Diagnosing Substance Abuse
Drug abuse often has a wide range of definitions. The drugs being abused may be illegal and lead to criminal charges. On the other hand, the drugs may also have a legitimate medical use, but are being used in drastic excess of how the drug was originally prescribed. Symptoms of substance abuse may include a marked decline in personal appearance, apathy, and relationship or behavioral problems. It is also not uncommon for a person to have a substance addiction with no outwardly discernable symptoms.
The World Health Organization (WHO), an international health agency, no longer recognizes the term "drug abuse" as a legitimate medical diagnosis. Rather, it utilizes the term "substance abuse" in reference to the self-prescribing of drugs, alcohol, and other substances taken without medical supervision. Substance abuse treatment facilities generally focus on providing aid to people using psychoactive, performance enhancing, or pain relief drugs for a non-medically related purpose.
Purpose of Substance Abuse Centers
Substance abuse centers usually have a two-part focus. The first concern is to break the addiction to the substance. Therapies vary depending on whether a psychological or chemical dependency is involved. If psychological, the substance abuse center will provide appropriate counseling and therapy. If the person is also chemically dependent upon the substance, prescription drugs may be used to help ease the pain of withdrawals for substances such as heroin and other opiates. In rapid development are new immunotherapy treatments that block active receptor sites in the brain for treating highly addictive substances such as alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamine, and nicotine. Some centers employ alternative therapies such as acupuncture and nutritional programs.
The second aspect of substance abuse treatment involves providing treatment for any health consequences inflicted as a result of addiction, such as emphysema due to smoking.
Alternative Treatment Centers
As many suffering from addiction are without income or insurance, there are many federal, state, and local agencies that provide free or sliding scale treatments. The U.S. Department of Health's Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator is a great tool for this.
Most facilities will treat any substance abuse problem. However, in contacting a particular organization, it is wise to call ahead and ask if it is possible to treat the addiction in question. If not, it should be able to provide direction in finding a center that can be of better service.
As substance abuse can be a very serious problem, acute care may need to be combined with long-term treatment in order to prevent relapse.
