Drug Addiction – Problem for Young People

Drug Addiction – Problem for Young People

What Are Substance Abuse and Addiction?

The difference between substance abuse and addiction is very slight. Substance abuse means using an illegal substance or using a legal substance in the wrong way.

Substance abuse can simply be defined as a pattern of harmful use of any substance for mood-altering purposes.

People can get addicted to all sorts of substances. When we think of addiction, we usually think of alcohol or illegal drugs. But people become addicted to medications, cigarettes, iodex, even ,syp corax and limotil tablets……

And some substances are more addictive than others: Drugs like opium or heroin are so addictive that they might only be used once or twice before the user loses control.

Addiction means a person has no control over whether he or she uses a drug or drinks. Someone who's addicted to heroin has grown so used to the drug that he or she has to have it. Addiction can be physical, psychological, or both.

Physical Addiction

Being physically addicted means a person's body actually becomes dependent on a particular substance (even smoking is physically addictive). It also means building tolerance to that substance, so that a person needs a larger dose than ever before to get the same effects.

Someone who is physically addicted and stops using a substance like drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes may experience withdrawal symptoms. Common symptoms of withdrawal in herion esp. are craving, loose stools, watering in eyes , running nose, body aches, restlessness, yawning, loss of appetite, panic, tremor, convulsions, increased hear rate , elevated temperature, dilated pupil ,cold sweats, incr. blood pressure , arrythimia,depression and suicidal tyendencies.

Psychological Addiction

Psychological addiction happens when the cravings for a drug are psychological or emotional. People who are psychologically addicted feel overcome by the desire to have a drug. They may lie or steal to get it.

A person crosses the line between abuse and addiction when he or she is no longer trying the drug to have fun or get high, but has come to depend on it. His or her whole life centers around the need for the drug. An addicted person — whether it's a physical or psychological addiction or both — no longer feels like there is a choice in taking a substance.

Signs of Addiction

The most obvious sign of an addiction is the need to have a particular drug or substance. However, many other signs can suggest a possible addiction, such as changes in mood or weight loss or gain. Signs that you or someone you know may have a drug or alcohol addiction include:

*Psychological signals:

       #use of drugs or alcohol as a way to forget problems or to relax

       #withdrawal or keeping secrets from family and friends

       #loss of interest in activities that used to be important

       #problems with schoolwork, such as slipping grades or absences

       #changes in friendships, such as hanging out only with friends who use drugs

       #spending a lot of time figuring out how to get drugs and gets less time to spend with his family

       #stealing or selling belongings from home to be able to afford or buy drugs

       #failed attempts to stop taking drugs or drinking inspite of knowing its harmful effects

       #anxiety, anger, or depression

       #mood swings

Physical signals:

       #changes in sleeping habits

       #feeling  sick when trying to stop

       #needing to take more of the substance to get the same effect   

*Getting Help

If you think that you or someone you care about is addicted to drugs or alcohol, recognizing the problem is the first step in getting help.

Many people think they can kick the problem on their own, but that rarely works. Find someone you trust to talk to. It may help to talk to a friend or someone your own age at first, but a supportive and understanding adult is your best option for getting help. If you can't talk to your parents, you might want to approach a school counselor, relative, doctor, favorite teacher, or religious leader.

Unfortunately, overcoming addiction is not easy. Quitting drugs or drinking is probably going to be one of the hardest things you or your friend have ever done. It's not a sign of weakness if you need professional help from a trained drug counselor or therapist. Most people who try to kick a drug or alcohol problem need professional assistance or a treatment program to do so.

*Tips for Recovery

Once you start a treatment program, try these tips to make the road to recovery less bumpy:

     #Tell your friends about your decision to stop using drugs. Your true friends will respect your decision. This might mean that you need to find a new group of friends who will be 100% supportive.

 #Ask your friends or family to be available when you need them. You might need to call someone in the middle of the night just to talk. If you're going through a tough time, don't try to handle things on your own — accept the help your family and friends offer.

      #Accept invitations only to events that you know won't involve drugs or alcohol. Going to the movies is probably safe, but you may want to skip a Friday night party until you're feeling more secure. Plan activities that don't involve drugs. Go to the movies, try bowling, or take an art class with a friend.

       #Remind yourself that having an addiction doesn't make a person bad or weak.

