Drug and alcohol addiction is an unhealthy relationship in which you use substances more than you want to and continue to use them even with bad consequences.The 1996 movie “Trainspotting” starring Ewan McGregor portrays heroin addiction in a very realistic way. However, this is just one view of the Drug Addiction Treatment Centre in Lahore.
Alcoholism is often overlooked as an addiction because it is legal, socially accepted, and something that many of us enjoy from time to time. According to a survey of adults who had used one or more illegal drugs in the past year, marijuana was the most commonly used drug, followed by powder cocaine. But while all the attention and treatment seems to be focused on opiates, it’s important to consider the other side of the coin: addiction.
Signs and symptoms of addiction
The medical definition of addiction is classified by the World Health Organization’s DSMIV and ICD10. In order to be classified as a dependent, at least three of the following conditions must be met
- Tolerance: the need to use larger and larger doses over time to achieve the same effect.
- Withdrawal symptoms: experiencing physical or emotional withdrawal. Tremors, sweating, feeling sick, irritability.
- Limited Control: Using more than the intended amount for an extended period of time.
- Motivation to Reduce: Trying to cut down or stop, but not succeeding.
- Spending a lot of time and energy on using: Spending a lot of time thinking about, obtaining, planning to use, or hiding drug or alcohol use.
- Neglected Activities Work, family, and recreation are neglected because of drug or alcohol use.
- Negative Consequences People continue to use in spite of the negative physical and mental effects.
What kind of people are affected by addiction?
It is estimated that about 10% of the population is addicted to drugs or alcohol. Addiction is more common than diabetes and crosses socioeconomic boundaries. Every teacher, plumber, and CEO suffers from addiction, and it is not limited to the poor and less educated segments of society.
The struggle between hope and pain that a person struggling with chronic addiction relapse faces every day cannot be overemphasized. Much of my work involves working with people to explore their fear of giving up and sharing tools to help them survive the darkest moments of addiction. For many years I have supported addicts on a roller coaster of emotions of despair and joy. For some people, sobriety feels wonderful after treatment, while for others, sobriety is not the goal, but rather an awareness of being alive and making healthier choices. Taking back control of one’s life is enough to turn grief into laughter.
Consequences of Addiction
People are often able to ignore the damage they are doing to their families, jobs, and businesses in exchange for a temporary release from even the most painful memories by stimulating the pleasure centers in their brains. Although addiction treatment often focuses on the harmful effects of addiction, there are actually pleasurable feelings that compensate for the harmful effects.
Short and long-term health hazards of addiction may include heart attack, breathing difficulties, coma, high blood pressure, dizziness, impotence, blurred vision, paranoia, psychosis, nausea, hangover, depression, lung damage, and vein damage. The negative health effects of addiction are not completely distinguishable, even if the use is only recreational.
Drug Addiction Treatment Centre in Lahore
Treatment for opioid dependence remains the main drug for which people receive treatment (49% of all treatment in Pakistan). A large part of the Pakistan drug treatment budget is spent on alternative prescribing. Alternative prescribing is a cost-effective model of care that provides uniform treatment to a wide range of people. In this approach, a person goes to Drug Addiction Treatment Centre in Lahore every other week, receives a prescription for methadone after a 15-minute substance use intervention, and picks up methadone at a local pharmacy every day if using under supervision or once a week if using unsupervised. In any case, this is a humiliating and very public process, and can be very uncomfortable for those with full-time jobs.
If you are able to take a significant amount of time off work, a rehab facility with accommodations that allow you to detox if necessary and provide more structured support can help you recover and begin the fight against addiction. Support from addicts can be extremely helpful in overcoming addiction. Peer-led 12-step models such as Narcotics Anonymous NA, Alcohol Anonymous AA, and Cocaine Anonymous CA are well-established models with daily meetings where people can come and go as they please.
Family and friends can provide the emotional, physical, and financial support you need. Not only do these people provide the after-hours support that is so critical to overcoming addiction, but they often carry the burden of caring for loved ones when treatment stops. These people are supposed to be the best equipped to deal with addiction, yet they are often overlooked and forgotten when it comes to dealing with addiction.
A new but increasingly popular approach to the treatment of drug addiction is recovery coaching. It is designed to provide powerful support to people who are in addiction or in recovery. Recovery coaching helps you decide how you want to deal with your life and the role that addiction and recovery play in it. It is action-oriented and focuses on improving your present life and achieving your future goals. Therefore, no matter what stage you are in, you can get the help and support you need.
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