Author: Gary Jackson

Drugs and Alcohol 101: The Facts You Need to Know Patient Care

Mutual-support groups provide peer support for stopping or reducing drinking. Group meetings are available in most communities at low or no cost, and at convenient times and locations—including an increasing presence online. This means they can be especially helpful to individuals at risk for relapse to drinking. Combined with medications and behavioral treatment provided by health care professionals, mutual-support groups can offer a valuable added layer of support. Family history, peer pressure, and recreational drug use are all risk factors for substance use. Being aware of these risks can help you take steps to avoid using substances in the first place.

Causes and Risk Factors

Talk with your health care provider or see a mental health provider, such as a doctor who specializes in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry, or a licensed alcohol and drug counselor. Substance use disorder is a mental health disorder in which a person continually uses drugs or alcohol even though it is causing physical, psychological, and/or personal harm. The causes of substance use disorder are unknown, but risk factors have been identified. A person’s genes, ethnicity, gender, and the presence of mental health disorders may all increase the risk of developing an addiction. In fact, it is estimated that nearly two-thirds of people in treatment programs for addiction are men.

Preventing Substance Use Disorder

While not all addiction causes the same feelings or withdrawal symptoms, all substance abuse stems from similar sources, such as the desire to numb physical or emotional pain. Cultural, social, religious, historical, and legal factors can also play a role in determining what forms of substance use are acceptable. For example, public laws determine which substances are legal or illegal, and how much of a substance can be legally consumed. Additionally, some cultures discourage the use of certain substances and permit others. “Substance use disorder” is now the medical term used to describe uncontrolled use of a substance despite negative consequences to one’s health, work, studies, family, and day-to-day functioning.

Signs and symptoms of drug use or intoxication may vary, depending on the type of drug. Before you use alcohol or drugs, here’s what you should know about each. At Beachside Rehab, we know what it is to feel absolutely alone while feeling powerless, held in the grip of an addictive substance. Our holistic treatment approach focuses on the individual and their addiction, how it came to be, and how it can be overcome. Many experts will disagree between the similarities and differences between drug and alcohol addictions because both are forms of addiction.

There is no known cause of substance use disorder, but several risks have been identified. A person may be more likely to develop a substance use disorder if one of several factors are present. If you use substances for recreational purposes, misuse prescription medications, or take substances for the purposes of becoming intoxicated, talk to your doctor about your treatment options. So-called ‘designer drugs’ and synthetic drugs, such as bath salts and synthetic marijuana, can be abused and can possibly be more dangerous than other drugs. In addition, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that people who use marijuana can become addicted. NIDA estimates that 30% of people who use marijuana will become dependent.

Preventing Substance Use

A qualified healthcare professional can diagnose whether a person’s substance use is problematic and meets the diagnostic criteria for mild, moderate, or severe substance use disorder listed in the DSM-5. Based on their assessment, they will work out a treatment plan for the person. Many people with AUD do recover, but setbacks are common among people in treatment. Behavioral therapies can help people develop skills to avoid and overcome triggers, such as stress, that might lead to drinking. Medications also can help deter drinking during times when individuals may be at greater risk of a return to drinking (e.g., divorce, death of a family member).

Her work spans various health-related topics, including mental health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness. If you’ve heard the terms “substance use” and “substance abuse,” you may wonder whether they mean the same thing or whether there’s any difference between them. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol causes 88,000 (62,000 men and 26,000 women) deaths every year. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism tells us alcohol shortened the lifespan of those 88,000 by 30 years. That makes alcohol the third leading preventable cause of death in the U.S. All other drugs combined cause approximately 30,000 deaths annually.

Stigmas Associated with Drug and Alcohol Addiction

For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The vast majority of alcohol in the United States is consumed by the top 10 percent. The next highest group consumes 15 drinks per week, still an alarmingly high amount for anyone who isn’t in college. In reality, about 50 percent of Americans don’t drink at all (would you have guessed the number was that high?!). Most of the 50 percent of Americans who do drink consume low to moderate, amounts of alcohol (less than 1 per day).

  1. Their crucial work saves lives every day.Let Mayo Clinic researchers know they’re appreciated with a quick message.
  2. You can find these lines listed on the internet or in the phone book.
  3. After all, the casual cocaine user is not the one making billions for the cartels.
  4. The fact that the negative health effects of nicotine take a long time to manifest probably plays a role in the widespread abuse of tobacco.
  5. In fact, it is estimated that nearly two-thirds of people in treatment programs for addiction are men.

How Maintenance Therapy Is Used

Then their substance use is probably considered misuse or harmful use. It’s important to teach children, adolescents, and adults about the prevalence and dangers of substance use and help them develop resilience skills to avoid using substances. Below, O’Neill outlines some steps that can help prevent substance use and substance use disorder. John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE is board-certified in addiction medicine and preventative medicine.

One size does not fit all and a treatment approach that may work for one person may not work for another. Treatment can be outpatient and/or inpatient and be provided by specialty programs, therapists, and health care providers. If you think this may be true for you, you are certainly not alone. According to the latest statistics, 21.8% of Americans over the age of 12 (or 61.8 million) have used illicit drugs in the past year, and 8.9 million people over the age of 12 have misused opioids.