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One of the dictionary definitions for drug abuse is “the use of illegal drugs or the use of prescription or over-the-counter drugs for purposes other than those for which they are meant to be used, or in large amounts. Drug abuse may lead to social, physical, emotional and job-related problems.” This means that any use of illegal drugs is abuse and any unintended use of prescription drugs or household products to “get high” rather than treat and illness or fulfill their intended purpose is also abuse. Abuse almost always leads to addiction and needs to be treated in order to protect the health and well being of the user and the safety and well being of all those around them. Symptoms of drug abuse include: mood swings, violent outbursts, missing money of other valuables, lying, secretiveness, changes in grooming habits, red eyes or dilated pupils. Getting help for drug abuse is necessary because it is a serious problem that is best tackled by professionals in a controlled setting.

Drug abuse rehabilitation has several important facets that must all be taken into account in order to achieve success. Depending on the type of drug that is used, there will first be a detox period in which the user’s body rids the drugs from their system. Some types of drug abuse, such as heroin, may require the use of medications to make this portion of treatment more livable and reduce the likelihood of relapse. Other types of drugs, such as cocaine, have less physical addiction and require more work on the mental part of the addiction. Counseling and behavior therapy is important for all types of drug abuse rehabilitation.

In order for drug abuse rehabilitation to be successful the addict should go to a qualified drug abuse treatment center. There should be licensed doctors on hand to monitor the health of the addict and prescribe medications as needed. There should also be licensed counselors who are familiar with the special issues surrounding drug abuse and recovery. The drug abuse rehabilitation facility should be comfortable so that the addict will feel at home and be able to focus their energy on the healing process and learning to be drug-free. They will also need a support team ready when they get home. Family counseling is advisable to help resolve issues that may be contributing to the drug abuse. Since drug abuse often runs in families, other family members may choose to be treated as well.

Drug abuse is like a plague that has the potential to destroy our society. Most likely, waging a war on drugs involving trying to limit drugs coming into the country will be far less effective than simply treating the causes and providing drug abuse rehabilitation, one addict and one family at a time. If nobody wants to use drugs, nobody will buy them and the dealers will have to look elsewhere to make a sale. You won’t cure obesity by shutting down grocery stores and you won’t cure the drug problem in our country by shutting down the drug dealers.

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