Cost

Another reason that drug addictions have increased in number is improved manufacturing methods. New, synthetic drug compounds have greatly amplified routine use of drugs by individuals. People of any race, age or economic status are susceptible to developing a drug habit. Research shows the total cost of substance abuse in the United States including productivity, health, and crime-related costs exceed 600 billion dollars every year.

Social Costs

The impact that drug addiction has on modern society is staggering. There are many consequences society must deal with relating to drug addiction. These problems include family disintegration, academic failure, lost employment, domestic violence, and child abuse.

Counsel

When addicted, individuals can develop an insatiable appetite, regardless of the harm they reap upon themselves. The need for their particular drug of choice becomes so over whelming that it takes over all thoughts and a person is unable to function. This is an addiction and required intervention and treatment in order to bring back any sort of normalcy.

Risk Factors

Not unlike many psychological disorders, an individual’s likelihood to develop a drug addiction is based on varying factors. Individuals suffering from depression, attention-deficit disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, for example, foster a greater chance of developing a drug dependency at some point in their lifetime. Environmental circumstances such as a person’s upbringing, family influence, and exposure to peers that encourage drug usage would also play a role in the likelihood of one’s potential drug consumption. It has been studied and reported that once a person has embarked on the path of recreationally usage genetics can then factor in as to whether or not an individual will become chemically reliant on a drug.

Science

Research shows addiction may be greatly influenced by specific, inherited traits, and studies have determined men are twice as likely as women to develop an addiction to drugs. While surely a problem that seems to be at the forefront of our collective conscience, it has become increasingly unclear whether laws against drug use do anything substantial to stem usage or dependency. There are womens program to help.

Type Of Treatment

One question that needs to be answered is whether they need inpatient or outpatient. Some of the considerations for deciding this is how severe the problem is, whether there is anyone available as support, the ability of the patient to be consistent in treatment goals, and how much money and/or insurance is available for funding. These questions must be answered regardless of the age of the person seeking help.

Factors

Family dynamics and support are important considerations as well. If the family cannot be depended on for support, then the only option left might well be inpatient care. However, with a strong family support system and good counseling, outpatient care might be a good option. There must be a strong commitment by the young person in question, however, for outpatient to work.

Treatment Styles

There are boarding school style facilities, which address school and adds psychiatric and addiction issues as well. Wilderness style, or outdoor fitness, programs are another options. They are rigorous and focus more on physical fitness for treatment. Some are even like a stay at a luxury hotel or spa. There are also facilities that are more like psychiatric hospitals, with greater medical management than the others.

Costs

Any treatment option can be effective. Choices are based on preferences and what is affordable to the one seeking the care. Consideration should definitely be given to what the person receiving the care desires, as well as their ability to be involved in a particular option. If there is the desire to go on to college and/or pursue a career, then the boarding school option might be best. Most options are very minimally concerned with academics when addressing emotional and addiction issues. This could cause a deficit in educational opportunities, adversely affecting the ability to get into college.

Family Dynamics

More intensive care (residential drug rehabilitation) may be needed if the addiction is severe, if emotional issues are present, and/or if the family is dysfunctional. In this setting, the emotional issues are more fully addressed. In the event of severe emotional involvement, it may be necessary to delay attention to educational or physical issues and address the emotional ones first.

Holistic Approaches

The wilderness or fitness style approaches may well be beneficial to some. The focus on surviving in the wilderness, or the intense physical activity, may help the individual focus on something beside the addictions that are controlling them. The intense activity releases chemicals in the brain that help to give that euphoria and good feeling that sometimes drive addictions.

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Treatment

Patients initially enrolled in a center may be afraid of not being able to handle all the things happening in his or her life. This may be where therapy plays a critical role, as other patients can help with the adjustment period and the person realizes that he or she is not alone in facing change. Routines can be established during time in treatment, and the therapy can start to offer a framework for discussions on addiction and recovery.

Consequences Of Addiction

These meetings for counseling may be the first opportunity a patient has to sit down and give some thought to his or her past behavior. The road of addiction may start to become clear during discussions with others, or just listening to what other patients have to say about what led them to seek treatment. This can be enlightening as patients may see similarities between other patients’ stories and their own.

Therapy

More strategies for coping can unfold as the discussions build during these sessions. Patients may begin to recognize harmful behavior patterns in others and in themselves. These types of talks may evolve into ideas among patients in ways to help each other, and in turn, help themselves in the process during time in rehab.

Changes

Keeping a journal may be part of the therapy and counseling sessions, in which patients may share some of their writings as a cathartic process for healing. These daily writing sessions, perhaps part of the person’s rehab routine, can help in exploring changes occurring in rehab, as well as past problems that may have led to the initial addiction.

Options

Counseling sessions with a therapist can be another component in treatment during rehab. These sessions may not be as free form as a group session, with the trained counselor keeping the patient focused and on topic to learn more about addiction. These sessions may help a patient understand more about how addiction occurs and how to move beyond it with personal lifestyle changes.

Aftercare

When the patient is ready to leave the drug rehab treatment facility, counseling sessions may continue as part of extended treatment. These follow-up meetings can be beneficial to help support the patient as he or she continues to make lifestyle changes and adopt new ways of dealing with problems to avoid addictive tendencies. The discussions can help a patient sort through any lingering issues.

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Oxycontin

First synthesized in 1916 at the University of Frankfurt, oxycontin was developed as an alternative to heroin. The thinking was the new drug would be less addictive. Oxycontin is prescribed as a pain medication that is taken every 12 hours. Oxycontin tablets usually contain a controlled, time-release formula.

Side Effects

Common side effects of oxycontin use include memory loss, fatigue, headache, dry mouth and anxiety. It has also been reported that prolonged use causes dimness in vision. Rarely, the drug can cause impotence and decreased testosterone. Compared with morphine, however, oxycontin causes less nausea and respiratory complications.

Rehabilitation

If a person consumes oxycontin for more than a couple of weeks they will naturally develop a dependency to it. This occurs because the person’s brain gets accustomed to receiving it. If a person develops a dependency to oxycontin it can become very hard to overcome. At this point it is necessary for an individual to seek medical treatment. Withdrawal symptoms will be painful and require medical supervision

Counseling

In order to obtain abstinence addicts must overcome physical dependency. It is important that oxycontin addicts enter a rehabilitation center so that they may be provided with counseling. This process is medically assisted to guarantee detoxification. Recovering oxycontin addicts will need to be under constant watch to help reduce the pains of withdrawal.

Aftercare

There are a couple different aftercare treatment options for those who have completed initial detoxification. Most people choose to finish their recovery in a residential setting. They take part in continued oxycontin medical detoxification programs. However, some people think they are able to complete their recovery in an outpatient setting.