Drug Addiction and Abuse

Drug Addiction and substance abuse is a chronic, relapsing disease wherein the drug user compulsively spends time looking for and using an illegal drug. This form of addiction is characterized by neurochemical and molecular changes in the brain. Some of the common drugs used by drug addicts are heroin, cocaine, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), mandrax, barbiturates and a variety of opiates. Estimates indicate that there are around three million drug addicts in India.
Traditionally in India, drug addicts are usually the responsibility of the family or the social group to which they belong. In most cases, drug addicts are treated through general health services, on a voluntary basis. Now, State level hospitals also offer rehabilitation facilities for indoor treatment to hard-core addicts through their psychiatry departments. Besides State run treatment centres, there is a network of de-addiction centres run by voluntary organizations. Also, community based treatment programmes are operated in different regions of the country.
The main thrust of these programmes is to strengthen the ties of addicts to their family and community and get the community to cooperate in the rehabilitation process. The de-addiction centres run by non-governmental organizations employ various systems of medicine such as allopathy, homeopathy, ayurveda, naturopathy and yoga coupled with a range of psychotherapies to cure addicts.