Components of Drug Abuse Treatment Strategies
Components of Drug Abuse Treatment Strategies
What exactly is drug addiction? It is defined as a chronic disease identified by its compulsive and uncontrollable seeking and use of drugs without regard for the harmful consequences like long lasting changes in brain function and behavior. It is also a relapsing disease, which makes it more dangerous. What are the common components of strategies used to treat drug abuse?
Basic Needs
All drug abuse treatment strategies must address the basic needs of the patients. Keep in mind that it is challenging to identify the specific needs of patients using drugs compared to the basic needs of others. This is because drug addicts normally have varying issues that factor into their basic needs like gender, culture, age, and legal status among others. Their individual experiences leading to their drug use and dependence is also a factor to consider in identifying their basic needs. This means that the basic needs would normally vary from patient to patient, but the emphasis of the strategy must focus on meeting those individual needs.
Medication Treatment
What is the role of medication in drug abuse treatment strategies? In general medications are used to manage the possible withdrawal symptoms experienced by patients including prevention of relapses and treatment of co-occurring conditions.
The withdrawal symptoms addressed by medication happens mostly during the detoxification stage, which is not really a type of treatment, but rather part of the strategy to help the patient get to recovery. About 80% of detoxification strategies rely or incorporate the use of medications.
As far as relapse prevention is concerned, medications are used in re-establishing normal brain functions and lowering the instance of cravings. The type of medication used to prevent relapse would normally depend on the substance that is causing the addiction. Patients that use more than one type of drug need to be treated for all the types of drugs they are using to ensure relapse is kept in check.
Detoxification Services
Are you aware that drug addicts that do not receive additional treatments after detoxification would normally relapse to their addiction? Usually, healthcare professionals would use screening and evaluation to determine who needs detoxification services the most. This means that withdrawal signs and symptoms become determinants for delivery of detoxification services.
Properly trained healthcare professionals are needed to make sure that the signs and symptoms are not mistaken for mental illness. There is also a need to establish whether drug addicts are lying about how extensive their use and dependence is. Medication strategies go hand-in-hand with detoxification services because addicts who do not get medical attention after withdrawal will face tremendous health risks including the possibility of death.
What are the common symptoms of withdrawal that necessitates detoxification services immediately?
- Anxiety;
- Restlessness;
- Panic attacks;
- Irritability;
- Insomnia;
- Constant blinking;
- Exhaustion;
- Muscle jerking;
- Disorientation;
- Profuse sweating;
- Lethargy;
- Crying fits; and
- Suicidal behavior among others.
Life Skill Strategies
Why are life skills part of the drug abuse treatment strategies? This is because many drug users actually lack basic life skills like preparing a meal for example. These deficits must be addressed as part of a comprehensive approach to building the lives as well as careers of drug dependents.
Part of the lacking life skills are basic social skills that must be re-learned to allow drug abusers to successfully incorporate themselves normally into society. How can you expect them to hold down stable jobs after rehabilitation if they lack life and social skills? It would be close to impossible to have interpersonal relations and interactions with family members and co-workers.
According to some counselors, even basic problem solving skills of drug abusers appear to be underdeveloped. This is based mostly on their impulsiveness that delay the feeling of gratification. Even moderately complex problems can prove to be very challenging to arrive at a reasonable solution. With proper practice, identifying, generating options, thinking possible outcomes, making proper choices, testing options, and reviewing results can be developed in drug abusers.
Get Help From Canadian Addiction Treatment Centres
With patient-centered treatment, addiction can be stopped. At Canadian Addiction Treatment Centers, we help people struggling with addiction work their way back to a healthy, addiction-free lifestyle. Get help today by filling out our contact form or giving us a call at 1-877-937-2282.