Tanvi Verma
Diagnosis
Substance abuse frequently incorporates a thorough assessment by a psychiatrist, a psychologist, or an authorized alcohol and drug counselor. Blood test, urine test and a variety of other tests are used to assess drug use. Nonetheless, these tests might be utilized for checking treatment and recuperation.
In order to diagnose a substance abuse disorder, criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), published by the American Psychiatric Association are used by the Mental health professionals.
Treatment
Although drug addiction cannot be cured, the treatments explained below can help in overcoming an addiction and staying drug-free. The treatment that a person should undergo depends on the drug that they have been consuming and any medical or mental health disorders that they’ve had.
- Chemical dependence treatment programs
This program offers therapy sessions to an individual, group or family. It focuses on understanding the nature of addiction, becoming drug-free and preventing any chance of relapse.
It is also known as “detox” or “withdrawal therapy” , its aim is to stop the consumption of drugs as soon as possible ensuring all the safety measures. Different approaches are required as withdrawal from different kinds of drugs — such as depressants, stimulants or opioids produces side effects depending upon the drug. It is a gradual process as it may involve substituting other substances, such as methadone, buprenorphine, or a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone on a temporary basis.
Behaviour therapy
Behaviour therapy is a kind of psychotherapy which is carried out by a psychiatrist or a psychologist or an authorised alcohol or drug counsellor. The counsellor:
- helps in the eradication of the drug craving.
- Provides strategies in order to avoid relapse
- Talk about the hardships faced by an individual and suggest them ways to cope with it.
- Counsels family members too, so that there can be a good communication.
Self-help groups
Self-help support groups, such as Narcotics Anonymous, help people who are addicted to drugs. The self-help group believes that drug addiction is a chronic disorder with an instability as it may relapse. Self-help support groups can be helpful as they reduce the sense of shame and withdrawal that can lead to relapse.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Cognitive behaviour therapy is very common in treating the addiction. Therapists and the recovering addicts works hand in hand to combat the addiction. CBT is said to be an action-focused and a rapid treatment. It is mostly included in all the rehabilitation programs. Cognitive behavioural therapy has been shown to:
- help a person heal from trauma.
- build coping skills that reduce the impact of stress.
- help a person handle emotions in a healthier way.
- strengthen a person’s communication skills.
- help a person deal with a chronic medical illness.
- reduce or alleviate certain symptoms of mental illnesses.
- prevent a relapse of these symptoms.
- work as a treatment for a mental illness when medications cannot be used.
Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy
Rational emotive behaviour therapy helps an individual to change their thinking patterns into positive ones and promote healthy lifestyle. Since addiction arises when there are dysfunctional thoughts and behaviours, REBT helps in teaching these individuals new ways to think. The aim of REBT is to teach an individual about how to counter their irrational thoughts or beliefs.
