Drug addiction: Another innovation of pleasures that man explores like smoking, frequent porn sites visits, alcoholism, & sexual addiction, which is curable not by threat & killing but by rehabilitation (Page 1)

Proverbs 23:29-35  Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine. Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things.

Before, when Mao Tse-tung threatened to execute opium addicts, 20 million people gave up.  Now, starting Duterte’s Presidency, campaign against illegal drugs catches voluntary surrender of 1,017,869 [1]drug personalities, as of January 5, 2017 based on data from the Philippine National Police.  Almost six months into the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte, police records show the death toll in his anti-drug war has almost reached 6,000.[2]

Drug addiction appears to be endemic in the Philippines, with an estimated 1.7 million Filipinos hooked on drugs (2012 Household Survey on the Nature and Extent of Drug Abuse in the Philippines conducted by the DDB with the Philippine Normal University discloses that there are 1.3 estimated drug users in the Philippines) and with 1,700 dying each year due to their addiction according to Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) executive director Benjamin Reyes.  DDB official says that the 1.7 million represents an increase of 200,000 from the number of drug users two years ago.  According to his agency’s estimate, the “number of deaths directly related to drug use is very low.” Even the World Health Organization ranks the Philippines 153rd in terms of drug use-related mortalities.”

On the other hand, the most commonly abused substance in the U.S. is alcohol. According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc., 17.6 million adults are either dependent on or abusing alcohol. When it comes to drugs, no other drug is abused more than marijuana. In 2012, 18.9 million Americans over the age of 11 were current marijuana users, per the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Other drugs that often lead to addiction include Prescription opioid pain relievers (like hydrocodone, Cocaine, Heroin, prescription benzodiazepines (like Klonopin and Xanax), Spice, Prescription amphetamines  (such as Adderall), Barbiturates (like Phenobarbital).

According to the statistics of the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Mental Health, people ages 12 and older in the United States, about 22.2 million are categorized with substance dependence or abuse; 2.8 million are categorized with dependence or abuse of both alcohol and illicit drugs; 4.5 million are categorized with dependence or abuse of illicit drugs but not alcohol; 14.9 million are categorized with dependence or abuse of alcohol but not illicit drugs. 623%: The increase in probability to be categorized with alcohol dependence or abuse for those who were 14 or younger when having their first drink of alcohol versus those who had their first drink at age 21. 118%: The increase in people who abused or were dependent on heroin from 2011 (214,000) to 2012 (467,000).

Methamphetamine (locally known as shabu) was brought in into the fringe circle of use in the Philippines in the mid-80s, which has broken out of the urban subcultures and gained access into the rural communities with devastating impact in less than two decades. In the Philippines, as in Thailand, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, methamphetamine is the drug of choice; Asia accounting for 60% of meth users.

Still in the US, according to data from the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 22.7 million of Americans need treatment for a drug or alcohol problem. And though it may sound cliché, addiction truly is a disease that does not discriminate. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, around 20 million people who needed substance abuse treatment in 2013 didn’t receive it.

What is drug addiction?

Drug addiction is characterized by obsessive, or irrepressible, drug seeking and use even with the injurious effects and changes in the brain, which can be life-long. These changes in the brain can lead to the destructive behaviors noticed in drug users.

It is also a relapsing disease, the tendency to return to drug use after an attempt to stop. It begins with the voluntary act of taking drugs. Eventually, a person's ability to choose not to do so becomes compromised. Seeking and taking the drug becomes compulsive brought by the effects of long-term drug exposure on brain function. Addiction affects parts of the brain responsible in reward and motivation, learning and memory, and power over behavior.  It has an effect both on the brain and behavior.

Indications of addiction include tolerance, a loss of control over how much or how often a person uses, an obsession with the substance, abandoning events and activities a person used to enjoy, and continuing to use drugs even though they have had negative effects on a person’s life. Anyone who starts to experience symptoms of withdrawal - whether mild or severe - in the absence of the substance, is likely dependent on the substance. Withdrawal symptoms can vary from drug to drug which include:

·         shaking

·         tiredness

·         Anxiety

·         Depression

·         Nausea, with or without vomiting

·         too much perspiration

·         Headache

·         Insomnia

Can drug addiction be restored to its original state?

