Substance abuse: addiction treatment, consequences, prevention

People abuse drugs, alcohol, and smoking for various, complex reasons and circumstances. Society pays a heavy price for substance abuse. In hospitals and intensive care units, you can clearly see the consequences of abuse of psychotropic drugs. Substance abuse causes great harm to a person’s physical and mental health. Crimes related to drug addiction and alcoholism are recorded every day. While the use of drugs such as cocaine has decreased, the use of heroin and “club drugs” has increased.

Treatment of substance abuse is associated with great difficulties. The best results in the fight against substance abuse come from prevention and educational work among children and adolescents. According to statistics, alcohol consumption in Russia is about 13 liters of alcohol per person per year! The number of drug addicts has increased 10-fold over the past 10 years. Every year, 100 thousand people in the world die from drugs. And smoking kills a person every 6 seconds.

Psychotropic substances cause a special form of intoxication that changes the perception, attention and control of human behavior. Many drugs cause withdrawal syndrome, a condition caused by stopping or reducing the amount of drug used. Symptoms of this condition range from mild anxiety to seizures and hallucinations. Drug overdose can lead to death.

Substance abuse: psychotropic drugs and symptoms

Substances such as alcohol, tranquilizers, opiates, over time cause addiction - the need to use more of the drug to achieve the same level of intoxication.

Tobacco smoking and substance abuse

People give many reasons to justify smoking. Among them:

• Elimination of depression;
• Decreased appetite;
• Body weight control;
• To improve performance.

The active substance in cigarettes is nicotine. Cigarette smoke contains thousands of other chemicals that are harmful to health. They cause the development of many pathologies:

• Heart diseases;
• Lung cancer and emphysema;
• Peptic ulcer;
• Stroke of cerebral vessels.

Quitting smoking causes: anxiety, hunger, sleep disturbances and depression. Tobacco use costs the government billions of rubles a year in direct and indirect health care costs.

Alcoholism and substance abuse

Although drinking leaves many people "tongue-tied and their legs giving out," alcohol actually affects the brain and causes:

• Lack of behavior control;
• Speech impairment, it becomes slurred;
• Motor function and coordination are impaired;
• Leads to drunkenness.

Quitting alcohol causes anxiety, interruptions in heart function, tremors, convulsions, and hallucinations. If the “hangover syndrome” is combined with malnutrition, it leads to a life-threatening condition called delirium tremens. Alcoholism is the most common cause of liver failure. Alcoholic drinks cause dilatation (enlargement) of the heart and cancer of the esophagus, pancreas and stomach.

Almost half of deaths due to road traffic accidents are associated with alcoholism.

Marijuana

The substance most widely used in drug trafficking. Marijuana is obtained from hemp. The active ingredient delta tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is isolated from the plant, which causes intoxication. The marijuana product, hashish, contains even more THC. The substance is usually smoked, but can be taken orally. Marijuana smoke irritates lung tissue and contains more carcinogens than tobacco smoke. Causes a feeling of euphoria, relaxation, loss of coordination and memory.

Marijuana is often used as a first drug of choice. Marijuana use is associated with an increased risk of switching to more dangerous drugs: cocaine and heroin. Even with one-time use of marijuana, the risk of becoming a drug addict increases by 104 times.

Cocaine

Known as coke, snow. Consumption has decreased over the past few years. A processing product of South American coca, it can be smoked, injected, inhaled and taken orally. The intensity and duration of its action depends on the method of use. Expected effects: a feeling of pleasure (high) and increased tone.

Short-term consequences: paranoia, spasm of blood vessels, which leads to heart attack, cerebral stroke, arrhythmias and death. Coming out of drug intoxication is accompanied by a loss of strength and severe depression. Long-term effects, as well as short-term ones, include damage to the heart, brain, lungs and kidneys.

Heroin

Heroin consumption continues to rise. Heroin intoxication causes: drowsiness, euphoria, slow breathing. Abstinence (exit from this state) leads to:

• vomiting, cramps, diarrhea;
• disturbance of consciousness;
• pain and sweating.

