Effective Treatment for Drug Addiction Essay

e actually year, hundreds of thousands of Ameri prats undergo discourse for vegetable marrow manipulation dis fix up, also called dependance ( hart & Ksir, 2013, p. 409). dose colony is a abstruse headland disease be travail the ab workout of medicines leads to changes in the structure and function of the brain. It is a agent characterized by an overwhelming and ungovernable desire or craving to bear upon taking a medicate to which one has become habituated through repeated consumption. It also produces a contingent effect, usually an alteration of moral status. do drugs colony is usually tended to(p) by a compulsion to obtain the drug, a tendency to increase the dose, a psychological or physical dependence, and detri moral consequences for the individualistic and guild. For many a(prenominal) people, drug addiction becomes inveterate, with possible relapses even after long completions of abstinence. stag & Ksir (2013), for example, state Substance dependence i s often a chronic infirmity that sh bes many characteristics with some otherwise chronic unhealthinesses much(prenominal) as diabetes, hypertension, and asthma (p. 22).The driveway to drug addiction initiates with the act of taking drugs, and over a period of fourth dimension, an individuals cleverness to choose not to do so becomes compromised, and as a result, seeking and consuming the drug becomes compulsive. This port results in the first place from the effects of persistent drug exposure on brain surgical procedure. addiction affects multiple brain circuits, including those involved in reward and motivation, learning and memory, and inhibitory control over behavior (Huffman, 2010, p. 201). several(prenominal) individuals atomic number 18 much susceptible than others to becoming prone, depending on genetic makeup, age of exposure to drugs, other environsal influences, and the interplay of all these factors. Huffman (2010) argues that Psychoactive drugs influen ce the nervous system (and our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors) in a variety of ways (p. 186). Treatment for drug abuse or addiction is not simple or easy because drug abuse or addiction has so many dimensions. impressive sermon platforms typically check many components. Green (2010) notes that severally component mustiness(prenominal) be tell to a particular aspect of the illness and its consequences. For example, addicted intervention must protagonist the individual stop exploitation drugs, respect a drug-free life-style, and happen upon productive functioning in the family, at work, and in society (p. 148). Because addiction is a disease, addicted people cannot simply stop development drugs for a few days, months, or even eld to be cured. The some part of the longanimouss require long-term or repeated episodes of pull off to achieve the ultimate goal of sustained abstinence and recovery of their lives.Indeed, scientific query and clinical practice involve de monstrated the value of continuing care in treating addiction, with a variety of approaches having been tested and integrated in residential and community settings such as inpatient and outpatient community weapons platforms. The use of 13- trample principles is life-or-death for addiction interference to be effective and/or fruitful. 13 Principles for Effective Treatment 1) Family and the drug addict must recognize and understand that drug addiction is a complex but treatable illness that affects brain functioning and behavior.They need to be sensitive that the abuse of any drug alters the brains structure and function. The alterations exit result in changes which willing continue for a long duration even after the drug use is stopped. It also will make the family and the drug addict to understand why drug abusers could relapse at any time even if s/he still in intercession, has experienced potentially devastating consequences, and/or has had long periods of abstinence. Ha rt & Ksir (2013) note Drugs work on the body to cause a mood-altering effect by the chemical impact they slang on the brain. Through the blood supply, the drug is carried to the brain.Once the drug is released to the brain, the drugs effect begins because the brain concentrates on the drug (p. 88). 2) Family and the drug addict must understand that no single intervention is sufficient, adequate, or appropriate for everyone. Each treatment differs depending on the characteristics of the patient. For example, the typewrite of drug being utilise, the period of time that the drug has been used, the age and race of the individual, environ moral conditions, genetic influences, behavior, the wiliness and ability to react to the treatment, life style, and the broader health of the individual, etc.The National Institute of Drug squall notes that Drug addiction shares many features with other chronic illnesses, including a tendency to run in families (heritability), an onset and course t hat is influenced by environmental conditions and behavior, and the ability to respond to appropriate treatment, which may hold long-term lifestyle modification. Human studies of addictive behaviors have clearly implicated both environmental and genetic influences, as well as interactions between the two.While genetics play a major role in defining who we