If a loved one struggling with substance abuse, it may not be easy to recognize the signs of drug use if you do not know what you are looking for. Without proper treatment, drug use can quickly turn into addiction. As a result, users may begin to show changes in behavior, risk-taking, health problems, and mental health disorders.
Drug Use to Abuse
The road from drug use to abuse is quite slippery. Let us take painkillers for example. The user may start with a prescription, say post-surgery. Over time, s/he realizes that the pain pills numb not just the pain, but also the mind. The person goes on taking the pills even after the wound heals or the pain goes away. The body becomes tolerant to the drug and the person is now using the drug for the euphoric effects, in other words, abuse.
Treating Drug Abuse
It’s not enough to spot the signs of drug use. They should be dealt with promptly. The first step in treatment is detoxification. It helps you overcome the physiological dependence.
The next step is inpatient drug rehab where the person learns to cope with triggers that caused the addiction and cultivates a drug-free lifestyle. This may include therapies such as –
- One-on-one talk therapy
- Group therapy
- Family counseling
- Dual diagnosis treatment
- Physical Fitness therapy
- Life skills training
