Drug Use

How does one go about determining when drug use crosses the line into drug abuse and addiction? Drugs are used as a solution to pain, be it mental, emotional, or physical. Fore instance one takes a painkiller and physical pain subsides or one take a street drug and the emotional pain of feeling like an outsider goes away. There are many motivations but they all come under the heading of handling pain in one way or another. Drug abuse sets in when the drug is being used more and more to mask and cover up the pain rather than addressing the actual causes of the pain itself. From abuse one quickly moves on to addiction where tolerance to the drugs builds up to the point where the individual can’t conceive of life without them for fear of unbearable pain of one type or another. Ones life then becomes centered on acquiring and using more and more drugs at any cost or sacrifice. Along with this comes all the cravings, guilt and depression that results from harm done to self, family, loved ones, careers, etc.

Most cases of addiction treatment will find inpatient drug treatment to be the best scenario for insuring a full and lasting recovery. Impatient treatment affords the addict or alcoholic a safe and secure environment, away from the temptations and stresses of their usual environments. It also allows them to concentrate fully on their particular and specific issues of recovery with trained personnel who are objective and effective in their assistance and handlings. This probably need not be said but all impatient drug treatment options are not equal. When searching for the best options for your loved ones look for many years of experience couple with the highest success rates you can find. You don’t want the same old cookie cutter approach that has been failing for years. Addiction can be beaten and one can achieve a lifetime of drug or alcohol free productiveness.

A substance abuse rehab should probably be more correctly labeled a Substance(s) abuse rehab. The individual has what is called his drug of choice or primary addiction. Rarely in this day and age does someone come for addiction treatment without having several substances needing to be addressed. Alcohol abuse is quite commonly mixed with other drugs of abuse such as heroin, cocaine, or meth, to mention only a few. Prescription drug abuse is beginning to take on epidemic proportions in the country and throughout the world. Painkillers, anti-depressants, and anti-psychotics are showing up more and more as drugs abused along with street drugs, but are also showing a major increase as being the drug of choice or primary addiction. These substances can build up tolerance in the system quickly and many have life threatening side effects. Multiple drug abuse rehabilitation has become the order of the day.

Boy, what a mouthful that is! What are we talking about here? Well, inpatient refers to a facility where the individual actually resides at the facility as opposed to commuting daily from home. Rehabilitation refers to restoring someone to a previous or improved state or condition. Alcohol treatment is of course handling the elements that have resulted in alcohol abuse and or alcoholism. This generally involves withdrawal from use and at Narconon Arrowhead goes on to include full bodily detoxification as well as multi-faceted approaches to actually handling and resolving the three main factors contributing to relapse – cravings, guilt, and depression. Finally, ‘center’ refers to bringing all the above points together. Some centers only offer one or another of the above elements. When looking for truly effective alcohol rehabilitation look for as comprehensive a program as possible to ensure maximum success.

When considering any form of alcohol treatment the following elements of treatment should be looked for in order to insure maximum chance for lasting success without constant reversion or relapse. 1. A safe, gentle cessation and withdrawal from alcohol use. (Medically supervised as needed) 2. A full detoxification of the body to remove metabolites of alcohol or other drugs and toxins from the body. The Narconon New Life Detoxification Program achieves this and many report an end to cravings following this action. 3. Life skill training segments to enable the individual to confront and be freed from feelings of guilt and depression that accompany the alcoholic lifestyle and are very often factors leading up to alcoholism to begin with. 4. The ability to face the present and effectively plan for tomorrow, including repairing what damage one can. When one is feeling better (physically and mentally) and performing better in life without alcohol than with it, then they will cease to require or crave or need alcohol and have a realistic shot at a happy and productive life and future.