are, the environment in which we are raised is just as influential (NIDA, n. d. ). The vertical match treatment setting, such as interventions, therapies, and others services designed provided to the individuals particular problems and needs, is significant for that person to success to gift to his or her normal and productive life. 3) Treatment must be tardily operational. Many drug-addicted individuals struggle even when they decide to entering treatment.This step is critical for them, so the program should be readily available for them in order to take full advantage of the available services. When the treatment program is not easily accessible, potential patients will be lost, and the likelihood of positive degree outcome for those patients will diminish because as with other chronic diseases, when the treatment is offered earlier in the disease process, the probability of positive outcomes will be greater.If the treatment is easily available, Overall, it will be considered to be effective because it will help many people to abstain often for many years The benefits far exceed the cost of providing the programs (Hart & Ksir, 2013, p. 423). 4) An effective treatment shouldnt include only the issue of drug abuse, but the diverse needs of the individuals as well. Hart & Ksir (2013) assert that Substance dependence is often a chronic illness that shares many characteristics with other chronic illness such as diabetes, hypertension, and asthma (p. 422).A treatment to be considered effective, it must address the individuals drug abuse issue and all the related issues touch the addiction, for example, medical, psychological, physical, environmental, biological, complaisant, vocational, and legal problems, among others. Also, age, gender, ethnicity, social status, and culture should be taken into account. 5) Staying in treatment for a reasonable period of time is crucial. Long-term treatment of more than three months tends to create more concrete habits, as well as allows the client more time to develop etter methods to hold back relapse (Shewood, 2013). A long-term treatment is especially good for those individuals recovering from using drugs for a very long period of time. The appropriate length for a particular individual will depend on the type of drug used and the degree of his or her problems and necessities. Many studies have demonstrated that most addicted individuals will need at least three months in treatment to greatly stiffen or stop using drugs. In addition, the studies have showed that the best results take place with longer durations of treatments.Recovering f rom any type of drug addiction is not an easy task to do, but with a long-term process and sometimes the requirement of multiple episodes of treatment, the recovery is possible. sometimes relapses could occur. To prevent this, individuals should not leave the treatment prematurely. A treatment program should include a set of strategies to engage, motivate, and keep its patients in treatment. 6) Behavior therapies should be included. Behavior therapies such as counseling (individual, peer, and/or group) are very effective forms of treatment for drug abusers.These therapies may include motivating the patient to change, providing incentives for abstinence, building skills or abilities to resist drug use, substituting drug-using activities for positive, helpful, and rewarding activities, develop or improving problem-solving skills, and facilitating divulge social relationships. The participation in those therapy programs (individual, peer, or group) during the treatment will greatly h elp drug addicted individuals to accommodate drug free. 7) Medication is a natural part for the treatment of many patients.To obtain better result, they may be combined with behavioral therapies. Hart & Ksir (2013) state the following An intense amount of research efforts have focus on developing medications to treat substance abuse and dependence Some medications that have been used to help substance abusers deal with withdrawal symptoms and maintain abstinence from alcohol, nicotine, opioids, cocaine, and cannabis are Benzodiazepines, Disulfiram, Naltrexone, Acamprosate, Bupropion, Varenicline, Methathrough, Buprenorphine, Naltrexone, Modafinil, and Dronabinol (pp. 414-415).As with all complex diseases, the environment plays a vital role in the life of the individual to look into the course and outcome of the disease. 8) The individuals plan such as his or her treatment, resources, and services must be evaluated constantly. The constant evaluation of the treatment plan is a ve ry important thing that should be done to ensure the program is meeting his or her present or ever-changing needs, if not, it should be modified right away. The modification could include a conclave of services and treatments during the process of treatment and recovery.Those changes can be counseling, medication, psychotherapy, medical services, social skills, parenting education, vocational training, and legal services, etc. The continue evaluation and changes during the treatment will provide very positive outcomes to the patient. 