Drug abuse: Kano Govt seeks NDLEA assistance

Anyone using substances, even socially, should discuss them with a doctor to ensure safe use and monitor for signs or symptoms of addiction. When a person has addiction and stops taking the substance or engaging in the behavior, they may experience certain symptoms. The term addiction does not only refer to dependence on substances such as heroin or cocaine. Some addictions also involve an inability to stop partaking in activities such as gambling, eating, or working. Many people fear the term addiction and believe it is an indication of failure or worthlessness. People with addictions often carry stigma about their behavior, leading to shame and fear of seeking help.

Why are Drugs so Hard to Quit?

• Addiction is an inability to stop using a substance or engaging in a behavior even though it may cause psychological or physical harm.
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• Toddlers, when they find medications, often share them with other children.

AHRN provides facility-based harm reduction, treatment, and care, whereas Best Shelter offers community-based harm reduction, prevention, referral, and care. Specific services include outreach, health education, self-help groups, job creation efforts, peer education, counseling, and treatment. Some services are specifically aimed at women as a particularly vulnerable population, such as services to improve sexual and reproductive health, as well as pre- and postnatal care, and services to curb gender-based violence. Ms. Tun specifically described their needle and syringe programs, including efforts to return and safely dispose of used needles and syringes, as well as HIV testing and treatment.

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These peer-led groups provide a sense of community, accountability, and shared experience that many find invaluable in their recovery journey. Let’s dive into the murky waters of commonly abused substances, shall we? It’s a rogues’ gallery of chemical culprits, each with its own unique profile and set of risks. Information https://ecosoberhouse.com/ about NIMH, research results, summaries of scientific meetings, and mental health resources. Download, read, and order free NIMH brochures and fact sheets about mental disorders and related topics. Children exposed to drugs before birth may go on to develop issues with behavior, attention, and thinking.

Medical Cannabis in Professional Healthcare Education: Multinational Policies, Perspectives, and Competencies

People experiencing addiction are also prone to cycles of relapse and remission. They can lead to permanent health complications and serious consequences like bankruptcy. Some doctors’ offices are equipped to handle overdoses; others are not. Some doctors’ offices advise their patients to go to a hospital’s emergency department.

Drug Addiction in Men and Women

It is unlikely that a person will become addicted after using a substance once, although it is possible to develop a mental health problem or to die of an overdose or another complication after one use of some substances. Once a person has decided that they have a problem and need help, the next step is an examination by a healthcare professional. This involves questions about behaviors or substance use, an examination to assess overall health, and the development what is drug addiction of a treatment plan that works best for the individual’s specific addiction. The term addiction is used to describe compulsive drug-seeking behaviors that continue in spite of negative outcomes, but it is important to note that addiction is not considered an official diagnosis in the DSM-5. An addiction is a disorder characterized by the compulsive use of a substance or activity that triggers our reward systems despite experiencing adverse consequences.

In life-threatening circumstances, an ambulance should usually be summoned by calling 911. If you cannot reach a qualified professional by telephone to discuss the overdose, it would be prudent for you to take the overdosed person to the nearest hospital’s emergency department or medical facility. Your doctor, your local poison center, or the emergency department of your local hospital may be able to help determine the seriousness of a suspected drug overdose. After a drug overdose, you’ll need immediate and accurate information about the specific name of the drug, the amount of the drug ingested, and the time when the drug was taken. Often, the bottle the drug came in will have the information needed. They occur when a person takes more than the medically recommended dose.

The Perfect Storm: Causes and Risk Factors

• The definition of dependence emphasised tolerance to drugs, and withdrawal from them as key components to diagnosis, whereas abuse was defined as « problematic use with social or occupational impairment » but without withdrawal or tolerance.
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• Behavioral therapies can also enhance the effectiveness of medications and help people remain in treatment longer.
• Addiction can’t happen without exposure to agents, but that is hardly the determining factor.