Treatment and Prevention of Drug Addictions

There are a number of approaches to prevention and treatment of drug addiction. Obviously, from the growing problem with drug addiction, no program fits every segment of the population. The prevention programs often are not coordinated with the treatment programs and come from entirely different organizations. Most of the time, there are outreach programs available through addiction counseling.

12 Steps

• Most people recognize the 12-step program as AA, Alcoholics Anonymous, but fail to understand that it is also viable for those addicted to drugs. While the 12-step program offers support to those attempting to overcome their addiction, its biggest failure is failure to address the physical side of drug addiction. Al Anon and Alateen programs offer prevention opportunities for those affected by others' drug and alcohol abuse.

Detox, the Biophysical

• Many of the addiction centers address the physical dependency from drug addiction. The detoxification centers normally offer 30 days treatment to allow the last residue of the drug to be cleared from the body. These centers also offer psychological help to uncover the cause of the drug use and retraining in coping techniques. The biophysical approach tends to be far more successful than others at treating addiction, but have limited influence in the area of prevention.

Co-occurring Disorder Treatment

• The belief behind this treatment is that the drug addiction may be in response to or in addition to a psychological disorder caused by an imbalance in brain chemistry. While the patient withdraws from the illegal substances, she is treated with powerful psychotropic drugs to alter her mental pattern. Many of the patients are relegated to using the helpful drugs for the rest of their lives. Some of them are dangerous and cause even more problems. In some cases, the treatment is warranted and it allows the client to think clearer and make better decisions.

Drug Replacement

• Drug replacement therapy is like "the patch" used by those addicted to nicotine, only in the form of a drug that mimics the effects of opiates like heroin, morphine and hydrocodone. Methadone is normally the replacement drug. Newer drugs, easier to withdraw from, have now become more prevalent. The concept of a slower withdrawal time while cleansing the body of drugs allows the symptoms to be diminished greatly. Once the drug is completely out of the system, other methods are necessary to find the original cause of the addiction.

Prevention/Solution

• There are a variety of campaigns to prevent drug addiction and use, from "Just say no" to "Here's your mind on drugs." Most of the campaigns focus on educating the children about the effects and dangers of drugs. In the Resource area below are a few of the programs available to educate the public about drug use and the dangers.

Identification of At-Risk Individuals

• Some programs help identify those at risk for drug abuse, or target drugs in the workplace or drugs in sports. Those that use identification of at-risk individuals then select a targeted approach to change those individuals' environment or supply them with extra tools for coping and decision-making. Often programs offer help in raising not just awareness but also self-esteem of the participants. The belief behind this is that drug abuse and low self-esteem go hand in hand, and it's often the case. The programs may target specific groups such as children and the DARE program or be more general like the Drug Free Communities Support Program.