As a major concern of any society, drug abuse bears the most negative effects of any social ill present in our communities for it does not only destroy its victims’ lives but also of those that surround him. Also, the drug or substance abuse has a direct link to heinous crimes such as rape, murder and theft. For purposes of this paper, drug addiction is defined as a condition wherein a person taking drugs find it hard to quit the habit.
Teenagers are reportedly the most affected social groups for they comprise the majority of drug or substance abusers; though admittedly a large number of the adult population are hooked into it. Factors such as social and psychological were found to influence a person’s propensity to indulge into drug or substance abuse and majority of these individuals are fully aware of the drug or substance abuse’s downside, is of no relevance because what drives them to indulge in this dangerous activity is their curiosity and their unresolved personal issues. When the said activity becomes repetitive and continues to be unchecked, the individual concerned becomes addicted to the illegal drug or substance. Having “ crossed the line of no return” for drug or substance abuse, the individual becomes a “ drug addict” who needs all the strength and determination he could muster in order to fight the onslaught of addiction that ravage his mind and body. The most important step in fighting drug or substance abuse is for the drug addict to accept the presence of the problem and the need to seek help. Above and beyond the acceptance of the problem, strong support and trust system offered by an individual’s closest friends or relatives are very important for this will spell success or failure on the part of any drug or substance abuser. In spite of successfully showing the potential harm to a drug or substance user, it is still very difficult to stop the “ user” as his body is accustomed and fully dependent on the said illegal drug or substance.
The simple desire to stop the addiction is of no consequence, an individual should gather all his courage and efforts as well as that of his family in stopping drug addiction and staying “ clean” afterwards for the fight against drug addiction is not only a fight of the individual concerned but his family as well. On the part of the government, proactive steps are necessary and important in addressing the problem for it bears a large toll on our society. The rising of drug or substance abuse incidence is directly proportional to the rising of crime rates linking drug addiction to every crime or problem committed. As part of government’s proactive steps in solving the problem, various methods depending on the type of drug used, were implemented to help remedy drug abuse. Factors such as drug addiction’s duration, medical complication, and drug or substance abuser’s social needs are considered in rehabilitating a drug addict. Considering the important role played by the relatives of these drug addicts, the government also trained these people in order to equip them in helping their relatives under the clutches of drug or substance abuse recovery. Being a complicated ailment, drug addiction affects the whole being of a person and not just his physical state unlike medical ailment which can be simply treated with a medicine. The ailment affects the person’s mental and social well being making it a real crisis for everybody.
Being a prevalent crisis, concerned non-profit groups took up the challenges in helping individuals recover from their drug addiction. On the part of drug addict hoping to find cure in their malady, joining these non-profit organizations gives them the needed help and boost in their fight against drug or substance abuse and allow the concerned individual to interact with other individuals who share his current problem and bringing the fight into a new level where holistic approach is necessary and needed in order to win the war on drug or substance abuse rather than fighting it alone or with a friend. These groups have the necessary skills and capability that can effectively help any drug addict; thus, it is imperative that we should encourage any friends or relative hooked in this problem to join such organizations like the Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholic Anonymous.
For an individual who is seriously addicted to a certain drug, the best option for him is to undergo a residential treatment. This residential treatment/substance abuse rehabilitation centers offer effective drug treatment programs not only for the addicted individual but also the needed skills and help of his family and friends who may have also been seriously affected by his condition. The program works by isolating drug or substance abusers from any contact with drugs dealers in order to speed up his drug addiction recovery and staffed by qualified physician and psychiatrist. Also, there are outpatient clinics or facilities that offer individual and group counseling. Finally, most people would find it helpful to visit a psychiatrist or a psychologist once in awhile to talk about the most common side effects of curing drugs on drug addict such as anxiety and stress. In this regard, it would be a great help if the government could subsidize counseling centers providing individuals information on drug addiction recovery.
Ironic as it is, there are drug addiction cases that could be effectively treated by prescribing other addictive drugs, such as methadone which is considered a replacement drug. From the term replacement, other less addictive substances are prescribed to the addicted individual to gradually alleviate his addiction on the strong substance. It was in this regard that psychiatrist concludes that this above method is the only way to reliably treat the drug user. However, for those not interested in using other drugs to cure their drug addiction, they could consider acupuncture detoxification as an alternative. Various ways and methods were developed to help drug or substance abuser from recovery from their addiction resulting to successful outcomes. In deciding which of these is the best type of recovery program for an individual, one should consider several factors including the type of drugs being used, the personality of the addicted individual, his concept of religion and spirituality, mental and physical fitness, and of course, the affordability of the program.
In spite medical science’s improvements on drug addiction’s cure and prevention, still the most widely accepted “ cure” for drug addiction is abstinence from these addictive substances. As an old adage says: “ prevention is better than cure” holds true in the fight against drug addiction. A treatment for drug addiction comes with a heavy price as it requires hard work for both the addicted patient and the people around him and affects the lifestyle of every people he constantly makes contact with. Thus, nothing can be better than preventing people from using these addictive drugs in the first place.
Since teenagers are prone to initial contact on drug or substance abuse, good family relationships along with his peers and educators are important. Drug abuse prevention programs should be created for it reduces the risk factors of taking drugs and at the same time enhances the protective factors. Probably the strongest of the factors is the person’s behavior and support he gets from the people he usually interacts with. Bonding with family is an important tool critical in substance abuse prevention. A good parent-child communication is very beneficial in monitoring some factors which may possibly lead the child from taking in drugs for the parent are the best educators when it comes to drug abuse information and their ill effects. Studies have shown that whatever the parents says and acts have the greatest effect on an individual especially on the child.
Finally, ineffective parenting, especially if the parents also abuse drugs, will likely result in a child who would be a victim of drug abuse in his later life. School having competitive programs that channel child’s energies from drugs to sports, arts or academics played an important role in preventing drug abuse. Studies have shown that drug addicts have poor social skills, aggressive behavior, and academic difficulties. Also, the community should create an atmosphere conducive to the promotion of the above stated activities in order to arrest drug abuse. Social clubs, the media and faith-based organizations are just some of these settings which reach out to a lot of people. They should be able to convey strong messages against the harmful effects of drug abuse.
Finally, it cannot be overemphasized the importance of steering our youths from drug’s harmful effects. The creation of a drug-free atmosphere is the only best solution thus far in improving their lifestyles and in the process making well-rounded children. By having a drug-free community, the crime rates would surely go down and one can walk from his house to the convenience shop at night without fear of bumping into drug addicts or criminals. Lastly, our drug-free loved ones would be free to live their lives the way they want it to be.