Overdose leads to death from respiratory arrest. Heroin is often injected with unsterile needles, so intoxication is often accompanied by infection of the heart valves, AIDS, tetanus, and botulism.

Methamphetamines

The use of this drug is increasing in all countries. Methamphetamine is a powerful stimulant that increases overall tone, reduces appetite and causes euphoria. The drug is injected into a vein, sniffed, rubbed into the mucous membranes and swallowed. It has the same toxic effects as cocaine: heart attacks, high blood pressure, strokes. Stopping treatment leads to depression, abdominal pain, and hunger. Long-term effects include paranoia, hallucinations, weight loss, tooth decay and heart attacks.

Club drugs

Many young people believe that these drugs do not lead to substance abuse and do not cause much harm to health. Most popular:

1. Ecstasy is a stimulant and hallucinogen, used to lift your mood, give you a surge of energy, and strength for the whole evening in a nightclub. Long-term use can lead to brain disease, drowsiness, memory loss, depression, and impaired thermoregulation.
2. GHB. The effect of this drug depends on the dose taken. The effects range from mild relaxation to coma or death. GHB is often used for withdrawal symptoms because it is tasteless, colorless, and has a strong sedative effect.
3. Ketamine is an anesthetic that can be taken orally or parenterally. Ketamine causes amnesia (memory loss) and reduces concentration. Large doses – paranoia, hallucinations, depression and respiratory depression.
4. LSD and hallucinogenic mushrooms. Cause hallucinations, nausea, loss of sensitivity, tachycardia. Long-term consequences: psychosis, delirium, depression.

Gasoline addiction

Inhaling gasoline vapors for a short time leads to euphoria, which then gives way to hallucinations. Active ingredients: benzene and toluene. They have an irritating effect on the larynx and trachea, leading to tachycardia, dilated pupils, impaired coordination, speech and movements.

The cessation of the effect of gasoline vapors leads to vomiting, irritability, lethargy, and headaches.

Acetone substance abuse

Acetone vapors, penetrating into the blood through the respiratory tract, lead to disturbances of consciousness in the form of colorful hallucinations and disorientation. A substance abuser does not respond to external stimuli. Prolonged inhalation leads to complete loss of consciousness and coma. The consequences include vomiting, irritability, and indifference to others.

Substance abuse with glue

Using a bag to inhale glue has resulted in more than one fatality. In a state of euphoria, confusion dulls the sense of self-preservation, and the drug addict suffocates.

When leaving, hallucinations are replaced by weakness, nausea, and weakness.

Solvent substance abuse

Inhalation of solvents leads to aggressive ecstasy with the subsequent development of delirium and hallucinations of various types. After some time, the elation gives way to weakness and vomiting. Taking toxic substances for one year leads to dementia.

Possible consequences

Substance abuse develops rapidly: the formation of addiction can occur after just a few trials. At the same time, a negative impact on the physical level also quickly manifests itself: the respiratory tract, heart and vascular system react especially sharply.

If you inhale gasoline or other flammable liquids while smoking cigarettes, there is a risk of upper respiratory tract fire, which can be fatal. Glue addiction can lead to suffocation: teenagers pass out with plastic bags placed over their heads and suffocate.

Alcoholism and drug addiction: causes

Substance abuse often begins in childhood or adolescence. Risk factors affecting the likelihood of developing addiction:

• Family troubles;
• Poor home conditions;
• Heredity (father or mother abuses alcohol or psychotropic drugs);
• Lack of parental education and trust between parents and children;
• Factors associated with the social adaptation of a teenager outside the family;
• Behaving too aggressively or shyly at school;
• Insufficient life skills;
• Influence of antisocial peers;
• Wrong attitude towards drug use.

What kind of disease is this?

