Topic: What are the impacts of drugs abuse?

Why people are addicted to drugs?

People are addicted to drugs because it will appear to solve their problems and will make them feel better. Now that they will seem better able to deal with life, the drugs they previously used become invaluable to them. The individual looks to drugs as the cure for their unwanted feelings and problems. The painkilling effects of drugs become the solution to their emotional or physical discomfort. Inadvertently the drug now becomes invaluable because it helped them feel better. This release from the individual's unwanted feelings and problems is the main reason they uses drugs a second or third time. It is then just a matter of time before they become fully addicted and lose their ability to control their drug use. Drug addiction then results from excessive or continued abuse of physiologically or physically habit-forming drugs in an attempt to resolve or escape from the underlying symptoms of discomfort or unhappiness.


Sign and Symptoms of drugs abuse

All drugs are potentially harmful and may have life-treatening consequences associated with their use. Drugs may even take away someone life if they overdose it for their first time. Different drugs have different negative effects. Some may be long term whereas some may be only short term. Below are some impacts it may cause:

Behavioral symptoms of drug abuse

• Mood swings, irritability, manic bahavior, or overall attitude change
• talking incoherently or making inappropriate remarks
• Deterioration of physical appearance and grooming
• Wearing sunglasses and/or long-sleeved shirts frequently or at inapropriate times
• Neglect of family responsibilities
• Secretive or suspicious behaviour. Example: frequent trips to the restroom, basement, or other isolated aread for privacy while using drugs
• Evidence of money problems, like frequent borrowing, selling possessions, or stealing items from employer, home, or school
• Using drugs first thing in the morning
• Using increasing doses of a drug

Social symptoms of drug abuse

• Spending less time on activities such as hobbies, sports, and socializing
• Inability to have fun without drugs
• Associating with known drug users and dropping friends who don't use drugs
• Talking about drugs all the time and encouaging others to use

Physiological signs of drug abuse

• Frequent exhaustion or weakness
• Unexplained injuries and infections
• Blackouts
• Delusions
• Paranoia
• Withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, tremors, and sweating

Types of treatment to drug addiction

The types of drug treatment programs listed are based on the premise that drug addiction is a physiological disorder and should be treated medically, even through in conjunction with counseling and other social interventions. Regardless of a program’s length in weeks or months, follow-through and long-term follow-up are crucial to recovery.

Inpatient treatment

Short-term residential programme - Based on the “Minnesota Model” (so called because it was pioneered at the Hazelden Foundation treatment facility outside Minneapolis). Residential term is typically three to four weeks, with intensive follow-up sessions for several months. This model combines the 12-step approach with a focus on behavioral and emotional change and group affiliation. Although most of the therapy is conducted in groups, the treatment plan is tailored to the individual’s needs.

Long-term residential programme - Involving stays of 6 to 12 months, long-term residential programs, often called therapeutic communities, are geared toward drug addicts with more severe problems or who combine drug abuse with mental disorders. Here there is an emphasis on group affiliation and the reshaping of outlooks and behaviors.

Rapid medical detoxification - This method can be used for withdrawal from opiates. After checking into a hospital, the patient is sedated, then administered medications that basically compress physical withdrawal into a few hours (while the patient is asleep). The patient remains in the hospital for another 24-48 hours for monitoring. Because physical detoxification is only the first stage of treatment, it’s essential that the patient follow up with participation in therapy and a community-based program such as Narcotics Anonymous that will address the psychological roots of the addiction and the necessary behavioral changes.

Outpatient treatment

Methadone maintenance -Long used to counter urban heroin addiction, personnel in these programs administer an oral synthetic opiate such as methadone. The purpose is to keep clients out of the dangers of drug culture (such as dirty needles and overdose) and to decrease the craving for opiates without inducing withdrawal symptoms. The better programs offer counseling or referrals to community-based groups for continuing psychological services.

The "Matrix Model" - Used widely with people addicted to stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamines, this is a drug-free approach that combines frequent sessions of behavioral therapy with emphasis on positive reinforcement, group and family involvement, 12-step work, and regular testing over a period of one year.

Bio-physical method - Rather than replacement drugs, this treatment uses vitamins, exercise, nutrition, and sauna visits (to sweat out the toxins), along with group sessions to attain insight into addiction and build social skills.

Criminal justice programs - There are two types of drug treatment programs administered by the criminal justice system. Prison-based treatment programs employ drug education classes, self-help programs, and the “therapeutic community” model, with participants separated from the general population. Community-based treatment programs are alternatives to incarceration and can include many social services besides counseling and medical treatment.


Prevention to drug abuse

Some of the most promising trends in prevention aim at school-based programs that integrate social and life skills training to teach kids how to resist drugs, rather than merely giving them facts about drug abuse and the consequent health risks. For example, the Life Skills Training program, developed at Cornell University and used in middle schools, teaches students to develop skills in resisting social pressures to use drugs and encourages anti-drug attitudes in them. The program has shown it can reduce use of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana among teenagers by as much as 75 percent. Likewise, the messages that parents send to their kids about drug use, either by word or through example, greatly influences their behavior. Karol Kumpfer, Ph.D., president of the Society for Prevention Research, says it is important for parents to set rules and stay connected to their children. “Teens actually listen to their parents. Setting rules about substance abuse has a major effect

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Here are the two links that each of us will be evaluating on


Bel

http://teens.drugabuse.gov/facts/index.asp
This website have introduction of the many different drugs abuse and also how HIV and drugs abuse are related. They give an introduction of the different drugs, the common street names, how is it used, how many teens are taking the drugs and is it addictive or not.

http://www.cnb.gov.sg/index.asp
This is a website run by Singapore Government, it is the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB). It tell us the penalty of doing drugs in Singapore and also the different negative effects of different drugs.


Yvonne Lee


http://www.helpguide.org/mental/drug_substance_abuse_addiction_signs_effects_treatment.htm
This site shows the signs, symptons and effects of drugs abuse. Other than drugs addiction, this site also provides information to other health related problems.

http://www.teendrugabuse.us/teendruguse.html
This website shows the health effect of drug use. It provides information on the different types of drugs and their street name. It shows how the drugs are being used and the effects that will cause to our health. This site also shows the causes to why the teens choose to take drugs.


Puiwen

http://www.unodc.org/youthnet/youthnet_youth_drugs.html
This website is mainly on drug abuse prevention programs organized by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. However, it also provides information like what are drugs, the trends of drug abuse as well as the dangers of drugs.

http://rf-web.tamu.edu/security/SECGUIDE/Eap/Drugs.htm
This website tells information on drugs. It provides information on the facts on drug abuse as well as the reasons why people abuse drugs.


Yvonne Tan

http://www.connectforkids.org/articles/substance_abuse_foster_care
This link describes the reason for the impact of drug abuse on parents, pregnant woman and youths. It also includes the treatment and prevention for drug abuse.

http://www.drugabusestatistics.samhsa.gov/nsduh/2k6nsduh/2k6Results.pdf
This website shows the statistical figures and the theoretical description of the impact of drug abuse.