




Facts
Drug abuse therapists have identified what they believe to be a consistent and predictable cycle of cocaine addiction. The therapists at Narconon International, a drug abuse rehabilitation center in Los Angeles, specialize in cocaine and crack addiction. Their Narconon website, posts an electronic brochure that summarizes the following six steps in the cycle of addiction: 1. The life cycle of addiction begins with a problem, discomfort, or some form of emotional or physical pain a person is experiencing. The situation appears to have no healthy solution. 2. This person tries cocaine or some other drug to ease the discomfort. Initially, the cocaine appears to solve the problem and it gains value as an apparent cure. 3. The person uses it repeatedly with the same curative effect. Getting more of the drug now becomes more important than solving the problem that first prompted the cocaine use. Now the person is trapped. 4. The user now must conceal his or her use from friends and family members. Lies and self-deception about possible addiction leads to guilt and withdrawal from others and a life of isolation begins. 5. Cocaine becomes the user's only friend. Nothing has a higher priority than guaranteeing a steady supply of cocaine. Schoolwork or job performance suffers and gradually the user either quits or is dismissed. Approximately 23 States address the issue of exposing children to illegal drug activity in their criminal statutes. For example, in Georgia, Illinois, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming, the manufacture or possession of methamphetamine in the presence of a child is a felony, while in Idaho, Louisiana, and Ohio, the manufacture or possession of any controlled substance in the presence of a child is considered a felony. California, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, and Washington State have enacted enhanced penalties for any conviction for the manufacture of methamphetamine when a child was present on the premises where the crime occurred. Exposing children to the manufacture, possession, or distribution of illegal drugs is considered child endangerment in Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, and Missouri. The exposure of a child to drugs or drug paraphernalia is a crime in North Dakota and Utah. In North Carolina and Wyoming, selling or giving an illegal drug to a child by any person is a felony. Alcoholic beverage control laws (ABC laws) were developed in the United States to prevent the illegal sale of alcohol. ABC laws are enforced by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Each state regulates where alcohol can be sold and where it can be consumed. Restaurants, convenience stores, grocery stores, and bars selling alcohol must have special licensing. A person must be twenty-one years old to purchase and consume alcohol. Buying alcohol for an underage drinker is illegal, even if the buyer is over twenty-one. Warning labels are required on all alcoholic beverages sold in the United States. These labels alert consumers to the possible dangers of alcohol use when pregnant, driving an automobile, or operating machinery. Among spouse violence victims, three out of four incidents were reported to have involved alcohol use by the offender. |
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.
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.
Abstinence
Abstinence is the act or practice of refraining from indulging a desire. The type of abstinence we are referring to here is abstinence from drugs and alcohol. This term has two connotations when it comes to abstaining from drugs. The first refers to drug or alcohol treatment programs that aim to help an individual stop using drugs or alcohol for the rest of their lives. The time abstinence is also used in drug education and prevention. It refers to trying to stop children from ever using drugs.
Drug Side Effects
Drug addiction and abuse comes with a heavy price. There are drastic drug side effects associated with drug misuse and abuse. Drug side effects from legal and illegal drugs can range from mild itching to comas and death. In addition to the physical drug side effects mentioned, there are many psychological drug side effects of drug abuse; the most serious being drug addiction and overdose.
Relapse
Relapse is a term used to describe when an individual who has quit using drugs starts using once again. A relapse can mean just a one time use, a long term continues period of using or anything in between after a period of sobriety has taken place. An individual begins to experience a psychological relapse long before their first use after
quitting. Some things that can lead to relapse both physically or psychologically include: 1. Being in the presence of drugs or alcohol, drug or alcohol users, or places where you used or bought chemicals. 2. Feelings we perceive as negative, particularly anger; also sadness, loneliness, guilt, fear, and anxiety. 3. Positive feelings that make you want to celebrate by using. 4. Listening to others past drug use stories and just dwelling on getting high. 5. Believing that you no longer have to worry (complacent). That is, that you are no longer stimulated to crave drugs/alcohol by any of the above situations or by anything else – and therefore maybe it’s safe for you to use occasionally.
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