




Facts
Within three years of OxyContin's release, abuse of the drug was reported in Appalachia, the mountainous parts of the states of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania. Illegal use also occurred in Maine, Ohio, Florida, and some of the large cities in the northeastern United States. The DEA confirmed 146 deaths from OxyContin overdose between 2000 and 2001. Some of these deaths occurred in patients who were prescribed the product legally for relief of pain. However, most of the deaths were related to recreational use, which is using the drug to get high, not for medical reasons. During the same period, drug abuse clinics in rural areas began to see many more patients suffering from addiction to OxyContin. Almost two-thirds of teens admit to binge drinking. That's two out of every three adolescents who is downing 5 or more drinks in a row (the definition of binge drinking in the US ). Many people assume that binge drinking means drinking over a long period of time, but it also refers to tossing back several drinks in a short amount of time. The term "addiction" was used in everyday and legal English long before its application to drug problems. In the sixteenth century the bondage of a servant to a master was called an addiction. The term came also to describe a practice or habit that could not be broken. In both senses, it implied a loss of liberty of action. At the beginning of the twentieth century the term was used more specifically for habitual and excessive use of a drug. An addict was someone who could not voluntarily stop taking drugs or, in the case of alcohol addiction, stop drinking. It was understood that obtaining and using the drug dominated such a person's life. During the course of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the major groups at risk for HIV in the United States have been men who have had sex with men, IDUs, the sexual partners of IDUs, and people who have blood transfusions. Today, however, the boundaries between the major risk groups are less distinct. Considerable mixing occurs among different at-risk populations who engage in multiple types of drug use, high-risk needle practices, and unsafe sex. A disproportionate number of HIV/AIDS cases, most of which are associated with injecting drug use, have occurred among racial and ethnic minority populations of both genders. These changes reflect the dynamic interactions of the epidemic and simultaneous risk-taking behaviors, including injecting and non-injecting drug use, unprotected sex with multiple partners, and the exchange of sex for drugs or money. |
Therapeutic Community
An effective therapeutic community attends to the many needs of the individual, not just his or her drug use. Care given at a therapeutic community addresses the individual's drug use and associated medical, psychological, social, vocational, and legal problems. Also, a therapeutic community will continue to be flexible and provide ongoing assessments of the individual's needs, which may change during the course of care.
Remaining in care at a therapeutic community for an adequate period of time is critical for treatment effectiveness. The time depends on an individual's needs. For most people, the significant improvement is reached at about 3 months in treatment.
Addict
An addict is an individual who has a compulsive urge to use drugs, to the point where they feel they have no effective choice but to continue use. An addict will continue their self destructive behaviors in order to feel good or to avoid
feeling bad. It can dominate their mind, and keep them coming back for more. The addiction can be
different for each addict, depending on their vice and the kind of person they
are.
Drug Overdose
A drug overdose occurs when you consume more drugs than your body can tolerate. Drug users are constantly flirting with the risk of a drug overdose. There is a
fine line between the high they're seeking and serious injury or death. While many victims of drug overdose recover without long term effects, there
can be serious consequences. Some drug overdoses cause the failure of major
organs like the kidneys or liver, or failure of whole systems like the
respiratory or circulatory systems. Patients who survive drug overdose may need
kidney dialysis, kidney or liver transplant, or ongoing care as a result of
heart failure, stroke, or coma. Death can occur in almost any drug overdose
situation, particularly if treatment is not started immediately.
Drug Addiction
Drug addiction 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). Drug addiction encompasses a diverse range of drugs (such as alcohol, cannabis, amphetamines, and cocaine) and is caused by many different factors.
Residential Treatment
Residential treatment offers intensive drug addiction help over a period of weeks or months. This form of treatment has some advantages over out-patient treatment, although it may not be suitable for everyone. For example, those who are responsible for caring for young children may be better suited to attendance at an out patient treatment program. Residential treatment offers a safe, drug and alcohol-free environment where individuals can confront their own drug addiction and associated issues, with the help of qualified staff. Therapy usually consists of a mixture of group counseling, individual counseling and an introduction to the principles of a drug recovery program.
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