Drug Use

How does one go about determining when drug use crosses the line into drug abuse and addiction? Drugs are used as a solution to pain, be it mental, emotional, or physical. Fore instance one takes a painkiller and physical pain subsides or one take a street drug and the emotional pain of feeling like an outsider goes away. There are many motivations but they all come under the heading of handling pain in one way or another. Drug abuse sets in when the drug is being used more and more to mask and cover up the pain rather than addressing the actual causes of the pain itself. From abuse one quickly moves on to addiction where tolerance to the drugs builds up to the point where the individual can’t conceive of life without them for fear of unbearable pain of one type or another. Ones life then becomes centered on acquiring and using more and more drugs at any cost or sacrifice. Along with this comes all the cravings, guilt and depression that results from harm done to self, family, loved ones, careers, etc.

An inpatient rehabilitation center, other points being equal, is superior to an outpatient center when it comes to effectively handling substance abuse and addiction. Inpatient is where the client resides at the rehabilitation center as opposed to commuting. One reason it is more effective is simply being able to remove the individual from the environment where the addiction was running out of control. Away from dealers, family and job stresses, and any other triggers. Another reason is being among like minded peers who are seeking real and workable answers. There are of course differences in willingness and desire to achieve a drug free life. At Narconon Arrowhead, which is an inpatient rehabilitation center, we have seen the benefits of one addict truly caring about and assisting another addict to many times to discount this. It is a major benefit of rehabilitation - The ability to help and be helped in return.

Drug symptoms are various and quite numerous depending on what drug or what combination of drugs are being abused. One thing is clear however – when addiction exists the drug use controls the individual rather than the individual controlling the drug use. Some drugs stimulate, some depress, some hallucinate, and all of this can vary widely depending on the types as well as quantities being abused. At Narconon Arrowhead testing and interviews are done concerning drug symptoms, and are then done again and again. The story and the picture of the individuals addiction will then get clearer and clearer and the fog of addiction lifts more and more as the program is progressed through.

An inpatient rehabilitation treatment center is generally the way to go for effective treatment of severe drug abuse or any form of addiction. This is not to say the outpatient does not have a use, as it does in cases of light abuse where the individual still maintains control of life and situations to an extent. In the main however, addiction by its very nature implies an inability to control use and by extension inability to handle life situations that led up to and are contributing factors in continuing addiction. With its use of close supervision and removal from dangerous environments the inpatient rehabilitation treatment center provides superior chances of achieving a drug free lifestyle.

Rehabilitation means to restore to a previous state or condition. So what exactly does this mean when applied to drug or alcohol rehabilitation? An effective rehabilitation will address both mental and physical conditions that have been altered and worsened as a result of the addiction. Ceasing drug or alcohol use is usually the easier of the problems relating to drug and alcohol abuse. With correct medical and nutritional care and proper withdrawal regimens this can be gently and quickly achieved in a few days in most cases. Rehabilitation of the individual and the body follows. Cravings, guilt, and depression are among the key factors needing addressed and resolved in order to obtain lasting rehabilitation and a return of previous abilities, behavior levels, and personal drive. A truly effective drug rehab can actually put a person in even better mental and physical shape than he was prior to the onset of drug or alcohol abuse. When the factors which cause the original abuse are handled and tools for the future obtained, the need or desire for further drug or alcohol abuse tends to fall away and not return. Narconon Arrowhead is such a program and routinely delivers such results.