Drug dependence is an insuperable craving for use of various psychoactive substances and adaptation of the body to them - thus, that without these substances it comes to metabolic imbalance of the body. Narcomania deals equally with psychical and physical spheres of a human. At once after cessation of narcotic substances the addict suffers from unbearable withdrawal pains, which make drug dependence the most severe and awful dependences in the world.
We can talk about harm of drugs very long, as there is no a single cell in the body of an addict, which wouldn’t be affected by destructive action of forbidden drugs. Degenerative processes in internals are unnoticeable, but external signs show it quite clear: there is something wrong with the man. The body of a drug addict destroys physically and mentally very quickly, and lethal outcome caused by drug abuse happens far more often, than caused by other types of toxicomania.
The environment plays a great role in forming of drug abuse. If the man grows among people, who normally amuse themselves with psychoactive medicines, there is not surprising, if he gets hooked on narcotics very early.
People begin to use drugs for the reason of their infirmity of purpose, absence of goals in life, boredom, absence of bright emotions and experiences in real life. Psychological addiction appears, when the person wishes to repeat pleasant and positive feelings, caused by the substances.
Very seldom drug addiction is forming after taking the appropriate medicine, unreasonably prescribed by the doctor or prescribed by the patient himself.
Physical dependence on narcotic substances develops very quickly – sometimes one or two episodes of drug usage are enough for that. The drug very rapidly builds in metabolic processes and makes the people feel the physiological need in it. Long absence of drugs causes the abstinence, and this condition can’t be controlled or eased by a man any other way except taking the next dose of junk.
Sometimes it is not so easy to define a person, who uses drugs. Some weak substances let addicts remain in “good form” for quite a long time. Nevertheless there are basic symptoms, which are typical for the most drug users:
Of course, different substances make different effects on the addict’s behavior. So, psychostimulants cause unprecedented cheerfulness, abnormal restlessness. The movements of the patient become abrupt, he always try to do something. The same effect makes marijuana, but besides all it increases the appetite wildly.
Hallucinogens like fungi cause visual, acoustic and olfactory illusions. The man insists on things or events not existing in reality, and his look shows he is far from real world at the moment. Opiates, such as heroin and cocaine make the addict relaxed, sluggish and sometimes very friendly. He has a pale skin and hyperlacrimation; his pupils don’t react on the light.
Diagnosis of drug dependence begins from questioning the patient about drug use experience, kinds of narcotics he uses and so on. As a rule, the visual examination indicates the dependence on psychoactive substances: hands with the marks of injections, brown-red spots on the skin and unhealthy complexion. On the early stage it is necessary to perform laboratory diagnostics of urine, blood and saliva to prove the fact of drug addiction.
Drug abuse treatment is not a simple task, even if the patient wishes to get rid of drug dependence. The goal of such therapy is first of all – to reduce physical dependence on psychoactive substances. Deliverance from psychological addiction depends mostly on the patient himself.
So, the complex treatment of narcomania consists on several stages:
Stage 1: Eliminating withdrawal pains, purification of body from toxins and drug decay products. Treatment for mental disorder, normalization of metabolic processes;
Stage 2: Normalization of physical and psychical condition of the patient; restoration of normal sleep-wake schedule, deliverance from sleeplessness;
Stage 3: Search for and reveal the reasons of psychological addiction to drugs and their dynamics; carrying out cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Stage 4: Creating conditions of living with minimal risk of possible relapses; rehabilitation of the patient to normal life and communication.
The most important in treatment for drug abuse is to avoid relapses. It is easy to purify the organism so that it won’t ask for a new dose, but fighting against psychological addiction is a far more complex process. Although there is an opinion, that drug users can’t be former drug users, but the period of remission of this disease can be prolonged for the whole life, if the person has strong will and desire to break with the past.
