Signs and symptoms of drug addiction

The common symptoms of drug addiction include:

• Feeling that you need to consume the drug every day or several times a day.
• When the urge to consume comes, it blocks out all other thoughts that could be related to personal, professional life.
• Having to consume increased dosages to get the same high.
• Consuming drugs for longer periods than the original plan.
• Always ensuring that you don’t run out of supply.
• Consorting to the Beg-Borrow-Steal triage to score drugs
• Avoiding your social and professional circles before the drug habit
• Postponing or delaying work duties
• Indulging in risky acts like driving under the influence
• Experience agitation and anxiety when not using the drug
• Feeling sick whenever you stop consuming the said drug.

Few physical symptoms of drug addiction include:

• Dryness in the mouth
• Red eyes
• Elevated blood pressure and arrhythmia
• Delayed response rate
• Increased food cravings after drug consumption

Getting Treatment for Drug Addiction: When should you seek help?

Drug addiction treatment is a multi-phase, multi-approach method that relies on exercise, medication, therapy, and social stimulants. Oftentimes, drug addiction treatment is not successful in the first attempt, and patients are seen going back to using drugs shortly. Along with the willpower to quit, the patient will have to undergo a series of treatments that will help him/her overcome the powerful urges during the withdrawal phase.

Depending on the nature of the drug in use and the patient’s ability to cope up with the regime, drug addiction and treatment programs include cognitive therapy, group therapy, coping and avoidance strategies, and social support classes.

Users who are addicted to the use of prescription drugs to get high may be prescribed medications similar to those for opioid drug abuse. 

Identifying your triggers

Combating drug addiction is tricky as any normal scenario could act as a trigger and resurface the urge to consume drugs. Identifying the trigger and chalking a detailed plan to work around the urge to consume is essential. 

While few triggers are very straight forward, there are a few triggers that can lead to a relapse. However, it is essential that a patient speaks to a certified counsellor at a drug addiction treatment centre to understand their triggers and plan a way around them when the situation presents itself.

Most triggers ride on the patient’s nostalgia and are stimulated by mental, environmental, and emotional factors.

The most common triggers for drug use are:

Being angry, hungry, lonely, or tired: If you are in the early stages of being clean, ensure that there are no scenarios where you are extremely hungry, lonely, tired, or angry. For a patient to overcome this, they will have to stick to a strict sleep schedule, workout regime, and plan their work schedules. Being a part of a social support group can help immensely.

Stress is also a factor that contributes in the same way. The stress that one goes through after losing a job, or a loved one, or a house can be strong enough to put a patient to relapse. Understanding the cause of the drug and working your way around it is the only way out. In severe cases of drug and alcohol abuse, getting out of it may be impossible without seeking drug addiction rehab treatment.

Emotions like anger, heartbreak, and sadness: These emotions often trigger the recovering patient to relapse. Unlike the above trigger, it is impossible for a patient to stop feeling these emotions. Hence, it is imperative that they find a way to work their way around them with alternative solutions that can help them divert the brain’s focus from the urge to get high as a solution.

Social settings where the substance is freely available: Patients recovering from drug abuse are advised not to date anyone for at least a year as new relationships require frequent public meetings at places like Pubs and Bars where it becomes difficult for the person who is recovering to control the urge. Adding to that, if a relationship breaks, the emotional trauma could be powerful enough to relapse.

Overconfidence and complacency: This is the most dangerous of all. Oftentimes, in the journey of being clean, when things start coming back to order and things look normal, patients become overconfident and intentionally start putting themselves in risky situations stating that they are in control of themselves. However, it is imperative to understand and acknowledge the fact that you have come a long way, and to keep it that way, avoiding trigger elements is of paramount importance. 

Medications: Certain medications for physical pains and mental conditions can trigger relapse in recovering patients. If you are recovering, it is imperative to keep your doctor informed about this, thus enabling him/her to prescribe alternative medications that do not act as a trigger.

Nostalgia: Glorifying the good old days of drug abuse can be a powerful trigger. Active efforts should be made to recognize the earlier phase as a deteriorating condition and not euphoria.

Dealing with drug cravings

Cravings are normal when you are trying to overcome a drug addiction problem. However, dealing with those cravings and not slipping back to substance use is of paramount importance. There are multiple ways of dealing with drug cravings. It is recommended to consult your physician and draft a plan that is tailor-made for you to prevent relapse.