From a medical point of view drug addiction and substance abuse , as clinical diseases with features of therapy and rehabilitation, are not much different from each other.
Although in legal or social consideration these concepts do not coincide, they are distinguished by criteria that clarify the difference between drugs and other drugs that affect the human nervous system, describing the mass coverage and social (personal) danger for different age groups and segments of society. The definition of substance abuse is based on several components:

• abuse of a number of toxic substances:
• substances (medicinal and non-medicinal) do not belong to the list of narcotic drugs and have a diverse nature - they are biological, chemical, plant;
• Accustoming to the substances used occurs and a dependence on them is formed (painful addiction).

Substance abuse: signs

Some of the first people to learn about substance abuse are family members and friends. Early diagnosis increases the chances of successful treatment. Signs to look out for:

• Leaving sports clubs, skipping classes, communicating with new friends;
• Aggression and irritability;
• Forgetfulness;
• Lost money and valuables;
• Feelings of hopelessness, depression, suicide attempts;
• Selfishness, lack of attention to others;
• Frequent use of fragrances and deodorants;
• The appearance of devices for drug use (pipes, boxes, bags);
• Regular state of alcohol or drug intoxication
• false, untruthful information about the amount of alcohol consumed or drugs taken;
• finding ways to avoid friends or family members to get drunk;
• proactively looking for a reason to get drunk or take a substance;
• increasing the dose to achieve the desired effect;
• hangover symptom;
• forcing others to abuse alcohol or psychotropic drugs;
• the appearance of memory lapses;
• Constantly talking about alcohol or other drugs;
• drunk driving;
• dismissal from work or suspension from classes due to substance abuse or alcohol consumption.

How addiction develops

When a toxic substance is inhaled, the first signs appear after 5 minutes - dizziness, tinnitus, fog in the head. After 7–10 minutes, coordination disorder develops. After another 3 minutes, euphoria, nervous excitement, and unbridled fun sets in. Hallucinations then occur for 10–15 minutes. In this case, subjective time is stretched. Then a decline occurs, and the drug addict inhales the substance again, doing up to 7-8 such cycles.

Mental dependence in substance abuse can develop after 2-3 uses. The teenager is overcome by the desire to experience euphoria and hallucinations again; without such sensations, discomfort arises. The drug addict forgets the phase between inhalation and the appearance of hallucinations - he does not remember the unpleasant sensations, but he remembers the euphoria. He begins to regularly inhale toxic substances, seeks means to fulfill his mania, it becomes the meaning of his life.

Physical dependence develops more slowly, over 1–2 months. At first, it is enough for substance abusers to use once every 3-4 days, then they quickly slip into daily use. As a result, the toxic substance is taken twice a day - morning and evening. Substance abuse is characterized by a rapid increase in dose - within a month it increases 4–5 times, and the state of intoxication is shortened to 1–2 hours. At the same time, the body’s reaction to the toxin weakens - inflammation of the mucous membranes, palpitations and shortness of breath are less pronounced.

As a result of cessation of use, disorders of the central and autonomic nervous system occur - withdrawal syndrome, or withdrawal syndrome. It is one of the consequences of substance abuse. Drug addicts call it withdrawal. It develops after the inhalation of the substance has stopped and lasts until the next dose; if the toxic drug is not available, it lasts for about 5 days.

When to Seek Medical Help

If there are problems with drug use or smoking, the doctor may refer the patient to a psychotherapist or prescribe medications to reduce cravings or to treat complications caused by taking psychotropic medications. The doctor must know what drugs are used and in what quantities they are taken. You should consult a doctor if you have at least one of the following symptoms:

• jaundice (yellowing of the skin and sclera);
• increase in abdominal volume;
• swelling of the legs;
• persistent cough;
• feelings of doom or depression;
• pain at the injection site;
• fever.

Symptoms of poisoning

The manifestations of gasoline intoxication are varied and depend on how long, in what doses and how often the body was poisoned with toxins, and how the poisoning was obtained. Let's look at them.

