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Drug Addiction and Substance AbuseDrug Addiction has been defined as an obsessive craving or dependency on some type of narcotic drug, illegal or otherwise. It is the compulsive and intense desire to obtain the drug without regard to any resulting negative consequences. A person may have gradually developed this dependency over time as with certain sedatives like Benzodiazepines or he may have become instantly addicted as with certain stimulants such as Cocaine or Methamphetamine and opiates like Marijuana or Heroin. Regardless of the method, a drug addict may even believe that he will get sick and die without his drug of choice. In some cases if the drug addict is denied his drug of choice, he may actually experience physical withdrawal symptoms that can be very severe. The truth is that there is no cure for drug addiction, only treatments. The good news is that, with intensive and ongoing treatment a drug addict can successfully recover and lead a productive and normal life. What is Drug Addiction?There are many misconceptions about what Drug Addiction really is. At first glance, you might think that any dependency on a drug meets the definition. However, a drug addiction is not to be confused with an actual dependency on a certain medication. For instance, if you were to refuse a diabetic his insulin, he would probably die, but this is not an addiction. This is a real medical need for a continued flow of medicine. But in the case of a heroin addict, he might think he is going to die while being refused his heroin, but he probably won’t. He will need close medical supervision during this withdrawal period, but after he has survived the withdrawal his body is clean of the drug, he can physically survive without the heroin. Drug Addiction Treatment OptionsThe long range goal in the treatment for drug addiction is ongoing abstinence. Many times drug addicts will abstain for a period of time only to relapse into drug use again. The short range or immediate goal for treatment of a drug addict is to at least reduce the use of drugs and to improve the patient’s ability to function normally. Residential treatment facilities are in place in virtually every state in the US and they begin with a detoxification program. Typically, the patient will remain in the facility for 6-12 months while a highly structured program is in place to hopefully result in a drug-free individual. The average success rate for drug treatment centers is anywhere from 2% to 20%. However, there are some treatment centers that enjoy a 75% success rate. If you are looking into a particular facility, ask the administrators to provide you with their success rates statistics. Depending on the type of drug a patient is addicted to, medications may be administered to ease the withdrawal symptoms. In addition, counseling will begin to address behavioral issues and to gauge how the patient is progressing in the treatment program. In the case of heroin addiction methadone may be used to ease the patient’s withdrawal symptoms. Methadone may also help to reduce the craving for heroin. An ongoing program to help prevent relapsing is also in place once the patient has been discharged from the treatment center. Outpatient programs involve mostly individual and group therapy as part of the behavioral treatment program. Cognitive Therapy along with Motivational Incentives basically makes up many of the programs at outpatient clinics. These therapies involve helping the patient to understand the types of situations that lead to drug abuse and then reinforce that with positive encouragement to continue abstaining from drugs. The cost of private facilities can be very expensive and range as high as $3000 to $5000 per month. There are also state funded facilities for those who qualify. A couple of good resources for finding a treatment center in your area are the following links: Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator
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