Drug
addiction can be effectively treated with behavioral-based
therapies and, for addiction to some drugs such as heroin or
nicotine, medications. Treatment may vary for each person depending
on the type of drug(s) being used and the individual's specific
circumstances. In many cases, multiple courses of treatment
may be needed to achieve success. Research has revealed 13
basic principles that underlie effective drug addiction treatment.
These are discussed in NIDA's Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide.
A person may start out taking drugs voluntarily. But as times
passes, and drug use continues something happens that makes
a person go from being a voluntary drug user to a compulsive
drug user. Why? Because the continued use of addictive drugs
changes your brain at times in dramatic, toxic ways,
at others in more subtle ways, but often in ways that result
in compulsive and even uncontrollable drug use.
Drug addiction is a brain disease. Every type of drug of abuse
has its own individual mechanism for changing how the brain
functions. But regardless of which drug a person is addicted
to, many of the effects it has on the brain are similar: they
range from changes in the molecules and cells that make up
the brain, to mood changes, to changes in memory processes
and thinking, and sometimes changes in motor skills such as
walking and talking. And these changes have a huge influence
on all aspects of a person's behavior. A drug can become the
single most powerful motivator in a drug abuser's existence.
He or she will do almost anything for the drug. This comes
about because drug use has changed the individual's brain,
their behavior, their social and other functioning in critical
ways.
Two of the primary reasons people seek drug treatment are because
the court ordered them to do so, or because loved ones urged
them to seek treatment. Many scientific studies have shown
convincingly that those who enter drug treatment programs in
which they face "high pressure" to confront and attempt to
surmount their addiction can benefit from treatment, regardless
of the reason they sought treatment in the first place.
Like many other illnesses, drug addiction typically is a chronic
disorder. To be sure, some people can quit drug use "cold turkey," or
they can quit after receiving treatment just one time at a
rehabilitation facility. But most of those who abuse drugs
require longer-term treatment and, in many instances, repeated
treatments.
There is no "one size fits all" form of drug treatment, much
less a magic bullet that suddenly will cure addiction. Different
people have different drug abuse-related problems. And they
respond very differently to similar forms of treatment, even
when they're abusing the same drug. As a result, drug addicts
need an array of treatments and services tailored to address
their unique needs.
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