       

       *Staying Clean

Recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction doesn't end with a 1 or 2 months  treatment program. It's a chronic mental illness(disease) like diabetes and hypertension and relapses are meant to happen in it also. Many people find that joining a support group can help them stay clean. There are support groups specifically for teens and younger people. You'll meet people who have gone through the same experiences you have and this will motivate and encourage you not to take that path again.

pics of workshop at kazikot village in tarn taran regarding DEADDICTION AND OST THERAPY

Harm Reduction--Leave the life of Drugs and Addiction today.....

The purpose of this blog is to describe what harm reduction is, how it developed, how it works, and why it is becoming a major approach in the addictive behaviors field. Based on the principles of public health, Harm reduction is set of strategies designed to reduce the harmful effects of addictive behavior for both drug consumers and the communities in which they live.

Harm reduction is a public health alternative to the criminal and disease models of drug use and addiction. Harm reduction is a pragmatic and humanistic approach to diminishing the individual and social harms associated with drug use, especially the risk of HIV infection. It seeks to lessen the problems associated with drug use through methodologies that safeguard the dignity, humanity and human rights of people who use drugs.

This approach is based on the fact that despite years of trying, there are no known effective interventions for eliminating drug use or drug-related problems/ill effects  in any community, city, or country. In most cultures, adopting a harm reduction approach requires a shift in thinking away from deeply rooted, and understandable, long-term idealistic goals of eliminating drug use and getting all drug users to become drug free.
 DRUG ADDICTION is Chronic Disease like DIABETES AND HYPERTENSION and RELAPSES are meant to happen in this disease also and zero tolerance is not possible. Harm Reduction simply recognizes that for many drug users these are distant goals and that services to reduce the risk in the interim are therefore essential if personal and public health disasters are to be avoided. Recognizing the reality of drug use, harm reduction programs measure success in terms of individual and community quality of life and health and not in relation to levels of drug use.
Given the high individual and social costs associated with AIDS, measures to prevent the spread of HIV are at the forefront of harm reduction priorities.

HEPATITIS C

Contaminated needles and syringes are most important vehicles of spread, especially among injecting

drug users.

Hepatitis C - an introduction

Hepatitis is a general term meaning inflammation of the liver and can be caused by several mechanisms,

including infectious agents. Viral hepatitis can be caused by a variety of different *viruses such as

hepatitis A, B, C, D and E. Since the development of *jaundice is a characteristic feature of liver disease

and not just viral hepatitis, a correct diagnosis can only be made by testing patients’ *sera for the presence

of sp

The *virus infects liver cells and can cause severe inflammation of the liver with long-term complications.

The onset of disease is usually insidious, with anorexia, vague abdominal discomfort, nausea and

vomiting, fever and fatigue, progressing to *jaundice in about 25% of patients, less frequently than

hepatitis B.

Of those exposed to HCV, about 40% recover fully, but the remainder, whether they have symptoms or

not, become chronic *carriers. Of these, 20% develop *cirrhosis. Of those with *cirrhosis, up to 20%

develop liver cancer.

How is HCV spread?

Hepatitis C *virus is usually spread by sharing infected needles with a *carrier, from receiving infected

blood, and from accidental exposure to infected blood. Some people acquire the infection through

nonparenteral means that have not been fully defined, but include sexual transmission in persons with

high risk behaviours, although transmission of HCV Is less common than that of HBV and HIV.

HCV is not spread by breast feeding, sneezing, coughing, hugging, sharing eating utensils or drinking

glasses, other normal social contact, food or water.

Mother-to-baby transmission is now well documented, but uncommon.39 Needs a high viraemia (>1 log­)

as found in HIV co-infections

A person who has hepatitis C can still get other types of hepatitis, such as hepatitis A or hepatitis B.

HCV positive persons should :

• not donate blood, body organs, tissue, or semen

• not share toothbrushes or razors

• keep cuts and skin lesions covered

The disease

Hepatitis C is a major global public health problem. HCV infection is one of the main causes of *cirrhosis

and HCC. HCV-related end stage liver disease is the leading reason for liver transplantation in the USA.

Acute HCV infection

The incubation period for acute hepatitis C averages 6 to 10 weeks.

Most persons (~80%) who develop acute hepatitis C have no symptoms.

The onset of disease is usually insidious, with anorexia, vague abdominal discomfort, nausea and

vomiting, fever and fatigue, progressing to *jaundice in about 25% of patients, less frequently than

hepatitis B.

