Drug Addiction Treatment Centre in Delhi, Gurgaon
Drug addiction or substance use disorder is a chronic relapsing disorder in humans characterized by compulsive drug seeking causing physical and psychological damage despite adverse consequences. Alcohol, marijuana, nicotine, sleep and anti-anxiety medications are few of the known substances considered as drugs and may cause brain disorder, heart diseases, and malfunctioning of any organ of your body and may even lead to death if left untreated. Detoxification is the first step for treating any person suffering from drug addiction. Other popular addiction treatment are counselling and behavioural programs and medications.
Why do People Get Drug Addicted?
Some major causes of drug addiction are given below:
Curiosity and social pressure: Peer pressure among teens can be strong enough to get oneself addicted to drugs. Since adolescence is a developmental period among individuals, curiosity or adventure to explore new things including drugs can invite drug addiction among teens at such an early stage of life.
To feel good: At initial stage consumption of drugs can produce intense feelings of pleasure. This feeling of pleasure is followed by other effects, which vary with the type of drug consumed. For instance, stimulants namely cocaine, consumption of which lead to feelings of increased energy, power and self-confidence. On the other hand, consumption of heroine brings feelings of relaxation and satisfaction.
To feel better: Some people suffering from stress, social anxiety, and depression start consuming drugs to feel less anxious. Stress can play an important role to start consuming drugs as well as relapse (return to drug use) in patients who are going through addiction treatment or drug addiction rehab.
To do better: At times, people feel pressure to improve their focus in studies, or at work or their performance in sports. This can play a role in trying or continue consuming drugs, such as cocaine or prescription stimulants.
Factors Increasing Risk of Addiction
Some of the factors which increase the risk of addiction are mentioned below:
Biological Factors: Genes, stage of development and even ethnicity or gender can affect a person’s risk of drug addiction. Scientists have estimated that a person’s gene including environmental factors (epigenetics) can account for a person’s risk of drug addiction by 40-60 percent. Studies have shown that teens and person’s with mental disorder are exposed to greater risk of drug addiction than others.
Peer and School: Friends and peers may have an increasingly strong increase on a person to get drug addicted especially during their teens. Teens with drug addiction can sway even those without risk factors to try to experience the same for the first time. Children with poor social skill or struggling in school are more prone to become drug addicted.
Home and Family: The home environment particularly during childhood play an important role for children getting drug addicted. Parents or older family members who consume drugs or alcohol and evening breaking law can contribute to children’s risk of future drug addiction.
Early use: Research studies have shown that people starting to use drugs at an early age are more prone to develop serious problems. This is mainly due to the harmful effect that drugs can have on the brain which is at a development stage and might be a result of a mix of early social and biological factors, which may include exposure to physical or sexual abuse, lack of a stable home, genes or mental illness.
How the drug is taken: Smoking or injecting a drug into veins increases its addictive potential as this enter the brain within seconds, leading to a powerful rush of pleasure. However, this intense high drops abruptly within few minutes. Scientists believe this powerful contrast drives people to repeatedly use drugs to recapture the feeling of pleasure leading to drug addiction.
Common Symptoms of Drug Addiction
Some common symptoms of drug addiction are given below:
Signs and Symptoms of Use of Hashish, Marijuana, and other Cannabis-Containing Substances
- Having an intense urge to use drugs that block any other thoughts.
- With increasing time, over use of the drug is desired to get the same effect.
- Amount of dosage of use of drugs increases.
- Making certain that the supply of drugs is readily available.
- Spending money on drugs even not in a position to afford it.
- Cutting off on social or recreational activities, not meeting work responsibilities or obligations because of use of drugs.
- To continue use of drugs, even though the person knows it is causing physical or psychological harm.
- Doing illegal activities, viz stealing to get permanent supply of drugs.
- Doing risky activities when the person is under the influence of the drug.
- Failing in repeated attempts to stop using the drug.
- Experience withdrawal symptoms when the addicted attempts to stop using the drug.
