The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that alcohol is a drug. After consumed, alcohol is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and is pumped to the brain, where it depresses the central nervous system. Other illicit drugs such as opioids, cocaine and marijuana also affect neurotransmitters in the brain that are responsible for everything from mood to coordination. A person's first experience with drug use creates changes in brain chemistry that can lead to addiction.
Do You Need Help?
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans indicates that women should have no more than one drink a day, and men should have no more than two drinks. This information will not help you determine whether you are a problem drinker.
Hazelden, one of the largest drug treatment centers in the world, suggests using a method called CAGE to determine if you need treatment for alcohol or drug abuse. CAGE is an acronym for "cut down," "annoyed," "guilty" and "eye opener." Have you ever thought you needed to cut down on your drinking or drug use? Have people annoyed you about your substance abuse? Have you ever felt guilty about using? Have you ever had to use first thing in the morning as an eye opener, or to steady your nerves or treat a hangover? Answering yes to any two of these questions, according to Hazelden, indicates a risk for having a problem.
Determine Your Treatment Needs
Depending on the severity of your abuse, you might be dependent on drugs or alcohol or have an addiction. Dependence, according to the National Institutes of Health, means that you need a drink or drug to be able to function normally. Addiction is the compulsive need for a substance despite the negative or harmful effects it has on your life.
For those addicted to alcohol or drugs, the first step in treatment is to detox. For substance dependence, you will need to be evaluated by an addiction specialist to see if you can go directly to rehab or if you need detoxification.
Detoxification
There are three treatment methods for detox. During a fixed-scheduled plan, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians, you will be given medication to help treat and prevent withdrawal symptoms. On a symptom-triggered plan, you're given medication to treat withdrawal symptoms as they occur. Depending on the drugs you're addicted to, only time can help you detox. There are no drugs to help a cocaine or methamphetamine addict withdrawal. During detox, your vital signs will be monitored around the clock. Withdrawal can cause a rapid heart rate, problems breathing, tremors, seizures and even coma or death.
Rehabilitation
Detox and rehab are not the same. During detox, you rid your body of the chemicals you have been abusing. Rehab is time when you receive addiction counseling and education. You're taught the tools you'll need to remain abstinent and recognize the risk of relapsing.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, "Medication and behavioral therapy, especially when combined, are important elements of an overall therapeutic process." Rehab after detox is an important step in effective treatment approaches.
Relapse Prevention
According to NIDA, relapse prevention during treatment is just as important as detox and rehabilitation. The relapse rate for Americans addicted to drugs, according to The Open Society Institute--Baltimore, an organization that helps battle drug addiction, is 60 percent. Relapse prevention will help you practice self-care, recognize craving, mental relapse challenges and give you tools for dealing with urges. OSI-Baltimore reports that for those who seek addiction treatment, up to 69 percent report a reduction in alcohol or drug use after one year. In 1994 there was a 64 percent reduction in drug arrests for those who received treatment for their addiction.
