be the most dangerous in terms of their harmful effects on health and behavior.
   • They are associated with risks of addiction. Most people start with such drugs recreationally, but addiction can set in very quickly.
   • People engaging in hard drugs are subjected to high-risk behavior. They usually become isolated and live in their own world, away from society.
2. Frequent drug use
   • The frequency of drug abuse is not good enough for determining, if a person is addicted.
   • People engaging themselves in binge drinking during weekends can have serious issues in spite of not drinking every day.
   • Frequent drug use indicates a person’s drug tolerance and dependence. A person who drinks or uses drugs regularly is quite likely to continue this pattern.
3. Early drug use
   • People who start taking drugs from early adolescence are at an enhanced risk of developing drug problems in their adulthood.
   • The earlier a child gets into drugs, the sooner they become addicts.
   • During adolescence, a person’s body and brain still undergo development and any kind of drug-related consequences may be quite severe.
   • Drug use from an early age is quite a common phenomenon.
4. Solitary drug use
   1. Teenagers who use marijuana, cigarettes and alcohol while they are alone are at a higher risk of developing drug problems later in life.
   2. They are quite likely to have poor physical health by the age of 23, compared to social drug users.
   3. Solitary drug use is also quite a common aspect that prevails.
5. Escapist drug use
   1. The reasons for using alcohol and drugs vary from person to person.
   2. People who use drugs for coping with stress, medicating anxiety or depression and building self-esteem are prone to becoming addicts.
   3. Teens using substances for coping with boredom and grief are highly subjected to drug problems.

A lot of people drink on some occasions and try some substance just for the sake of experimenting. However, when the substance starts affecting your career, relationships and activities, a pattern of drug use is recognized. These patterns increase the risk of addiction, no matter how many months, years or weeks a person is engaged in them.

Is someone close to you into drugs? Are you concerned about him or her having a drug problem? There are several patterns of drug abuse, which help you to determine the extent of drug abuse a person is undergoing. It is important for you to recognize your dear ones’ drug use patterns and analyse whether you need to take further steps. The different drug abuse patterns are classified as follows:

1. Hard drug use
   • Hard drugs like cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine are considered to be the most dangerous in terms of their harmful effects on health and behavior.
   • They are associated with risks of addiction. Most people start with such drugs recreationally, but addiction can set in very quickly.
   • People engaging in hard drugs are subjected to high-risk behavior. They usually become isolated and live in their own world, away from society.
2. Frequent drug use
   • The frequency of drug abuse is not good enough for determining, if a person is addicted.
   • People engaging themselves in binge drinking during weekends can have serious issues in spite of not drinking every day.
   • Frequent drug use indicates a person’s drug tolerance and dependence. A person who drinks or uses drugs regularly is quite likely to continue this pattern.
3. Early drug use
   • People who start taking drugs from early adolescence are at an enhanced risk of developing drug problems in their adulthood.
   • The earlier a child gets into drugs, the sooner they become addicts.
   • During adolescence, a person’s body and brain still undergo development and any kind of drug-related consequences may be quite severe.
   • Drug use from an early age is quite a common phenomenon.
4. Solitary drug use
   1. Teenagers who use marijuana, cigarettes and alcohol while they are alone are at a higher risk of developing drug problems later in life.
   2. They are quite likely to have poor physical health by the age of 23, compared to social drug users.
   3. Solitary drug use is also quite a common aspect that prevails.
5. Escapist drug use
   1. The reasons for using alcohol and drugs vary from person to person.
   2. People who use drugs for coping with stress, medicating anxiety or depression and building self-esteem are prone to becoming addicts.
   3. Teens using substances for coping with boredom and grief are highly subjected to drug problems.

A lot of people drink on some occasions and try some substance just for the sake of experimenting. However, when the substance starts affecting your career, relationships and activities, a pattern of drug use is recognized. These patterns increase the risk of addiction, no matter how many months, years or weeks a person is engaged in them.