Drug Addiction and Abuse: Signs, Risk Factors, Treatments in New York
Drug abuse and addiction are becoming more common than you realize. About 21 million Americans have at least one addiction, which shows how rampant drug abuse and addiction are. Unfortunately, only about 10% of them receive adequate treatments.
Although drug addiction can be very common, certain treatments can handle the issue.
Dr. Mohammed Hadi, Dr. Abdussami Hadi, and Dr. Shumail Haque, your New York physiatrists, provide you with everything you need to know about drug addiction and abuse.
What Is Drug Addiction?
Drug addiction is the inability to stop the use of a substance or drug. It is caused by excessive and continuous use of the drug. Drug addiction is often characterized by the use of illegal drugs like cocaine or heroin. However, you can also get addicted to legal substances like alcohol, nicotine, narcotic pain medication, opioids, and other prescription drugs.
The use of opioids has contributed to about 2/3 of all drug overdose deaths in the United States, making drug addiction to be at an epidemic level. You may take these drugs because of what they do, their effect, or how they make you feel. You might feel you are in control of the usage and can decide how often you use it or how much you can take.
However, it doesn’t work that way. The substances affect the brain and change how it works until you lose control. You might feel you are not addicted, but you have to watch out for the signs of drug addiction no matter what.
Signs of Drug Addiction
There are certain signs you should watch out for to know if you’re getting addicted to a substance or not.
- Increased secrecy
- Being defensive when asked about the use of substances
- Lack of self-control
- Increased desire for the drug or substance
- Inability to stay away from the drug or substance
- Poor performance at work or declining grades at school
- Lack of energy in daily regular activities
- Emotional and relationship issues
- Noticeable changes in appearance
If you notice any of these signs, then you should waste no time visiting a physiatrist.
Effects and Risks of Drug Addiction and Abuse
The effect of drug abuse and addiction on the brain can be very deadly. The brain is configured in a way that makes you want to repeat actions or activities that make you feel good. So, it keeps you motivated to do them over and over again.
Drugs like opioids, alcohol, illegal substances, nicotine, and some prescription drugs flood your brain with a certain chemical called dopamine. This chemical gives your brain the intense feeling of pleasure, making you want to use the drug to keep having that feeling.
As you keep using it, your brain gets used to this dopamine, needing more to attain that level of feeling. This makes you take more of the drug and use it more often to satisfy your thirst for pleasure. At this point, other things you enjoy doing like playing games, hanging out with family, or even eating food will give you less pleasure.
Excessive use of these drugs then causes certain problems like:
- Inability to learn
- Memory loss
- Poor decision-making
- Irrational behavior
- Brain damage and health problems
The effect of these drugs on your overall health can be lethal, which is why it is paramount to see your physiatrist when you notice any sign of drug addiction.
Treatments and Medications for Drug Addiction in Brooklyn, Plainview, Hempstead, and Long Beach, NY
Here are some ways you can treat prescription drug abuse and addiction.
- Withdrawal method: This process requires stopping the use of these substances. Since the brain is accustomed to the use of this drug, it may be very difficult and severe to quit. With the help of medical and psychological care, you can get through with the treatment.
- Detoxification: This process also entails abstaining from the use of drugs. It also requires medications to counteract or relieve the withdrawal symptoms. You will need to visit a professional physiatrist to detox properly.
- Addiction-prevention therapy: This process is highly essential when treating addiction. It takes time and continuous actions to get rid of addiction. So, you will need to go through an addiction-prevention or behavioral therapy to improve your health and attitude toward drugs.
Hadi Medical Group offers addiction treatments in Brooklyn, Plainview, Hempstead, and Long Beach, NY. We help evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients that are addicted to prescription drugs. We also help eliminate their addiction problems.
You can contact us for any drug addiction issue you are experiencing. You can book an appointment with us for any of our services.
