Medical Treatment for Drug Addiction

Medical Treatment for Drug Addiction

Introduction

The habit of people to use drugs and other abusive substances is increasing at an alarming rate. Today, millions of people all around the world are addicted to some form of drug. Increased exposure to drugs has many serious side effects on the physical, mental and psychological health of a person. Some of these are frequent display of erratic behavior, increased emotional outbursts, paranoia, psychosis and increased suicidal tendencies. Uncontrolled usage of drugs can also be fatal to the patient as it may lead to certain critical health conditions like cardiac arrest, respiratory failure and coma (United Nations Office On Drugs and Crime, 2002). Therefore, treatment of drug addiction is essential in order to prevent such diseases in patients. Over the course of time, medicines have played an important role in the treatment of individuals who have been exposed to drugs for too long. Numerous medicines are available today that reduce craving among drug addicts and provide them with the impetus to stay away from drugs. This paper analyzes the importance of medicines in the treatment of patients with drug addiction and assesses their role in various stages of the treatment process.

Thesis Statement

Medicines play an important role in the treatment of patients with drug addiction by helping them in overcoming the craving to use drugs and, hence, providing them with the impetus to avoid them.

Discussion

Drug addiction is a complicated sickness which can be characterized by severe and insatiable craving for drugs. These cravings are periodic and frequent so that addicts develop a high tendency to seek drugs and use them. While the road that eventually leads to drug addiction starts with a voluntary act of consuming a drug, the ability to choose whether or not a person will take drugs is highly compromised with the passage of time.

Unfortunately, even when addicts are educated about the devastating side effects of using drugs, they are compelled to surrender to their craving and use drugs frequently. Increased exposure to drugs has a horde of side effects and acquaints the drug addict to a myriad of physical, mental and psychological health conditions. This is largely the result of the influence that the drugs have on the functioning of the brain (Matteo et al., 2007).

Moreover, high dosage of a majority of drugs increases the vulnerability of a person to terminal health conditions such as respiratory failure, cardiac failure, and comatose (Rawson et al., 2000). In order to determine the role of medicine in the treatment of drugs, it is important to first assess the adverse effects that they have on the physical, mental and psychological health of the addict. Some of the leading side effects of increased exposure to drugs are discussed below (Levi et al., 2002):

Heightened emotional vulnerability, violent mood swings and depression

Erratic behavior and anxiety

Mental haziness and confusion

Insomnia or hypersomnia

Hyperactivity, tremors and seizures

Paranoia, psychosis and increased suicidal tendencies

Brain cell damage and comatose

Rapid heart rate

The role of medicine is an important one in the treatment of patients ...