Cannabis containing substances are used either by eating, smoking, or inhaling a vaporized form of the drug. These are often used along with alcohol or other illegal drugs. Some of the common signs and symptoms of consuming the same is given below:
- Feeling high or a sense of euphoria.
- An enhanced sense of taste, visual and auditory perception.
- Increase in the heart rate and blood pressure.
- Red eyes.
- Mouth becoming dry frequently.
- Decrease in coordination skill.
- Difficulty in concentrating or remembering things.
- Slowed down in reaction time.
- Being anxious or paranoid thinking.
- Yellow fingertips or cannabis odour from clothes.
- Major cravings for certain food at odd hours.
- Frequent cough and cold with lung infection.
Signs and Symptoms of Use of K2, Spice and Bath Salts
Two groups of synthetic drugs — synthetic cannabinoids, also called K2 or Spice, and substituted or synthetic cathinones are sprayed on dried herbs and then smoked. These can also be prepared as a herbal tea and is vaporized and used in electronic cigarettes. Some of the common signs and symptoms of consuming the same is given below:
- Feeling high or a sense of euphoria.
- An elevated mood.
- An enhanced sense of taste, visual and auditory perception.
- A feeling of extreme anxiety or agitation or paranoid thinking.
- Hallucinations.
- Increase in the heart rate and blood pressure or even heart attack.
- Vomiting.
- A feeling of confusion.
- Violent behaviour.
Signs and Symptoms of Use of Barbiturates, Benzodiazepines and Hypnotics
Barbiturates, benzodiazepines and hypnotics are often prescribed as depressants for the central nervous system. Phenobarbital belongs to the barbiturate category, alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Valium), etc belong to benzodiazepines category. While zaleplon (Sonata), zolpidem (Ambien), etc belong to the hypnotics category. Some of the common signs and symptoms of consuming the same is given below:
- A feeling of drowsiness.
- Decrease in coordination skill
- Slurred speech.
- Difficulty in concentrating or remembering things.
- Decreasing mental sharpness.
- Movement of both eyes is involuntary.
- Lack of inhibition.
- Reduction in heart rate and blood pressure
- Frequent falls or meeting accidents.
- Dizziness
Signs and Symptoms of Use of Meth, Cocaine and other Stimulants
Stimulants viz. cocaine, meth (methamphetamine), methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, others) are often used to boost energy, to lose weight or control appetite, to improve performance at work or school, etc. Some of the common signs and symptoms of consuming the same is given below:
- A feeling of high confidence and happy excitement.
- A increase in alertness.
- An increase in energy and restlessness
- Change in behaviour or aggression
- Rambled or rapid speech.
- Unusual large pupil with the black circles in the middle of the eyes.
- Delusions, confusions, and hallucinations.
- A feeling of extreme anxiety or irritability or paranoid thinking
- Body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure change is noticed.
- Vomiting or nausea with weight loss.
- Making poor judgement.
- Congestion in the nasal canal and damage to the mucous membrane of the nose.
- Decay in tooth, gum diseases and mouth sores from smoking drugs.
- Insomnia.
- Wearing off the drug leading to depression.
Signs and Symptoms of Use of Hallucinogens
Most common hallucinogens are phencyclidine (PCP) and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Some of the common signs and symptoms of consuming the same is given below:
- Hallucinations
- Highly reduced perception of reality, for instance hearing colors.
- Movement of both eyes is involuntary.
- Decrease in coordination skill and movement
- Impulsive behaviour
- Aggressive and violent behaviour
- Rapid shift in emotions
- Increase in heart rate and blood pressure
- Difficulty in concentrating or remembering things
- Tremors
- Problems speaking
- Flashbacks, even years later after the actual event
- Intolerance to loud noise
- Lack of pain sensation
- Sometimes seizures or coma
Treatments of Drug Addiction
Drug addiction is a treatable disorder, like other chronic diseases such as asthma or heart disease; it cannot be completely cured but can be managed successfully. Medication is the primary treatment of opiods (prescription pain relievers or drugs like heroin or fentanyl), which may at times is coupled with some form of behavioural therapy or counselling. Medications have proved to be effective to treat addiction to alcohol and nicotine. On the other hand, people with addictions to drugs like stimulants or cannabis, are prescribed behavioural therapies. This includes addressing each patient’s drug use patterns and drug related mental and social problems.
