Drug abuse is the overuse or misuse of drugs for non-medical purposes. These can be illicit drugs such as speed, ice and cannibis, prescription drugs such as Valium, or common anti-depressants such as Xanax, Codeine, Oxycodone (Endone), Dexamphetamine, etc.
There are three main kinds of drugs, each of which causes different physical and psychological repercussions:
But while they provide a short-term sense of pleasure, they also bring on feelings of anxiety or depression in some people and regular long-term use can negatively affect your mental health, making it hard or impossible to cope with everyday life situations.
Speed, ice, cocaine, ecstasy and other stimulants increase your heart rate, body temperature and blood pressure and give you a temporary ‘buzz’ which makes you feel more confident, motivated and energetic.
However, they can also have a number of side effects including stomach cramps, headaches, dizziness and feelings of anxiety, paranoia and/or aggression.
LSD, ketamine, magic mushrooms and other hallucinogens cause you to hear and see things that aren’t really there, or amplify what the five senses are taking in.
As a result of hallucinogens, many experience unpleasant changes to their reality which can cause anxiety, depression, paranoia and psychosis in those susceptible to mental health problems.
There can be a variety of reasons for drug addiction including having an addictive personality, which is a predisposition to developing addictions. You could also have a parent who is an addict or have been exposed to drug addiction or traumatic experiences from an early age.
Drug addiction might also result from experiencing a severe physical trauma or injury or a severe psychological trauma such as the loss of a loved one. If you suffer from high stress levels or have a mental health condition such as anxiety or depression, you could also be more likely to become addicted to drugs. The possibilities are many, but the common denominator is that if you turn to drugs to cope with whatever you think is wrong with your life, the cure often turns out to be much worse than the cause.
If you think you or someone you know might be suffering from drug addiction or drug abuse, some of the signs to look for include:
Dealing with addiction starts with admitting that it has become a major problem. Once you recognise this, the drug addiction treatment will depend on the severity of your addiction.
If you’re only an occasional recreational drug user but think drugs may be having too much of an influence in your life, there are steps you can take to moderate your drug use including:
If your addiction is more advanced, drug rehabilitation may be the only way to deal with it. This can take the form of community-based rehabilitation programs or residential rehabilitation services where you stay in a clinic or retreat while being treated.
Rehabilitation often involves detoxification to remove the drugs from your system and then therapy to assist you in changing your behaviour.
Palladium Private is different to other drug rehabilitation facilities because we teach a reality-based mindset technique which is based on CBT, ACT and Rational Emotional Behaviour Therapy. This is an educational program delivered in a retreat environment that focuses on holistic healing of the mind, body and interpersonal connections. Our detox solution has four major components:
1) If, during your pre-program assessment you are deemed to have required a withdrawal program, then your program will start with a general check-up with a GP to review medication and undertake any required blood or urine tests to identify areas that need addressing.
2) A chaperone will stay with you for three nights if needed to make sure you feel safe and supported. This can be for the entire program, but most guests usually find they are feeling better after their third day. We do have guests that have requested a chaperone for the majority of their stay and this can be arranged.
3) A highly nutritious diet is provided to give the body the essential components it needs to fuel the mechanics of detoxification. This is combined with gentle exercise and massage to assist in moving toxins out of the body.
4) We have a multitude of therapies to choose from for the physical change, but long term permanent change is always facilitated in conjunction with the psychological therapies we select for each client.
Our personal, tailored BioPsychoSocial programs are designed to empower you to deal with
issues in your life including:
