Rehabilitating Drug Abusers

Rehabilitating Drug Abusers

Curiosity is one of the strongest reasons why people try drugs. But it is not the only one. Pleasure is another and a very strong motive for abusing drugs. Obviously, few people would take drugs outside of medical treatment without some kick they get from them. Illegal, mind-altering drugs are one of the chief sources of thrills in a pleasure-seeking society, perhaps made even more thrilling by the very fact that they are illegal.

Once an individual becomes part of the drug scene, his or her rehabilitation is often very difficult. For some drug victims, psychological counseling or psychiatric therapy, on an individual or group basis, may be of help. In addition, a few therapeutic communities deal with the ravages of the drugs mentioned above. But their effectiveness has not been proven yet.

Methadone maintenance

For opiate addicts, there are better opportunities for treatment. One of the most popular and well-publicized methods is methadone maintenance. Methadone is a habit-forming substitute for heroin. It is usually taken orally once a day, ending the addict's craving for heroin and preventing him or her from experiencing the symptoms of withdrawal from heroin.

In well-run programs, approximately 80% of the enrolled addicts remain for at least a year. Their criminal behavior falls off markedly, and many addicts get jobs. At the end of four or five years, 60 to 65% have remained in the methadone program. Most of the former addicts adjust to society in satisfactory ways.

Therapeutic communities

In contrast to methadone maintenance, therapeutic communities strictly forbid all drugs. The addict under treatment lives in a rigidly run communal setting, where group discussions and encounters are the rule.

The addict is made to face himself and accept his faults. He is then helped by the group to adjust his or her personality and life to a completely drug free existence. If the addict does not conform to the group's demands and rules, he is punished in various ways and made to look or feel uncomfortable or even ridiculous.

Narcotic antagonists

Narcotic antagonists are drugs that work in a way different from that of methadone. They simply block the pleasurable effects of opiates, without necessarily being addictive. Among these antagonists are cyclazocine and a cyclazocine derivative known as naltrexone hydrochloride. When administered, such a drug may, for example, keep heroin from affecting an addict for as long as three days after he first takes the narcotic.

Civil commitment

Some states have tried to compel treatment for addicts who commit crimes or who are signed into programs by their relatives. Most of the addicts receiving forced treatment are not motivated for cure, however. Therefore, many scientists think that the results of civil commitment have so far not been very encouraging, despite the psychological therapy, educational improvement, and job training offered to those in the programs.

There are methods of treating or advising drug users other than those discussed here. They include religious groups and of which there are many. Religion, however, apparently does not appeal to most addicts. As for the other approaches, there is not so much information about their success at present.