Detoxification
This is the first step in treating patients suffering from drug addiction. In this substance abuse treatment, a substance is cleared from the body with limiting its withdrawal reactions. In 80 % of the cases, detox centres in Delhi NCR or Gurgaon will use medications to reduce medical symptoms. For patients addicted to more than one substance, medications are applied for each to reduce withdrawal symptoms.
Counselling and behavioural therapies
Therapies are applied on a one-to-one, group, or family basis depending on the criticality of the case. This procedure is intensive at the initial stage with the number of sessions gradually reducing over time as the patient condition improves.
Different therapies are mentioned below:
cognitive-behavioral therapy: In this addiction treatment at detox centers in Delhi NCR and Gurgaon, patients are able to recognize and change ways of thinking associated with use of such substance.
multi-dimensional family therapy: In this addiction treatment at detox centers in Delhi NCR and Gurgaon, family function around a teen or adolescent with a substance-related disorder is improved.
motivational interviewing: In this addiction treatment at detox centers in Delhi NCR and Gurgaon, an individual’s willingness to change and make adjustments to behaviors is maximized.
motivational incentives: In this therapy, positive reinforcement is applied to encourage abstinence of an individual.
Rehabilitation programs
Longer-term treatment programs at drug rehabilitation centre in Delhi NCR and Gurgaon for substance-related and addictive disorders focus on remaining drug-free and resuming function within social, professional, and family responsibilities. A few type of the facilities providing therapeutic environment are given below:
Short-term residential treatment: Intensive counselling which focuses primarily on detoxification and prepares an individual to sustain for a prolonged period within a therapeutic community.
Therapeutic communities: In this substance abuse treatment, the patient would live in a residence for between 6 and 12 months with on-site staff and others in recovery for long term treatment. The community and staff serve play key role in helping the patient in recovery from and changes in attitudes and behaviors toward drug use.
Recovery housing: In this substance abuse treatment, drug rehabilitation centre in Delhi NCR and Gurgaon patients go for short-term stay in housing to engage with responsibilities and adapt to a new, independent life without on-going substance use. The therapy includes providing advice on handling finances and finding work, as well as providing the connection between the patient during the final stages of recovery and community support services.
Self-help groups
Drug addiction rehab at Delhi NCR and Gurgaon, help patients suffering from drug addiction help patients meet others with the same addictive disorder which in turn boosts motivation and reduces feelings of isolation of the individual. Few of the common examples are Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). Detox Centers about self-help groups can be reached by an internet search or consulting experts at Delhi NCR and Gurgaon.
Medications for Drug Addiction Treatment
Using medication withdrawal symptoms can be managed using medications during detoxification. Long term use of such medicines will help reduction for cravings of alcohol thus preventing relapse, or prevent returning to use such substance after having recovered from addiction. To prevent people with alcohol use disorder, can take the following medications:
Naltrexone: This medicine prevents the action of opioid receptors in the brain producing rewarding and euphoric effects when a person consumes alcohol and thus reduces the risk of relapse.
Acamprosate, or Campral: Long-term withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, sleeplessness, and a general feeling of unhappiness are reduced consumping this medicine and are of special benefit for people with severe substance-related and addictive disorders.
Disulfiram, or Antabuse: This medication disrupts the breakdown of alcohol, leading to adverse effects including irregular heartbeat, feeling sick, and facial redness of such patients and proves to be effective for people having high levels of motivation toward recovery.
As mentioned in earlier section, drug addiction is a substance use disorder causing physical and psychological damage which is difficult to treat and requires on-going care. Drug rehabilitation center at Delhi NCR and Gurgaon have specialized counsellors who offer specific medical, mental, social, occupational, family, and legal needs of such patients to help in their recovery.