Here are a few methods one can try to beat the urge:

Making a list: When the urge hits, it becomes difficult for the recovering patient to see past the urge and the need for an immediate high. In times like this, it is essential to remind yourself why you chose to quit drugs and reaffirm your mind on the negatives and positives of relapsing again.

Take the time to prepare a list of strong and honest motivating factors you could tell yourself when you would experience an urge. This will help you ride past the urge way and avoid a relapse.

Take self-care seriously: Self-care in the form of meditation, yoga, a healthy diet, and regular exercise can help you in drug detoxification. These healthy routines will not only help you overcome an urge with relative ease but also help you make progress in the recommended drug rehabilitation programs.

Join a support group: Being part of a drug and alcohol treatment support group who are all undergoing treatment can be of immense support. Listening to the experiences of others and why they are struggling to remain free from drug addiction can help you understand the negative effects of drug addiction and think past the immediate urge to get high when the urge hits.

Being self-aware: As a recovering user, you are aware of your triggers, and you should ensure that you protect yourself from being present in the trigger zones that could cause you to relapse. Avoid being alone, going to pubs, or rave parties or similar settings that could make it difficult for you to control your urges.

Types of Drug addiction 

Depending on the nature of the substance used, the nature of the addiction is defined, and a specified drug detoxification process is recommended.

The most common forms of drug addiction are:

Alcohol:

Addiction to alcohol is real. More than often, people relate their ability to consume more alcohol as an ability and not a drug problem. If you are a man and are drinking more than four drinks a day or more than 14 drinks in a week, then, you are a heavy drinker.

If you are a woman and you drink more than three drinks a day and more than 12 drinks a week, then, it could lead to severe liver failure, cholesterol, and other alcohol poisoning related problems.

OTC Drugs:

Over the counter drugs or prescription drugs are just as harmful as illegal drugs like cocaine, meth, and acid. These prescription drugs give you the high but are also difficult to snap out from.

OTC drugs addiction starts when you start consuming drugs that are originally prescribed for someone else, are consuming more quantities than prescribed to get the kick, or are taking the drug for recreational purposes.

Drug addiction to prescription drugs can cause anxiety, depression, and mental stress. The most common form of OTC drug addiction is drinking large volumes of cough syrup that contains codeine (commonly known as lean) to get a feeling of a high.

Opioid drug addiction:

Addiction to Heroin, Crystal meth, LSD, Extasy, and MDMA fall under the bracket of opioid drug addiction. As an addict, it becomes difficult to get easy access to these drugs, and when the effect of the high wears off, you feel feverish, tired, agitated, anxious, and angry till you experience the next high. Recovering from opioid addictions are painful and long as they are highly physiologically addictive.

Marijuana:

Marijuana is often called a gateway drug for most people. People get introduced to this drug in social gatherings or parties. Though the use of medical marijuana is legal in a few countries, it is illegal in most places. Heavy consumption can leave you burned out and cause neural effects like memory loss and loss of appetite.

Nicotine in cigarettes:

Nicotine is one of the most addictive drugs on the planet. It gives you a temporary rush for a short duration that makes you want more and continue consuming until you feel satiated. The tolerance levels in a human body for nicotine is high; hence, one would end up smoking more cigarettes to attain the high. It is also the main cause of cancer and a host of other diseases. 

Diagnosis of drug addiction

Medically diagnosing a drug addiction problem is complicated. However, the first and the most important step is for the user to understand that he/she has a problem and that they are willing to overcome that.

The symptoms and diagnosis of drug addiction are fairly synonymous, and the focus should be on creating a safe environment for the addict to reveal their problems to others and seek help. 

Drug addiction Treatment options

Drug addiction treatment centres are available to help people find a relieving way to escape drug addiction and substance abuse. There are many treatments of drug addiction that provide tools and therapy which effectively defeats the drug addiction and get them back on the right path. Constant drug abuse treatment will set the patient on a happy, productive, and successful journey.

Drug rehab centres help guide sufferers with 12 step programs, they also include therapeutic sessions and interventions that have counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy, and group therapy like yoga, meditation, and so on.

