Thursday, August 11 2005 15:40 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Drug addiction treatment

There are many addictive drugs and treatments for specific drugs can differ. Treatment also varies depending on the characteristics of the patient.

Problems associated with an individual's drug addiction can vary significantly. People who are addicted to drugs come from all walks of life. Many suffer from mental health, occupation, health or social problems that make their addictive disorders much more difficult to treat. Even if there are few associated problems, the severity of addiction itself ranges widely among people.

A variety of scientifically based approaches to drug addiction treatment exist. Drug addiction treatment can include behavioral therapy (such as counseling, cognitive therapy or psychotherapy), medications or their combination.

Behavioral therapies offer people strategies for coping with their drug cravings, teach them ways to avoid drugs and prevent relapse and help them deal with relapse if it occurs. When a person's drug-related behavior places him or her at higher risk for AIDS or other infectious diseases, behavioral therapies can help to reduce the risk of disease transmission. Case management and referral to other medical, psychological and social services are crucial components of treatment for many patients. Drug addiction treatment is cost-effective in reducing drug use and its associated health and social costs. Treatment is less expensive than alternatives, such as not treating addicts or simply incarcerating addicts.

However, every act we do has a reason behind it. We must understand why a person takes on drugs? And this is the primary job of the family. Even educational institutes have a great role to play in de-addiction process. Perhaps, our education system needs more practical curriculum than theoretical to eradicate these acute social problems. After all understanding a mind is a difficult job than anything else.