According to the Mayo Clinic, drug addiction is described as a dependency on a drug or medication. Addiction often feels uncontrollable, although addicts know that drugs can damage the body in a variety of ways. Treatment for a drug addiction is typically aimed at reducing the physical symptoms and strengthening the addict's ability to fight the addiction.
Individual and Family Therapy
One of the most important methods included in a treatment plan for drug addiction is counseling. Individual counseling is designed to identify the experiences of feelings that motivate a person to use drugs. As the person comes to term with his addiction, his treating physician may incorporate family therapy into the treatment plan. The Mayo Clinic says family therapy is effective in providing a strong sense of support to the patient as he works to overcome his addiction. Having a personal network is important to prevent relapses or provide support after experiencing a relapse.
Support Groups
Support groups help the patient seek support from others who also suffer from addictions. Being able to connect with those who share their experiences creates a deeper network of support when patients find it hard to abstain from taking an addictive drug. Twelve Step Programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous are commonly recommended support groups.
Withdrawal Therapy
Withdrawal therapy, commonly referred to as detox, is used to reduce and remove concentrations of drugs from a patient's body. The primary goal of withdrawal therapy is to help the patient to stop taking the addictive drug. It's generally not advised for a patient to quit a drug "cold turkey" or abruptly. To perform detox, substitute drugs such as methadone are administered because they react similarly to the addictive drug. This process is performed gradually to prevent the onset of severe withdrawal symptoms. Substitute drugs have less severe side effects than the addictive drug. Withdrawal therapy can be instituted as a part of inpatient or outpatient treatment program.
Depressants
Restlessness, anxiety, sleep problems, sweating, hallucinations, tremors, seizures, increased blood pressure, heart rate and increased body temperature are common symptoms of withdrawal from an addictive drug. Barbituates and benzodiazepines are types of depressants used to treat symptoms of drug addiction.
