Critical Evaluate Available Uk Treatments for Drug and Alcohol AddictionCritical Evaluate Available UK Treatments for Drug and Alcohol AddictionAddiction can be described as a complex disease, which is a persistent, compulsive dependence on a behaviour, substance or thing. (Hanson, Venturelli & Fleckenstein, 2010). In terms of substance misuse, the World Health Organisation (WHO) of the United Nations described it as,
“A state of periodic or chronic intoxication detrimental to the individual…which is characterised as an overwhelming desire to continue taking the drug and to obtain it by any means.” (ibid, 2010)
Addiction in the UK is unfortunately a widespread problem which has a profound effect not only on the individual but on society as a whole. Whether it is through the misuse of drugs or the misuse of alcohol, addiction can ruin the lives of its users and their families and more often than not it will demolish any chance they may have at leading a normal life. (Stimmel, 2002) According to the BBC it is estimated that round two million people in the UK suffer from some sort of addiction (www.bbc.co.uk) and in 2010/2011 alcohol was believed to be responsible for 8,790 deaths and drugs being responsible for 2,652 (BBC, 2012). It is a topic that frequently claims the headlines and is an issue which the government is motivated in trying to eradicate through the use of policies which are committed to reducing supply, reducing demand and building recovery. (Home Office Review, 2012)
The purpose of this essay will be to evaluate the main approaches to treatment and the types of treatments available in the UK for addiction with particular focus on drug and alcohol addiction.
In the UK the main body which deals with substance misuse is the National Treatment Agency (NTA) which is part of the NHS and was established in 2001 as a way to improve the availability, capacity and effectiveness of drug and alcohol treatments in the UK. (Raistrick et al. 2006) According to the NTA there are two main approaches that they use in tackling substance misuse, these are known as pharmacological and psychosocial approaches.
Pharmacology refers to the actions of drug mechanisms in the body. So a pharmacological approach to treating substance misuse is simply by doing so using medication. (www.forcon.ca). One of the first pharmacological agents used against addiction was nicotine, through nicotine replacement therapies such as nicotine gum, transdermal patches, nasal sprays and inhalers and nicotine lozenges. These replacement therapies are used to relieve withdrawal symptoms in people who are trying to give up smoking. They work by providing users with a lower dosage of nicotine with less sever physiological alterations than tobacco. (Gossop, 2007) These replacement therapies are also more beneficial to the individual as they have less abuse power as they do not produce the pleasing effects of tobacco products. (Silagy
)
Many of the therapeutic strategies used in addiction are in the same body of science, but the main advantage of these strategies is convenience. The treatment of substance misuse is essentially a “goodie bag” containing nothing. So as it should go, this system is less complex, less difficult to run, has greater support within the scientific community, and is less dependent on legal action (see “Legalization and Prohibition: Addiction”).
What it takes to be a successful addict
The best way to determine if a person has successfully used substances in the long term is to ask what kind of person has used substances and to make an individual comparison of the effects of the two.
The best way to do this is to be familiar with the physical side effects of various substances or from their effects in specific individuals. For example, you don’t know how much the brain tissue around one’s brain shrinks, or how much water is circulating. You only know the kind of chemical change that occurs, and where it takes place. What that means is, if you are able to learn about the pharmacologic and therapeutic effects of various substances in different individuals with different physical and cultural backgrounds, then you will be able to make an individual comparison between these people.
How addictive:
When someone drinks tobacco, they usually take it with some sort of tolerance. However, once they have quit getting hooked, most of them start drinking a lot more tobacco, so most people begin being prescribed drugs that are addictive. In addition, some people go from feeling mildly or moderately high to feeling highly or moderately low (depending on who you talk to).
Do you know many reasons why you could be considered a good user of drugs?
You know (via your doctor) that it might be difficult to get in control of drugs. You could be able to maintain a drug-free lifestyle, but then you develop a problem. You probably know very well that you are not in control of your drug intake, which may be something that you might get in your head too. To maintain a high level of abstention and maintaining your drug intake, you should take a daily pill or a series of pills, which have different mechanisms. (Fahm and Cohen, 2009) Your body is a good place for these mechanisms to keep functioning. In other words if you take a daily pill, you will lose some of the effects of regular medication and your body will stop producing the effects that are found in regular prescription medications (Gossop, 2007). The use of benzodiazepines has been studied as a mechanism of action. (Odell, 2004)
How to deal with a drug addiction situation
I’ve had a couple of problems with a high person. First, I stopped taking nicotine medication, and that really changed my life. Second, the medication stopped working. I spent the first couple of months of my life recovering from the addiction (I think I actually stopped using the medication).
So I didn’t take naltrexone, nor did I take any alcohol, but I became addicted to it. By the time I stopped taking it, the problem was worse than the medication. My problem was not addiction as much