Drug Abuse

Drug abuse begins with a problem, discomfort or some form of emotional or physical pain for which the individual does not have an immediate answer. The person feels that his problem or pain is major, persistent, and without solution or relief. For these reasons, some people, young or old, male or female, high income or low, begin to use potentially addictive drugs or alcohol in an attempt to relieve the pain or discomfort. These drugs may even offer temporary relief. At this point the individual will continue to use in an effort to find continuing relief. Tolerance for the drug or alcohol sets in requiring larger and larger doses more and more often to obtain the same results. At this point the door has been opened to drug abuse and it is only a short walk to full blown addiction.

Addictions can be classified by a condition of repeated and compulsive seeking and use of drugs, alcohol, or other similar substances despite adverse social, mental, and physical consequences. Addictions is probably a more correct use of the term addiction as most individuals entering addiction treatment generally have more than one substance of abuse, beyond their primary one. The strength, potency, and wide types of drugs and substances on the scene today make these addictions the plague of the modern world. There are only three possible outcomes for these addictions; jail, death, or sobriety, ultimately the addict must choose.

Addiction is a chronic, relapsing condition, characterized by compulsive drug-seeking and drug use which is accompanied by functional and molecular changes in the brain. In addition to being addicted to methamphetamine, chronic methamphetamine abusers exhibit symptoms that can include violent behavior, anxiety, confusion, and insomnia. They also can display a number of psychotic features, including paranoia, auditory hallucinations, mood disturbances, and delusions. The paranoia can result in homicidal as well as suicidal thoughts. With chronic use, tolerance for methamphetamine can develop. Users may take higher doses of the drug, take it more frequently, or change their method of drug intake. In some cases, abusers forego food and sleep while injecting as much as a gram of the drug every 2 to 3 hours over several days until the user runs out of the drug or is too disorganized to continue. Chronic abuse can lead to psychotic behavior, characterized by intense paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations, and out-of-control rages that can be coupled with extremely violent behavior.

The correct choice of drug and alcohol treatment is a life altering and (more often than not) a life saving choice. Here are some of our suggestions at Narconon Arrowhead for what to look for in drug and alcohol treatment regardless of whether you choose Narconon Arrowhead or not. First, find a program that is drug free including withdrawal (except when medically needed). Handling addiction with more drugs just doesn’t make good sense. Second find a program that offers full detoxification in addition to withdrawal only. Stored drugs and toxins can account for cravings and relapse months or even years after last use. Third in our list of most important drug and alcohol treatment needs is a treatment that fully addresses guilt and depression which almost always accompany drug or alcohol addiction, and in fact can be major factors that led up to the drug or alcohol abuse to begin with. These are of course not a complete list, but are starting points when exploring various treatment options.

If recovery means to return to a normal or improved state following a setback or loss then there is much more to drug recovery than just ceasing to use drugs or alcohol. Recovery means to confront and resolve the factors that lead to the drug or alcohol problem to begin with as well as acquiring tools and skills to allow one to move forward in a drug free productive life with constant fear of relapse. Narconon Arrowhead is a long term, non-traditional approach to the problems of drug recovery. Our drug recovery program addresses ALL factors necessary for full recovery from handlings of mental and physical cravings, to a resolution of the guilt and depression that goes hand in hand in leading up to and then continuing addiction or alcoholism.