Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction

In many segments of modern society, drug abuse is viewed primarily as a social problem that results from personal weakness and moral failure.

Though there is certainly a social and societal element to the epidemic of substance abuse, this viewpoint ignores the very real medical and psychological precursors that lead to addiction – and that, with effective professional intervention, can be overcome. Also, in addition to stigmatizing individuals who are struggling to overcome addictions, these myths and stereotypes also negatively impact friends, family members, professional colleagues, and the medical personnel who treat them.

About Addiction

Addiction follows initial use and abuse, but it is far more than simply “doing a lot of drugs.” Researchers have learned a considerable amount about the ways in which drugs affect brain functioning and inflict lasting damage on mental processes. Individuals who become addicted to drugs suffer from a compulsive craving that overwhelms the desire to remain sober, and which requires effective professional intervention to overcome.

Depending upon the nature and severity of a person’s addiction to or dependence upon a substance, treatment (either outpatient or residential) may involve detoxification and withdrawal management; individual, group, and family therapy; medications; participation in a 12-step or other recovery support program; and a series of additional relapse-prevention strategies.

About Recovery

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), drug addiction is a treatable condition, and when professional help is tailored to meet the specific needs of an individual, that person has a considerably better chance of regaining control over his behavior and leading a healthy life.

Also, in the same manner that the damages of drug addiction extend far beyond the afflicted individual, so, too, can treatment have community-wide social benefits. Reducing the number of drug-addicted community members can result in decreases in drug-related crime rates, violence, and spending on law enforcement and social services. Less drug abuse also correlates with improved community health statistics.

From drug-prevention efforts through rehab/recovery initiatives, NIDA professionals and other experts believe that increased awareness and a greater public understanding of the true nature of drug addiction are the best hope for bridging the “knowledge gap” between pervasive myths and scientific facts.

Prevention Research

Principles for prevention programs in the family, school, and community have been tested in long-term drug abuse prevention programs and have been found to be effective.
Prevention Planning

Signs of Drug Addiction

If you notice unexplained changes in physical appearance or behavior, it may be a sign of substance use – or it could be a sign of another problem. Drug Information

Change Through Treatment

Recovery from the disease of drug addiction is often a long-term process, involving multiple relapses before a patient can achieve prolonged abstinence.
Find Treatment

Drug Abuse and AIDS

Behavior associated with drug abuse is now the single largest factor in the spread of HIV infection in the United States, which in turn causes AIDS. Abuse and AIDS

Drug Addiction Treatment Methods

Drug addiction can be debilitating, devastating, even deadly - but it doesn't have to be that way. What is often lost in descriptions of substance addiction is that even in the most severe cases, the disorder is treatable.
Drug Addiction Treatment Methods

Drug Addiction Treatment Medications

Individuals who have a history of abusing - but not necessarily being physically addicted to - alcohol or other drugs may benefit from a rehabilitation experience that focuses primarily on behavioral therapy. Drug Addiction Treatment Medications

Treatment Methods for Women

Considerable research has demonstrated that drug abuse affects women differently than it does men. Consistent with these findings is the philosophy that treatment plans for women should differ from those designed for men.
Treatment Methods for Women