Rapid, fulminant liver failure associated with HCV infection is a rare event.

Probably as many as 70%-90% of infected people fail to clear the *virus during the acute phase of the

disease and become chronic *carriers

Severity ranges from inapparent cases in approximately 75% of infections to rare fulminating, fatal

cases.41 Chronic liver disease with fluctuating or persistently elevated liver *enzymes is common,

occurring after >60% of HCV infections in adults.

Of those with chronic liver disease, 5%-20% may develop *cirrhosis.

About 5% of infected persons may die from the consequences of long term infection (liver cancer or

*cirrhosis).

The course of acute hepatitis C is variable, although elevations in *serum *ALT levels, often in a

fluctuating pattern, are its most characteristic feature. Normalization of *ALT levels might occur and

suggests full recovery, but this is frequently followed by *ALT elevations that indicate progression to

chronic disease.

After acute infection, 15%-25% of persons resolve their infection without sequelae.94 Spontaneous

elimination of the *virus is rare.

Chronic HCV infection

Chronic hepatitis can be defined as a continuing disease without improvement for at least six months.

Chronic hepatitis is not a single disease, but rather a complex clinico-pathological syndrome with multiple

causes, varying stages of necro-inflammatory and sclerosing liver damage, different prognoses and

responses to treatment.

Most persons (60%-80%) who have chronic hepatitis C have no symptoms.

Chronic HCV infection develops in 75%-85% of persons, with persistent or fluctuating *ALT elevations

indicating active liver disease developing in 60%-70% of chronically infected persons. No clinical or

*epidemiologic features among patients with acute infection have been found to be predictive of either

persistent infection or chronic liver disease.

An important clinical feature of infection with HCV is the high rate of chronic hepatitis and slowly

progressive lifelong infection, which may lead to *cirrhosis and liver failure in about 10%-20% of persons

with chronic hepatitis C.

HCV-associated *cirrhosis leads to liver failure and death in about 20%-25% of cirrhotic cases. HCVassociated

*cirrhosis now represents a leading indication for liver transplantation

Chronic HCV infection appears to be associated with the development of hepatocellular *carcinoma (HCC)

in 1%-5% of persons with chronic hepatitis C.

Development of HCC is rare in patients with chronic hepatitis C who do not have *cirrhosis.5

Chronic infection is often not symptomatic, until evidence of liver failure becomes clinically apparent. The

rate of progression to *cirrhosis is usually slow, with 20 or more years elapsing between infection and the

development of serious complications.

The period of communicability spans from one or more weeks before onset of the first symptoms and may

persist in most persons indefinitely.

Based on infectivity studies in chimpanzees, the *titre of HCV in the blood appears to be relatively low.

Peaks in *virus concentration appear to correlate with peaks in *ALT activity.

Susceptibility is general. The degree of immunity following infection is not known. Repeated infections with

HCV have been demonstrated in an experimental chimpanzee model.

HCV infection does not cause fulminant hepatic failure, but, occurring in the setting of another chronic

liver disease such as chronic HBV infection, may precipitate liver failure.

An early diagnosis in the course of the disease can:

• increase the chances of successful treatment

• increase impact of essential lifestyle changes

• limit cross-infection

*EIA result Suggested action

anti-HCV positive HCV infection in a patient with a positive EIA test

should be confirmed by a qualitative HCV RNA

assay.

However confirmation may be

unnecessary in a patient who has evidence of

liver disease and obvious risk factors for HCV.

The immunoblot assay is still useful as a

supplemental assay for persons screened in

nonclinical settings and in persons with a positive

EIA who test negative for HCV RNA.

anti-HCV negative A negative EIA test is sufficient to exclude a

diagnosis of chronic HCV infection in immunecompetent

patients, if the test is performed

Transmission

Transmission occurs by percutaneous exposure to contaminated blood and *plasma derivatives.

Contaminated needles and syringes are most important vehicles of spread, especially among injecting

drug users.

Because the *virus possesses a lipid-containing envelope, exposure of *virus to bile and secretion from

the liver through the biliary tract to the gut would result in rapid loss of *virus infectivity.

Transmission by household contact and sexual activity appears to be low.

Uncommon but occasional is the transmission at birth from mother to child. About 5 out of every 100

infants born to HCV infected women become infected at the time of birth. Unfortunately, no treatment can

prevent this from happening. Perinatal transmission explains only a small proportion of chronic HCV

infections. This contrasts with HBV infection, in which most adult chronic *carriers acquired infection in

the newborn period.

The risk of mother to infant transmission of HCV increases dramatically if the mother is co-infected with

HIV possibly due to an increase in HCV *titre as a result of immunosuppression.

The risk of mother-baby transmission correlates with the *titre of maternal HCV *viremia.

For women found to be HCV positive, there are no recommendations against pregnancy or breast-feeding,

nor is a special method recommended to deliver the baby. However, invasive fetal monitoring (eg. using

scalp electrodes) should be avoided.HCV-positive mothers should consider abstaining from breastfeeding

if their nipples are cracked or bleeding.

Vaccines

There is no *vaccine against HCV.

There are major challenges to the future development of a hepatitis C *vaccine. Primary infection of

chimpanzees does not protect against subsequent challenge by either the identical *viral strain or a

heterologous strain. Protective or neutralizing *antibodies have not been found.

Comprehensive strategy to prevent and control hepatitis C *virus (HCV) infection and HCV-related

disease

 Primary prevention activities include

- screening and testing of blood, *plasma, organ, tissue, and semen donors

- *virus inactivation of *plasma-derived products

- adequate sterilization of reusable material such as surgical or dental instruments

- risk-reduction counseling and services

- implementation and maintenance of infection-control practices

- needle and syringe exchange programs

 Secondary prevention activities include

- identification, counseling, and testing of persons at risk

- medical management of infected persons

 Professional and public education

 Surveillance and research to monitor disease trends and effectiveness of prevention activites

Prevention of spread of infection should be the main goal at the current time until cost effective therapies

become available.

Monitoring

It is recommended that progression of liver disease be monitored every 6 months by checking blood

counts and liver *enzymes. In patients with more advanced liver disease, level of a-fetoprotein and

ultrasonography should be added.

Patients with chronic hepatitis C should be examined, questioned about side effects, and have blood

tested for *ALT/*AST every 1 to 4 weeks while on therapy. Evaluation should continue for at least 6

months after stopping therapy to assess whether the response to therapy is sustained.

Early response is assessed at 3 months by evaluating the patient’s *ALT and/or HCV RNA response.

End-of-treatment response is assessed by *ALT and/or HCV RNA estimation when therapy is completed.

Key Facts About HEPATITIS B

Key facts

• Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease.
• The virus is transmitted through contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person - not through casual contact.
• The hepatitis B virus is 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV.

·         Hepatitis B is a potentially life-threatening liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus. It is a major global health problem and the most serious type of viral hepatitis. It can cause chronic liver disease and puts people at high risk of death from cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer.

Symptoms

Hepatitis B virus can cause an acute illness with symptoms that last several weeks, including yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), dark urine, extreme fatigue, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. People can take several months to a year to recover from the symptoms. HBV can also cause a chronic liver infection that can later develop into cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer.

Who is most at risk for chronic disease?

The likelihood that an HBV infection will become chronic depends upon the age at which a person becomes infected, with young children who become infected with HBV being the most likely to develop chronic infections. About 90% of infants infected during the first year of life develop chronic infections; 30% to 50% of children infected between one to four years of age develop chronic infections. About 25% of adults who become chronically infected during childhood die from HBV-related liver cancer or cirrhosis.
Hepatitis B virus is transmitted between people by contact with the blood or other body fluids (i.e. semen and vaginal fluid) of an infected person. Modes of transmission are the same for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but HBV is 50 to 100 times more infectious Unlike HIV, HBV can survive outside the body for at least 7 days. During that time, the virus can still cause infection if it enters the body of a person who is not infected.
Common modes of transmission in developing countries are:

• perinatal (from mother to baby at birth)
• early childhood infections (inapparent infection through close interpersonal contact with infected household contacts)
• unsafe injections practices
• blood transfusions
• sexual contact

·         HBV is not spread by contaminated food or water, and cannot be spread casually in the workplace.

·         There is no specific treatment for acute hepatitis B. Care is aimed at maintaining comfort and adequate nutritional balance, including replacement of fluids that are lost from vomiting and diarrhoea.

·         Liver cancer is almost always fatal, and often develops in people at an age when they are most productive and have family responsibilities. In developing countries, most people with liver cancer die within months of diagnosis. In higher income countries, surgery and chemotherapy can prolong life for up to a few years in some patients.