Brief inhalation of weak concentrations

Mild or moderate intoxication occurs with symptoms similar to being drunk:

• excitement, bliss, laughter, joyful upsurge for no reason;
• impotence, red skin;
• dizziness, unsteady gait;
• irritation of the membranes of the nasopharynx;
• vomit;
• tachycardia.

Severe poisoning

Has serious consequences:

• the victim has fainted;
• heat up to 40°C;
• cramps, increased muscle contraction;
• perception disorders.

Lightning form

It happens when there is a large accumulation of gasoline, in emergency situations, spills, or when cleaning fuel containers. The victim's condition is dangerous:

• suddenly loses consciousness;
• breathing suddenly stops.

Without timely assistance, death is possible.

Gasoline pneumonia

It happens when a person accidentally swallows fuel while draining and sucking it in with a hose. It penetrates into the lungs. There is a risk of getting pneumonia. This is the most dangerous complication. The patient is stable and severe, with characteristic symptoms:

• pain in the area of ​​the affected lung, the skin turns blue;
• shortness of breath with any movement, even at rest;
• cough with phlegm and blood;
• deterioration of health with rising temperature.

Accidental swallowing

When gasoline enters the gastrointestinal tract, profuse, long-lasting vomiting, indigestion, and abdominal cramps occur. The risk of non-infectious hepatitis is high. Its signs are hepatomegaly (enlarged liver), pain in the right hypochondrium, icteric skin and mucous membranes, weakness.

Chronic poisoning

In people exposed to liquid fuels, poisoning can become chronic. It is characterized by:

• disorders of the central nervous system, neurasthenia, irritability;
• hand tremors, migraines, instability;
• a sharp loss of strength (adynamia), fatigue, decreased ability to work;
• low blood pressure, disturbed sleep;
• inflammation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract;
• olfactory receptors do not recognize odors;
• disruptions in the gastrointestinal tract: nausea, heartburn, diarrhea alternating with constipation, flatulence, yellowness of the sclera, enlarged liver;
• irregular periods in women, decreased potency in men;
• skin inflammation or eczema due to prolonged contact with gasoline.

Conditions requiring hospitalization

If any of the following symptoms occur, you should immediately call an ambulance:

• thoughts of murder or suicide appeared;
• chest pain, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, dizziness;
• acute abdominal pain;
• confusion or hallucinations;
• convulsions, epileptic attacks;
• speech impairment, numbness, weakness, severe headache, visual impairment;
• severe pain at the injection site, accompanied by redness, swelling, purulent discharge and fever;
• dark color of urine;
• suspected sexual assault while under the influence of drugs.

Emergency care for poisoning

The victim requires professional examination and treatment, but first aid should be provided before the ambulance arrives. It is important not to get confused (although this spectacle is not for the faint of heart) and take the following steps:

1. Take him out of the room into fresh air.
2. If the patient is in a coma, is not breathing or his breathing is impaired, lay him on his side so that his tongue does not sink in and he does not choke on vomit. Perform artificial respiration, give an oxygen cushion.
3. Give plenty of warm drink, no colder than 40℃, so that toxins are eliminated faster. Wrap yourself in a blanket, as the body needs warmth during intoxication. It is useful to put jars and mustard plasters.
4. Rinse the stomach with 2–3 liters of water. Introduce 70 g of sunflower oil or activated carbon solution through a probe.
5. If vomiting, give 3 glasses of soda solution (0.5 tbsp per 1 tbsp of water). If the victim drank gasoline, do not induce artificial vomiting: the vomit with fuel will enter the lungs and cause pneumonia.
6. To relieve intoxication, give enterosorbent - activated charcoal (crush up to 30 tablets). Polysorb, enterosgel, smecta are suitable.

Treatment of substance abuse

Most abusers believe that they can stop using drugs on their own, but many attempts fail. Experiments have shown that long-term use of psychotropic drugs changes thinking and personality. Obsessive thoughts about taking drugs dominate the brain. This dependence persists even after stopping the use of psychotropic drugs.

