What Is Drug Addiction? What Treatment Is Available?

What is drug addiction? Quite simply, if you start using a drug in such excessive amounts that in due course of time you develop an intense emotional and psychological craving for it, characterized by an acute physical dependency, your condition is that of drug addiction.

Drug addiction is a very serious disease in itself. It embeds itself in your system in such a way that you get totally released from the natural rewarding stimuli. You start using the drug more and more frequently, and in excessive quantities than the normal prescriptions made out by medical practitioners. You compulsively start seeking the drug just to function normally in your day-to-day activities.

The addiction may be caused in two ways, i.e. either by illegal drugs, or by prescription or over-the-counter drugs. The illegal drugs are opium, cocaine, heroin, LSD, alcohol, marijuana, hashish, and so on. These are mainly stimulants and bring a hallucinating effect and are capable of clouding your perception for a few hours.

The momentary lapse of reason would result in a relaxation of some kind. And in due course of time, if you start craving for this type of relaxation more and more often, you will be considered as being addicted to these drugs.

The prescription or over-the-counter drugs, on the other hand, are those prescribed by doctors in the usual course of their business. Although most people don't get addicted to these, there are many who cannot resist them even after their disease is cured. The opioids, the central nervous system (CNS) depressants and the stimulants are the three classes of prescription drugs that are most frequently abused.

The opioids are prescribed for their pain relieving and analgesic properties. The CNS depressants are helpful in treating anxiety and sleep disorders. And, the stimulants rectify sleep disorders, narcolepsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), etc.

The general signs and symptoms of addiction to any drug, therefore, include a continuous physical and psychological need for the drug; maintaining a regular supply by any means whatsoever, including stealing, robbing or other malicious things; and failing repeatedly at stopping its consumption.

Timely treatment can however assist in full recovery. The rehabilitation process involves withdrawal from the drug using detoxification methods as the first step, usually at a rehab center. Then, counseling and attending self-help groups can help you resist the drug in future. In addition to this, however, even those at home and in your workplace must contribute in the rehab procedure. They must constantly coax you to fight the urge for the drug abuse.

Hence, we have seen what is drug addiction, and how it can be treated. This is one case, where the age old adage; prevention is better than cure, always holds true.

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