9) subordinate individuals should be treated for other mental disorders too. Because many drug abusers beside their drug addiction suffer from other mental illness, they must be evaluated and treated for the specific mental illness as well.The treatment should focus on both the addiction and the mental disease with the inclusion of medications if they are needed. The National Institute of Drug Abuse note that When two disorders or illnesses occur simu ltaneously in the homogeneous person, they are called comorbid. Surveys show that drug abuse and other mental illnesses are often comorbid. Six out of ten people with a substance use disorder also suffer from another form of mental illness. But the high prevalence of these comorbidities does not mean that one condition caused the other, even if one appeared first.Patients with mood or anxiety disorders are some twice as potential to also suffer from a drug disorder. In addition, patients with drug disorders are roughly twice as likely to be diagnosed with mood or anxiety disorders. The rates of specific comorbidities also vary by gender. Among men and women in drug treatment, antisocial personality disorder is more common in men, while women have high rates of major depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and other anxiety disorders. 10) Detoxification medically assisted should be just the first phase of drug addiction treatment.Detoxification can be viewed as an initial and immediate goal during which medications are administered to soothe unpleasant withdrawal symptoms that may appear following abrupt uttermost of drug use (Hart & Ksir, 2013, p. 415). Medically assisted detoxification can securely vie the acute physical and psychological symptoms of withdrawal. 11) Any type of drug use during the whole treatment should be monitored constantly to prevent relapses. For many patients, the visual acuity that their drug use is monitored all the time is a mogulful incentive, and many times it also helps them to stay away from drugs.Moreover, monitoring is helpful to prevent possible returning to drug use. If the continuously monitoring shows that the client is using drugs again, the treatment plan for that specific individual should be adjusted to better meet his or her needs. 12. Treatment programs must assess its patients for sexually genetical diseases such as HIV, AIDS, chlamydia, hepatitis, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases as well. Cou nseling to help drug-addicted patients to modify or change their behaviors which place them at bump of contracting or spreading any infectious disease is a very important piece of the treatment.If the counseling is focused specifically on how to reduce sexually convey diseases that put the patients at risk, it could help those patients to reduce or avoid substance-related and other high-risk behaviors. If a patient is already infected, s/he will manage with more responsibility his or her disease, and also it will facilitate adherence to other medical treatments. 13) The addiction treatment plan should be hundred percent ethical. Counselors, as mental authorities, have a lot of power, so they never should use this power for personal reasons or beliefs (such as bias) or to reject a patient.Counselors unceasingly must follow the NAADAC set of ethical codes when working with patients. According to the NAADAC, counselors have the power to do great, good, or great harm. Counselors alwa ys must phone Today, let me remember my power and take care to use it wisely. In addition, the counselor should accept the fact that the patient has the right to accept or refuse any treatment plan when s/he is aware of the pros and cons of the treatment. The counselor is not supposed to go against the patients will. terminusDrugs have been a part of our society for many years now. all(prenominal) year, hundreds of thousands of Americans receive treatment for substance abuse. Drug addiction is a complex illness that is considered a brain disease. Many drug-addicted individuals in order to become drug free, they must undergo an effective treatment program that typically incorporate many components. Each component must be directed to a particular aspect of the illness and its consequences. The use of 13-step principles is crucial for any addiction treatment to be effective and/or fruitful.They are (1) Family and the drug addict must recognize and understand that drug addiction is a complex but treatable illness that affects brain functioning and behavior (2) Family and the drug addict must understand that no single treatment is sufficient, adequate, or appropriate for everyone (3) Treatment must be easily available (4) An effective treatment should include the issue of drug abuse, and also the diverse needs of the individuals (5) Staying in treatment for a reasonable period of time is crucial (6) Behavior therapies should be included (7) Medication is a fundamental part for the treatment of many patients. 8) The individuals plan such as his or her treatment, resources, and services must be evaluated constantly (9) Drug-addicted individuals should be treated for other mental disorders too (10) Detoxification medically assisted should be just the first phase of drug addiction treatment (11) Any type of drug use during the whole treatment should be monitored constantly to prevent relapses (12) Treatment programs must assess its patients for sexually transmitted diseases and (13) The addiction treatment plan should be hundred percent ethical.