Know More About Addiction

Hello, I am Dr. Milind Barhate, psychiatrist practicing in Varli and Mumbai area. Now we discuss about the addiction.

Addiction is a disease and it is different from other disease. Most of the people believe that addiction is the only habit. They do not  accept that it's a disease. Most of the other disease patient accept whatever this is, whether it is fever, malaria dengu, heart problem, diabetes, problem cancer etc. Patient accepts and go for the treatment. But in case of addiction, patient believes that he/she is normal. Even after there is a liver problem or because of addiction multiple problems arises. Some people requires only one quarter at night to fall asleep, it's not his problem and that's why they do not get it treated and it's a common issue.

Addiction now is increasing. Initially people goes for only alcohol, tobacco, smoking. Nowadays teenagers and children are getting drug addicted like Kaname, Ganja marijuana, charas, brown sugar and cocaine etc. Chemical addiction is also common addiction of the medicines or tablets or syrup.

So addiction is a disease it affects your brain and your body. After certain period of time, your brain and body gets dependent on such substance and because of  this reason people generally take the substance repeatedly. There is a change in your brain. Chemical changes occur that causes impulsive inability, frustration, depression, psychosis, a lot of mood changes. In addition to it, it affects everywhere. It affects your body from brain to toe. When it affects your brain it causes lot of diseases like dementia, seizures. When it affects your lung it causes bronchitis lung diseases. When it affects your liver it also affects your liver for the coc's or cancer of the liver, or vomiting of the blood. It also causes blood pressure, diabetes, hypertension, heart problems and erectile dysfunction, reducing sperm count, reducing weight and appetite. It also causes change in behavior, change in sexual behavior, change in sleep and at appetite and also changing driving.

Because of addiction the chances of an accident can increase. It also affects your family also. We'd also affect at occupation also, at your economy also. So it affects almost all parts of your life like body, family, at occupation, at your economy social life and spiritual life. So it's a disease, but different from other diseases, and it may harm oe's life severely. Still the person believes that he is okay. It becomes habit and because of this attitude, most of the  patients left untreated which ultimately end up to late stage for the treatment. They come with the mouth cancer and that stage even after if you stop the alcohol, it may ultimately result death. There is a treatment available for it. Treatment is little bit difficult and different from other diseases. So medicines are important to treat the problem.

There are medicines to control the withdrawal features. There are a medicine for sleeping problems, the treatment for constipation is also available as most of the tobacco smokers they're suffering from constipation. Early morning they do not get the pressure. That's why they are regularly taking tobacco and alcohol. Tobacco and smoking, so there are medicines for that problem. Tension and even if you are suffering from anxiety, depression or psychosis there is a medicine. Some anti craving medicines are also there to control your mood and craving for substance.

At the same time along with medicines, family counseling, accounting also necessary. Individual counseling also necessary. Social counseling also available for alcoholism. Alcoholic for Drugs Narcotics Anonymous is there, if a person takes a treatment for a longer time. If we take it, it went for only one day, there is no chance. If we took a treatment for one month, there is a little chance and if it continued treatment for 1 year, he's having 25 percent of the chances to come out from the alcohol or drugs. At the same time if he continues the medicines, counseling and social counseling and social support, family support for the longest, wait more than five years there are chances more than eighty percent to come out of this problem. Its lifelong business. There are well known relapses. Even after stopping for alcohol or drugs for five years or ten years there are chances of relapses. The long treatment is needed to prevent the relapses. Cure is not possible treatment because it is a disease of personality. When we counsel the patient, when we are doing individual counseling, we enforce the patient initially, we tell the patients about the disease model and and to make them accept so that they can overcome through it.

Alcoholism and drug is a disease. After accepting, the second part is to identify the character defect, because alcoholism and drug is not a major problem, the major problem is character, habit and a  behavior. So second stage is to identify that character defect or behavior deface leading to addiction. After identifying that character defects, we focus that character defect and we work on that with the help of small step program and as the time continues if the patient is ready and motivated to work on it, there are the good chances to come out from this situation. The only thing is, first admit that you are an addict. Second come forward for a treatment and be patient for a longer treatment.

 For more information you can contact me on lybrate.com from Dr. milind Barhate. Thank you.