Drug Addiction Facts

Principle of Drug Addiction Treatment: Counseling (individual and/or group) and other behavioral therapies are critical components of effective treatment for addiction. In therapy, patients address issues of motivation, build skills to resist drug use, replace drug-using activities with constructive and rewarding non-drug using activities, and improve problem-solving abilities. Behavioral therapy also facilitates interpersonal relationships and the individual's ability to function in the family and community.
Drug intervention is a process that helps a drug addict recognize the extent of their problem. Individuals who are addicted to drugs or alcohol usually do not know their addiction is out of control.
The causes of drug addiction are numerous. However, several key areas can be pinpointed. Drugs and alcohol kill the pain of ordinary life; they destroy the physical and emotional pain by changing an addictâs perception on life. Drugs and alcohol make the drug addict or alcoholic become numb to the pain, unhappiness, or hopelessness that is a part of their lives.
Why do people take these drugs? Drugs cause the brain to be flooded with the neurotransmitter dopamine. This is a natural chemical that regulates the brainâs reward system. This would include feelings of pleasure, but also includes our emotions, motivations for survival (eating, relationships) and movement. The drugs over stimulate the communications system. When that happens, the brainâs response to the drug is to produce a euphoric feeling. The experience is powerful, as people will get a pleasurable âhighâ and that is where trouble begins. The user will want to repeat the experience and the brain becomes fooled into thinking that is what is normal.
Recovery is an ongoing process. The skills one learns during intensive drug treatment must be integrated into everyday life and this takes time.
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Illinois Drug Addiction and Drug Addiction Treatment

Drug addiction in Illinois is a pattern of repeated drug taking that usually results in tolerance (the need for greater amounts of the drug to achieve the same effect), withdrawal (physical and cognitive effects when drug use declines or stops), and compulsive drug taking behavior (drug taking that persists despite efforts to reduce intake and despite problems with family, friends, and work). Addiction encompasses a diverse range of drugs (such as alcohol, cannabis, amphetamines, and cocaine) and is caused by many different factors.

When it comes to the causes of addiction in Illinois, it is not likely that anyone begins using a drug with the intention of becoming addicted. Experimentation and curiosity are the first factors that draw many to even try drugs. They want to feel that "high", the sense of euphoria that comes with drug use. Additionally, drug addiction often results in painful withdrawal symptoms when drug use is stopped suddenly. This frequently provides drug users with another reason to continue their destructive drug behavior. The medical causes of addiction in Illinois are not fully understood. Researchers can only state with assurance that the repeated use of addictive drugs can bring about dramatic changes in both the structure and the function of the brain in destructive ways that can result in compulsive drug use.

Another one of the causes of drug addiction is the effect of drugs on the user. By stimulating the internal reward system in the user's brain, drugs and alcohol make the addict crave the drug to again stimulate this reward center. These cravings lead the addict to stop focusing on those things that used to be important, and begin focusing on another dose of their drug or alcohol.

Lastly, easy accessibility to drugs in Illinois and new, lower prices are other causes of addiction. Drugs can be found anywhere if a person simply asks. Street corners and alleyways are no longer the only place to find drugs. Schools, workplaces, and even the family next door might be new places to find drugs. With more drugs being produced, the price has also been driven down.

In Illinois, drug addiction is a problem which affects people of all income levels, ages, and stations in life. Quite often the last person to see that there is a problem is the addict. Families try to help their loved ones to no avail. Companies have a difficult choice when faced with an once valuable employee or executive who has, due to some turn in life, developed a drug abuse problem - to help them or to fire them.

When this is the case it is important to talk to the individual about their drug use and see if they are ready to quit using drugs. For those who are not, the family, friends, or colleagues can perform what is known as an intervention. This may help the addict to see how much their drug use has hurt their friends and family. There are a number of Alcohol Treatment and Drug Rehabilitation Centers for drug addiction in Illinois. Different experts advocate different Drug Rehabilitation and Alcohol Rehabs. Some advocate drug-assisted therapies, while others advocate drug-free therapies. Which Drug Treatment and Alcohol Rehabilitation Program is right for a particular person is a subjective determination. Before choosing a Drug Rehab and Alcohol Rehabilitation Program in Illinois, you should always investigate the methods used by the Alcohol Treatment and Drug Rehab Center and the philosophies behind those methods.

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