Amy Winehouse was strongly condemned, recently, for openly confessing her love for the drugs. It is believed that the celebrities have a lot of influence on the lives and conduct of the younger generation. In the light of this, Amy Winehouse’s drug abuse problem has brought a lot of dismay to the governments of various countries fighting against drug abuse. She was even called a ‘poster girl for drug abuse’ by some. She was accused of glamorizing drug abuse and instigating the younger generation to increase their drug intake.

 

Drug Abuse

It is a condition in which there is a destructive way of using a drug, chemical or any substance, which causes significant distress and dependency. This condition is also called chemical abuse or substance abuse.

Symptoms of drug abuse

It is important to keep an eye on some warning signals or symptoms that point to drug abuse. Parents, especially of teenagers, should be cautious about the appearance of any of the following physical symptoms of drug abuse in their children –

• Loss of appetite or increased appetite
• Staggering walk and poor muscular coordination
• Unnatural weight loss
• Red eyes, blank stare
• Shaking hands, sweaty palms
• Puffiness of face, pale face
• Smell of drugs from body, clothes or breath
• Needle marks on the body, specially on the arms and legs

Some adolescents may show behavioral changes as follows –

• Change in attitude and personality without any obvious cause
• Changes in hobbies and activities
• Change in friend’s circle, abrupt avoidance of old friends
• Does not speak about new friends, tries to hide their identity, new friends could be known addicts.
• Spends most of the time alone
• Dishonest behavior, cheating, stealing things, repeated need of money
• Secretive behavior
• Moody behavior, irritability, throwing tantrums

When the child or adult suddenly starts showing the above mentioned symptoms, it should raise suspicion of drug abuse. Some drugs abusers may show some drug-specific symptoms as described below –

• Marijuana: red eyes, inappropriate laughter, loud talking, sweet smell of the body
• Alcohol: Clumsy behavior, slurred speech, difficult gait, lack of judgment
• Stimulants: hyperactive behavior, euphoria, anxiety, irritability, sleeping at odd times, excessive talkativeness, dry mouth, dry nose, dilated pupils
• Hallucinogens: irritable and bizarre behavior, paranoid behavior, dilated pupils, hallucinations, aggression, disinterested in talking to people, mood changes, self absorbed, confused behaviors
• Heroin: excessive sleepiness, needle marks on body, vomiting, sweating, twitching, reduced appetite, contracted pupils, pupils do not respond to light.
• Nicotine or tobacco: Stained teeth and fingers; smell of nicotine from the body and breath.

Cases of drug abuse need to be detected at an early stage. Proper care and treatment is required for such patients before it is too late. The treatment varies depending on the substance involved and the extent of drug abuse. The modes of treatment available are combinations of medications, counseling, rehabilitation, in-house treatment, behavior therapy and mediation. Drug rehabilitation, or just drug rehab as it is called, is a process of psychotherapeutic and medical treatment, for cases of drug abuse. The intention of drug rehab for drug abuse is to assist the patient to stop the abuse of drug and help him to avoid the financial, personal, social, psychological and legal consequences of it. It involves long term treatment of patients including counseling, medications, behavior therapy, family counseling, education about drug abuse to the patient and the family and meditation. It is very important to understand that the relapse of cases of drug abuse is very common and it can occur even after 5 – 7 years after successful drug de-addiction.