What is Drug Addiction?

Drug addiction is not, as some people, believe, an inherent weakness. Instead, it is a chronic brain disease that affects thought control and the brain's circuitry. Therefore, drug abuse can lead to brain disorders that are associated with motivation, learning, reward and behavior. The likelihood that a patient will become drug-dependent is based on his or her genetic makeup, when the patient was first exposed to drugs, and social-environmental influences.

Therefore, drug abuse and drug addiction do not come about from a weak will or lack of morals. Rather, the condition, just like arthritis or heart disease, is a disease that requires continual treatment and monitoring. As a result, people who abuse drugs can relapse if they don't follow a course of treatment that entails health care monitoring, the application of medications and psychological counseling.

While some drug rehab programs last, short-term, for about three months, it is recommended that anyone who is addicted to drugs and wants to realize recovery undergo the treatment for a much longer time, preferably 9 months to a year.

Treatments for drug addiction and drug abuse are customized to each user's pattern of drug use as well as their defined psychiatric, health and social issues. By taking this approach, drug rehab counselors often lead patients into a life where recovery is realized and sustained.

If you or a friend or family member is addicted to drugs, nicotine, or alcohol, you need to seek medical attention as soon as possible. Drug abuse or drug addiction leads to broken relationships, loss of employment, crime-related activities and failure in school. The habit divides families and can lead to chronic depression. Therefore, immediate treatment is not only recommended, it is prescribed.