There are many interventions put in place to curb the widespread substance abuse vice across the globe. Interventions range from sensitizing the masses about the drugs, their use and abuse, and the negative impact that substance abuse and addiction has on the individuals and their communities.
Substances abused
Drugs are the substances abused; which have a lot of adverse effects on people. Drugs are chemical substances taken for treating illnesses or for leisure due to their ability to change the chemical composition of body and brain’s cells, hence altering their functions.
Prescription drugs are issued by qualified medical personnel with intake instructions for treating diseases whereas recreational drugs have no intake instructions (perhaps except some age restrictions). Prescription drugs are abused when they are taken against prescription instructions – in quantities and intervals – as well as for other un-prescribed purposes, while recreational drugs are abused through excessive intake.
Tolerance and addiction
Drug abuse and prolonged use increases tolerance for the drug; which in turn increases physical dependence for the drug and addiction. Addiction is a consistent compulsion to stay on the drug because the body and brain have developed a strong dependence for the drug and the absence of the drug breeds nasty withdrawal symptoms which drive the addict right back to the drug.
Interventionist in substance abuse
An interventionist is any one person who, at any one given stage of substance abuse, offers assistance to the drug abuser/ addict to help them veer off from the path they are taking; in an effort to reverse the situation and avoid even worse consequences, as such, intervention efforts could be at: the drug abuse idea conception stage, the drug abuse stage, increased tolerance, physical dependence, addiction and overdose etc.
Addiction treatment in California
Substance abuse addiction has many negative impacts on the mental and physical health of the individual and thanks to the California government and other private agencies, there are many facilities which avail these treatment. Addiction treatment for any substance abuse is treated through detoxification and therapy.
Detoxification
Detoxification is the process through which addicts are helped to quit the drug and have the resulting withdrawal symptoms treated with a drug with a similar working mechanism and effects on the body and brain to blind them of the absence of the drug. Detoxification should be carried out gradually to avoid the abrupt onset of withdrawal symptoms; which can prove very troubling and potentially dangerous to the mental and physical health of the addict. The choice of the treating drug should also be based on the withdrawal symptoms and their intensity so that a weaker or a stronger drug is chosen correctly to yield the desired results.
Therapy and counseling is usually introduced at the detox stage. It is important for an interventionist (substance abuse counselor) at this point to speak to the addict in an effort to identify what needs the addict has, which will need to be attended to during the treatment program.
This counseling also helps the detox doctors identify the physical needs the addicts has and what level of addiction the addict is at. All these aspects helps the interventionist design specific individually tailor made programs for particular patient’s addiction treatment.
Counseling is also given to the addict individually or in groups during the rehabilitation of the addiction (post detoxification); as a means of monitoring their success and encouraging the addicts to press on with their treatment. Group therapy may also be offered long after the addict has been detoxified or addicts encouraged to join specific substance abuse support groups to keep watch over each other as well as prevent each other from relapsing.
