Medical Drugs

Medical drugs are generally prescribed as short term solutions in the handling of pain. Many of these medical drugs will build up tolerance in the system requiring increased amounts for the same effect. Thus dependence sets in and one begins taking these at abusive and addictive levels before long. This accounts for drugs like OxyContin being more and more used in illegal black markets to handle addiction to them. Black market illegal use of drugs such as these is outstripping legitimate use and prescription. Anti-depressants and anti-psychotics are much the same story with many school age children selling their prescriptions in the school yard. Add the horrific side effects, some of which are life threatening, and what we see is an epidemic rise in the abuse and addiction to prescription medications.

How does one go about determining when drug use crosses the line into drug abuse and addiction? Drugs are used as a solution to pain, be it mental, emotional, or physical. Fore instance one takes a painkiller and physical pain subsides or one take a street drug and the emotional pain of feeling like an outsider goes away. There are many motivations but they all come under the heading of handling pain in one way or another. Drug abuse sets in when the drug is being used more and more to mask and cover up the pain rather than addressing the actual causes of the pain itself. From abuse one quickly moves on to addiction where tolerance to the drugs builds up to the point where the individual can’t conceive of life without them for fear of unbearable pain of one type or another. Ones life then becomes centered on acquiring and using more and more drugs at any cost or sacrifice. Along with this comes all the cravings, guilt and depression that results from harm done to self, family, loved ones, careers, etc.

Alcohol addiction goes by the more commonly used term of alcoholism. Make no mistake about it; this is an addiction pure and simple. Addiction is a condition characterized by repeated and compulsive seeking and use of drugs, alcohol, or other substances despite adverse social, mental, and physical consequences. Alcohol is a very common substance of abuse, accompanying the main drug of addiction, in the case of multiple substance abuse. Conversely, other drugs are commonly involved with alcohol addiction as well. The common denominators to all these addictions are cravings, guilt, and depression and are the three factors needing addressed in order to obtain a drug free and productive life.

Heroin addiction, as with any of the opium derivatives, creates a severe physical/mental dependency. With regular heroin use, tolerance develops. This means the abuser must use more and more heroin to achieve the same intensity or effect. With heroin addiction the body has adapted to the presence of the drug and withdrawal symptoms occur if use is reduced or stopped. Withdrawal, which in heroin addiction may occur as early as a few hours after the last administration, produces drug craving, restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea and vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps (‘cold turkey’), kicking movements (‘kicking the habit’), and other symptoms. Narconon Arrowheads unique approach to withdrawal keeps these symptoms to a minimum and by actual report sometimes totally removes these symptoms.

Drug addiction treatment to be effective needs to help and guide the individual in confronting and gaining the skills and abilities needed to resolve all areas of their lives – not merely ceasing their drug use which is only the beginning. Personal issues of nutrition and gaining a healthy balance need to be addressed. Issues of cravings, quilt, and depression resulting from addiction need confronted and relieved, legal issues often exist. Broken or strained relationships in the family and workplace need resolved. The issue of how the addict gets on with his life in a drug free and productive manner, and be happy and fulfilled doing so, can be one of the biggest issues of all. Addicts and alcoholics are often quite concerned about being miserable and suffering without the drugs or alcohol. Narconon Arrowhead is an empowering program that assists the individual in resolving each of these situations as well as others he or she may have. We don’t enforce or insist rather we help, guide, and assist the individual in finding their own unique answers that will work and more importantly continue to work for them. This helps insure a continuing drug free life as their solutions are theirs and not something dictated or enforced on them.