The most important component of anti-relapse treatment is addiction recovery. Treatment for substance abuse depends on the patient and the type of drug used. Psychotherapy includes strategies for addiction recovery and relapse prevention. The doctor may prescribe medications: nicotine patches, methadone. These drugs ease withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings.

Drug addicts often suffer from mental disorders. Such conditions increase the risk of substance abuse. These disorders require specialist medical care and correction of such conditions, in parallel with drug addiction treatment.

Options for preventive work with substance abusers

Preventive work can be carried out with different groups of patients. It happens:

• primary;
• secondary;
• tertiary

In the first case, we are talking about the interaction of psychologists with people who have never tried to “get high.” A specialist comes to the group and gives lectures about the consequences of substance abuse, its dangers to health, and the diseases caused by this addiction. He can show videos to the public to support his words. Former substance abusers who “went through all the circles of hell” but were able to recover are often invited to such meetings.

Secondary prevention is carried out if a person already knows first-hand what a substance abuse high is. We are talking about people who have suffered from addiction for a long time and are now undergoing treatment for it. It is important to support them so that they do not relapse, in order to prevent a relapse. During the sessions, the psychologist makes sure whether the patient has characteristic signs of substance abuse and whether he has returned to stimulants. At the same time, he finds out whether he has difficulties adapting to the changed lifestyle. If necessary, performs relaxation exercises.

Tertiary prevention is spoken of when a person has undergone treatment a long time ago. The main goal here is to prevent relapse. It is not for nothing that they say that former drug addicts do not exist. Any person who has overcome the craving for illegal substances remains at risk. As soon as he inhales the usual composition again, he again begins to experience an irresistible desire to get high.

Prevention of substance abuse

Substance abuse or alcohol abuse may begin in childhood or adolescence. All efforts are aimed at combating drug addiction and alcoholism in schools and public institutions. The programs are designed to:

• strengthen bonds between parents and children;
• instill in them resistance skills;
• correct their understanding of cigarettes and drugs;
• inform about the consequences of drug addiction and alcoholism.

The most important thing is to develop public condemnation of substance abuse and alcoholism through education, the media and the environment.

Forecast

Drug, smoking and alcohol abuse have large societal costs. First of all, they are associated with the following factors.

Increase in crime. More than half of economic costs are associated with crime under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Drug addicts are 18 times more likely than their peers to become involved in criminal activity without addiction. Many violent acts are committed while intoxicated. Drugs and alcohol are often associated with domestic violence and sexual violence. Among prisoners, 43% of offenders say they were under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crime.

Diseases. Psychotropic drugs have harmful effects on health. Smoking leads to long-term consequences on the health of the body. Drug addiction and alcoholism lead to serious illnesses. Behavioral deviations. In addition to the direct impact on human health, drugs have many indirect effects. Many drugs reduce feelings of danger and increase the likelihood of risky behavior. Alcohol and drug use among adolescents increases the chances of teen pregnancy associated with HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B and C.

Trauma. 75% of patients who stay in the trauma department test positive for prohibited substances. A direct relationship is observed between criminal and domestic injuries and alcoholism. Drug use is also associated with violence. Almost half of victims of violence are drug addicts.

What do substance abusers use?

Substance abuse uses chemicals with euphoric and hallucinogenic effects. A person inhales them, trying to achieve the desired result. The list of common compounds used includes:

• household and industrial chemicals - glue containing toluenes, gasoline, paints and varnishes, solvents;
• gases - butane, propane and isobutane, which have a toxic effect on the central nervous system, causing damage to the cerebral cortex, loss of intelligence;
• medications - antihistamines, sleeping pills, tranquilizers, nervous system stimulants.

In the latter case, the potential harm depends on the medication used. As a rule, in case of drug addiction, increased dosages of drugs with psychoactive effects are used. This is fraught with the development of drug dependence and drug addiction in the future.