Most reputed treatment centres provide drug addiction treatment with round the clock assistance and care. They include qualified counsellors who have much experience, general psychiatrists, physicians, and psychologists. The patients are provided with expert medical care and support which will help them recover from addiction.

The best treatment of drug addiction is admitting the patient to a rehabilitation centre because it provides them with a safe atmosphere that is comfortable and provides a homely feeling; this is quite crucial if you want long-term recovery and no relapses.

Effective drug abuse treatment also includes preventing any relapse. Post-rehab therapy is quite crucial because it prevents them from falling into the pits of addiction and start the cycle of substance abuse, all over again.

There are many ways to help a patient through the process of drug recovery. Depending on the nature of the addiction, drug rehab centres, and methods for treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts are prescribed. The most common forms of drug addictions and their treatment are:

Detoxification: The patient could choose to go through the detoxification process at home or in drug detox facilities. Rehab is recommended as the patient would otherwise have to go through severe withdrawal on their own and would not have any medical assistance if something were to go wrong.

Adding to that, being in a drug addiction treatment centre increases the chances of recovery and mitigates the chances of relapse to a great extent

Behavioural counselling: Behavioural counselling is yet another form of drug addiction treatment as it constantly engages the mind of the patient and keeps them from being around their triggers.

Counselling has also proven effective for patients to identify their triggers and plan a way to work around the urge to get high.

Medication: Medication in the form of nicotine patches, gums, opioid treatments, or for alcohol has proven effective. However, it is essential for recovering patients to inform doctors when they consult them for non-addiction problems. This will ensure that the consulting physician does not prescribe any drugs that could potentially send you back to a relapse

Long-term: While the above methods are efficient, for long-term recovery, it is essential that the patient work with the doctor and get a tailored treatment plan for maximum efficiency in controlling the urge, and not react to trigger elements around.

Modes of Drug addiction treatment

There are a few tried and tested ways that have been efficient and effective in treating the problem of drug addiction. They are:

Residential Treatment or Drug Rehab centres: Drug rehab and addiction treatment centres are the perfect places for drug or alcohol addiction treatment. In a residential program, you will be able to rely on constant blood work to track the progress of the decline in toxin levels in your body, let the doctor monitor your progress, and also make necessary changes to the treatment regime as and when required.

In residential programs, you would  be part of a social group that would discuss inner cravings and their attempts to look past the immediate need. This social setting lays the foundation for sobriety, even after leaving drug rehab. The doctor will also prescribe the necessary medications and exercises to help you get through the difficult withdrawal phase. 

Day treatment or hospitalization: Day treatment or in-house short-term treatment regimes generally last between 3 to 6 weeks. This model of treatment was originally designed for alcohol abuse but was later altered to include opioid patients as well.

In this process, the patient receives a combination of in-house treatment for a duration that is coupled with mandatory sessions with the support groups and outpatient treatment at the hospital. 

Outpatient treatment: The outpatient treatment program is not as effective as the in-house ones, but it is significantly cheaper. It is often recommended to those who have a job and have an extensive social circle to depend upon. Outpatient treatment depends upon social groups and medications.

Self Help Groups: Studies show that cognitive-behavioural change is the root cause of the success of self-help groups. In this, a group of functioning individuals from different walks of life come together and share their experiences on why they are here and what they are doing to remain drug-free. These social settings set a communal directive for willing patients to overcome the urge to consume drugs as a group that holds each other accountable.

Disclaimer – It is important to note that addiction should be referred to as ‘substance use disorder’ to better address the effects of this psychological condition. Words like addict, junkie, etch should be avoided as they place the blame on the individual. Individuals/person/people suffering from substance use disorder or substance dependence syndrome should be used.

Which is the right treatment for you?

There are a lot of ways in which one could look at drug abuse and treatment; it is essential to know that the journey will be long, but the results after the journey are fruitful. Consulting a medical practitioner or a certified therapist to discuss the problem and discuss the next steps is the first step.

How can family help?

The role of a family and its support in a patient’s life is very important. The patient should be aware that the family harbors no ill thoughts towards his actions towards addiction and wishes to see him recover. The members of the family could attend social gatherings with the patient, attend self-help groups, visit them regularly in partial or complete inhouse treatments.

It is seen that the chances of relapse are significantly lesser in patients who have a good relationship with their immediate family members.