Drug addiction can be treated but since it is chronic, individuals can’t simply stop using drugs for a few days and be treated. Majority of patients need long-term or repeated care for full recovery. Addiction treatment must lend a hand to the victim to do the following:

• discontinue using drug
• remain drug-free
• be productive in the family, at work, and in the community 

Rehab Medication

Depending on the situations and needs, rehab patients may be prescribed with short-term or long-term medications by the doctors for their healing, to control mental or physical drug abuse triggers.

Life Transforms in Addiction Rehab

Rehab patients are encouraged to stop toxic relationships, those that have the tendency to lead to drug abuse. On the other hand, patients are encouraged to ask from other people who can support them on their journey including friends, family members, and even other rehab patients.

Family members of rehab patients can ask drug rehab information by talking to the counselors and doctors at the facility. Friends and family members can lend a hand to the patients by gaining knowledge about drug addiction through participation in counseling sessions with the patient. They can learn from the counselors about the coping skills that the patients are learning, the different drug abuse triggers, and the best approaches to express support with love.

At times drug addictions have negative impact to the addict’s friends and family. In this instance, drug rehab treatment centers can offer counseling and healing services to the patient’s friends and family. Relatives can help them excellently once they have sought healing for themselves.

Drug rehab usually lasts for 28 days, or even several months depending on the patient’s healing progress. Doctors and counselors may suggest an early discharge, or they may request that the patient stays in rehab longer than expected.

A lot of rehab patients continue to receive treatment for their addictions after leaving rehab by regular clinic visits with a doctor to deal with physical symptoms. To sharpen coping skills, patients may also meet with a counselor on a regular, outpatient basis. Apart from the love and support of family and friends, patients may also attend support group meetings after a drug rehab treatment. All of these after-care services facilitate patients stay drug free and avoid relapse.

Principles of Effective Cure

Based on scientific research since the mid-1970s, there are key principles that form the basis of any effective treatment program:

• Addiction is a complex but curable that affects brain function and behavior.
• No single cure is right for everybody.
• People need to have speedy access to cure.
• Successful cure addresses all of the patients’ needs, not just their drug use.
• Remaining in treatment long enough is significant.
• Counseling and other behavioral therapies are the generally used forms of cure.
• Medications are often a significant part of cure, especially when combined with behavioral therapies.
• Cure plans must be evaluated regularly and changed to fit the patient’s changing needs.
• Cure should address other possible mental disorders.
• Medically assisted detoxification is only the first phase of cure.
• Cure doesn't need to be voluntary to be effective.
• Drug use during cure must be monitored constantly.
• Treatment programs should test patients for HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases and teach them about steps to reduce their risk on these diseases. 

Drug Addiction Treatment

Effective treatment has several stages:

• detoxification (the process by which the body purges itself of a drug)
• behavioral counseling
• medication (for opioid - heroin, prescription pain relievers, tobacco, or alcohol addiction)
• assessment and cure for co-occurring mental health issues like depression and anxiety
• long-term follow-up to avoid relapse
• A series of personalized treatment program and follow-up options can be significant. Cure should include both medical and mental health services as required. Follow-up care may consist of community or family-based recovery support systems. 

Importance of medications in drug addiction treatment

Medications can be used to deal with withdrawal symptoms, avoid relapse, and treat co-occurring conditions.

Withdrawal

Medications help suppress withdrawal symptoms in the course of detoxification. Detoxification is not in itself "treatment," but only the first step in the process. Patients who do not receive any further treatment after detoxification ordinarily return to their drug use. According to a study of treatment facilities, medications were used in almost 80 percent of detoxifications.

Relapse Prevention

Patients can use medications to help bring back normal brain function and lessen cravings. Medications are on hand for treatment of opioid (heroin, prescription pain relievers), tobacco (nicotine), and alcohol addiction. Scientists are working on other treatments to cure stimulant (cocaine, methamphetamine) and cannabis (marijuana) addiction. Individuals who use more than one drug, which is very common, need cure for all of the substances being used.

