Drug Dependancy

Dependancy on drugs can affect anyone and affects a lot more people than the statistics tell us. When I talk about drugs I mean all drugs, legal and illegal. This could be cocaine, cannabis, alcohol, tobacco and even prescription drugs. We could even be talking about caffeine here. Strangely it’s the legal ones that cause the most problems in society, alcohol and tobacco being the main offenders. You only have to read the UK’s top expert Professor Nuts reports to see this. But then you only have to drive around most towns late on a Friday or Saturday to see for yourself the problems it causes. Or ask any nurse or doctor. They see thousands of people suffering from heath problems caused by alcohol and tobacco.

Alcohol is one of the worst drugs out there but because its legal people think it’s ok to take it. But if your alcohol use has a negative effect on you, such as wanting to take more, then you are probably suffering from drug dependency. The symptoms are easy to see. If you can’t go a few days without alcohol then you have a dependency on the drug. You could also be dependant if you only have one pint a week on a Sunday for instance. If you miss that Sunday and suffer from withdrawal symptoms then you have a once a week dependency on the drug. The withdrawal symptoms are symptoms such as sweating, shaking and feeling sick. If you feel like this when you have missed your daily/week or monthly dose of your chosen drug then you are definitely dependent on it. If you feel irritable, depressed or tired then you have a psychological dependency. Either way it is a problem and could lead to much more serious issues later in life, so getting yourself off the drug should be top of your priority.

The first step to recovery of any drug is acceptance. Until you admit to yourself that you have a problem only then can you get help. Detoxification and psychotherapy are some of the options used to treat drug dependency. The main goal is complete abstinence and to get this far will not be easy. Support from family and friends is very important and if your friends are drug takers then you may need to distance yourself from these people and find new friends. Finding a support group will other like minded people should be part of the plan. Opening up and talking about your problems is not so difficult if you are talking to people who are or have gone through the same issues.

Today there are lots of services available for treating drug problems. There are plenty of private clinics or hospital some of which specialist in particular drugs. With the internet you can now join online communities which can also be a great support. You are not alone, so don’t feel ashamed. Sadly drug use such as alcohol is widely accepted as part of our society, but it is a serious problem. You should ask yourself if alcohol were invented in this day and age, would it be legal and what class would be put under? You only have to watch someone walking down the street after a few too many to see that it’s a seriously mind altering drug which should not be legal.

By: Caz

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Affinity Lodge is a drug detox program center specialising addictions such as alcohol and drugs offering alcohol and drug treatment.