A drug addiction is a compulsive disorder. Addiction can be of varied kinds, namely drugs, alcohol, gambling, spending, smoking, sex, eating or any other behavior. A person hit by this is often unsatisfied and restless. Drug addiction in layman’s terms would be dependence on chemicals or on unwanted plants for the sake of getting high. This disorder requires very high consumption of drugs in order to fulfill drug seeking behavior, and is very vulnerable to relapse.
The following are some of the most common drugs that are physically and mentally addictive.
1) Marijuana
Marijuana is one of the most commonly used drugs. The drug is excessively popular amongst teenagers. Commonly known as pot, weed, grass, herb, Maryjane, and the devil’s cabbage. The effects can last for around 1-3 hours. It can cause a lot of harm to the lungs and a person loses his or her concentration power. It causes severe smoking habits that are difficult to quit, and prolonged consumption can also lead to cancer. There are few addiction treatments available for marijuana abusers, because it is not considered physically addictive. (more…)
“Rehab is for quitters”. I saw it on a t-shirt the other day. A clever little play on words that pokes fun at addiction. I don’t think it’s funny, but then I’m here on the front lines.
What is rehab anyway? What does it mean to go to rehab? What is it like there? What happens? Who needs it? Nowadays most people have heard of, or seen the television show Celebrity Rehab. I admit I have never watched a whole episode, just a few minutes here and there, as that was all I could take. In the clip I saw, a counsellor had locked herself in her office crying, while a man having obvious trouble with his facial muscles and his ego (he wanted his mp3 player), yelled at her through the locked door. Chaos and drama abounding, what the addict loves.
On the other end of the spectrum is the government run ’spin dry’. The justice system often offers a choice of jail or rehab. Government funded treatment centers are filled with people not really interested in getting clean and sober, and drug use abounds there. British Columbia’s choice to move to the Harm Reduction Model means that if you use or drink while in government rehab, you don’t have to leave. Imagine the chaos and drama. The person who really wants to be free of his or her addiction has a lot of competition for attention.
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We got the call 4 or 5 days ago. A man was looking for an Intervention for his wife. She was, according to him, suffering from acute depression and alcoholism. They had two young children together.
The wheels were set in motion for the Intervention to take place. Our Interventionist was contacted, schedules compared, and a date was set. Our man spent time on the telephone with each member of the family and the loved ones that were to be present. Each person’s script carefully reviewed, and each person carefully coached. An Intervention is an extremely emotional affair, and best laid plans can easily go awry.
Every thing was in order at rehab to welcome our new guest. The bedroom was fresh. There were flowers on the night table, and a name sign on the door to welcome a most likely very distraught woman. Special changes in plans were made as the Wednesday intake day was being changed to Thursday evening. Our other guests were looking forward to sharing their recovery journey with a new friend.
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