Suggested Medicines

Opioids

Methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone (available in different brands) are used to cure opioid addiction. Performing on the same goals in the brain as heroin and morphine, methadone and buprenorphine control withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings.

Naltrexone obstructs the effects of opioids at their receptor sites in the brain and should be used only by those who have already been detoxified. All medications aid patients lessen drug seeking and related criminal behavior and to become more open to behavioral treatments.

Tobacco

Nicotine replacement therapies have several forms, which include patch, spray, gum, and lozenges which are available over the counter. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two prescription medications for nicotine addiction: bupropion and varenicline (available in different brands) They work differently in the brain, but both aid in preventing relapse in people attempting to stop. These are more effective when combined with behavioral treatments, such as group and individual therapy and telephone quitlines.

Alcohol

Three medications have been FDA-approved for curing alcohol addiction and a fourth, topiramate, has shown potential in clinical trials (large-scale studies with people). The three approved medications include:

Naltrexone blocks opioid receptors that are involved in the rewarding effects of drinking and in the craving for alcohol. It lessens relapse to heavy drinking and is highly effective to some patients. Genetic variances may affect how well the drug works to particular patients.

Acamprosate may lessen symptoms of long-lasting withdrawal, such as insomnia, anxiety, restlessness, and dysphoria (generally feeling unwell or unhappy). It may be more effective to those with severe addiction.

Disulfiram interferes with the breakdown of alcohol. Acetaldehyde builds up in the body, leading to repulsive effects that include flushing (warmth and redness in the face), nausea, and erratic heartbeat if the patient drinks alcohol. Compliance (taking the drug as prescribed) can be a problem, but it may help patients who are greatly prompted to stop drinking.

Co-occurring conditions

Other medications are available to treat possible mental health conditions, like depression or anxiety that may be causal to the person’s addiction.

Importance of behavioral therapies to treat drug addiction

Behavioral therapies play a significant role to:

·         Modify the patient’s attitudes and behaviors related to drug use.

·         Increase healthy life skills.

·         Persist with other forms of treatment, like medication.

·         Help in persuading people to take part in drug treatment.

·         Offer approaches for dealing with drug cravings.

·         Teach methods to avoid drugs and prevent relapse.

·         Help people deal with relapse if it strikes.

·         Assist individuals to develop communication, relationship, and parenting skills, in addition to family dynamics.

Treatment in various settings with different approaches:

Outpatient behavioral treatment

It consists of a wide range of programs for patients who visit a behavioral health counselor on a regular calendar. Most of the programs include individual or group drug counseling, or both depending on the patient’s individual needs and, often, on the types of drugs they use, which usually offer forms of behavioral therapy like:

1). Cognitive-behavioral Therapy - helps the patients to recognize, avoid, and cope with the situations in which they are presumably to use drugs

2). Multidimensional Family Therapy - developed for adolescents with drug abuse problems as well as their families - which deals with a variety of influences on their drug abuse patterns and is devised to enhance overall family functioning

3). Motivational Interviewing - makes the most of people's eagerness to modify their behavior and go into treatment

4). Motivational Incentives (contingency management) - uses positive reinforcement to encourage self-restraint from drugs

At the outset, treatment is sometimes intensive where patients attend a weekly multiple outpatient sessions. After completion of this, is patients’ transition to regular outpatient treatment which meets less often and for fewer hours weekly for recovery sustainability.

For patients with more severe problems including co-occurring disorders, inpatient or residential treatment can also be very effective, which provides safe housing and medical attention through licensed residential treatment facilities offering a 24-hour structured and intensive care. This type of treatment may use a range of therapeutic methods, and they are usually meant at helping the patient live a drug-free, crime-free lifestyle after treatment. Residential treatment settings include:   

PAGES
1	2	3	4	5

HEART-RENDING TESTIMONIES OF PARENTS WHO ENDURE DRUG ADDICT SIBLINGS CAN BE READ HERE!