By James Lewis Drug addiction is an epidemic in many parts of the world, especially in the United States. The number of new drugs that can...

Useful And Essential Facts About Substance Use Disorder Programs

By James Lewis


Drug addiction is an epidemic in many parts of the world, especially in the United States. The number of new drugs that can be abused keeps growing every year. Some drugs are designed to be useful, but are instead abused when they are not used for the purposes they were meant. A good example is suboxone. Suboxone is meant to help people who are addicted to opioids to overcome their addiction, but is instead used as a drug itself. Here are facts regarding substance use disorder programs.

Seeking and using illicit substances compulsively and uncontrollably is the clinical definition for drug addiction. Addicts are not in a position to manage their desire of using substances despite them experiencing very adverse and long-lasting effects from use. The brain is negatively affected by these substances, making the person to develop harmful behavior. Addiction is also characterized by relapsing.

At first, drug users begin by taking the drugs out of will. However, this changes after one has taken the drugs severally and can longer control themselves. How fast the addiction develops depends on the kind of drug abused. They no longer use the drug out of their own free will due to addiction. At this point, it becomes the person seeks and uses illicit substances compulsively and uncontrollably. There are three parts of the brain that are affected by addiction. The three parts are responsible for controlling behavior, reward and motivation, and learning and memory in a person.

This means addiction affects both the brain and the behavior of the patient. However, drug addiction can be treated using various programs and plans. It is important to note that it takes time for one to totally wean off drug use. This is not an issue that can be solved overnight. The process will take varied amounts of time based on the level of addiction of a patient.

If the treatment program is effective, one can recover completely from an addiction. Any drug addiction treatment program needs to be able to help patients stop using drugs, stay drug-free, and become productive in the society and family. No single treatment can be termed as completely effective on every patient. Addictions vary and the treatments need to vary too.

Patients should be able to access the treatment programs any time they need to. Other aspects of life of the patient should be covered in the program too besides the addiction. As such, treatment programs have to focus on other problems besides use of drugs. The entire life of the patient should be addressed by the program.

When a patient is admitted to the program, it is vital that they stay in it for as long as it takes. Leaving a program too soon usually leads to automatic relapse. That is why one needs to be able to stay around and rid their body system of the drug before they can leave. Behavioral therapies and counseling are the two most commonly employed forms of treatment.

For these programs to remain efficient throughout, they have to be reviewed regularly. When the needs of the patient change, treatment should also be changed. It must be understood that the effectiveness of the treatment is not based on voluntary participation.




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