What is drug addiction?

An addict is a person who has at least three of the following list within 12 months,

• Gradually increasing amount of substances despite problems
• Unsuccessful attempts to quit
• Spending so much time in supplying, consuming or quitting a substance
• Reducing or leaving social, vocational or leisure activities

Effects

Chemical structures of substances used as drug are different from each other. They cause physical and psychological damage by affecting different parts of central nervous system when they are used. There is no safe consumption types of drugs. The risk of addiction is equal for everyone who uses.

Our cells identify every substance involved in body and record them in memory without forgetting once again. This condition called cellular absorption process is viable for everyone.

• It makes mind and will-power dysfunctional and suspends a person from normal life and manners.
• It causes nausea, vomiting, stomachache, constipation, diarrhoea, gastric and intestine spasms/haemorrhage.
• It causes damage in all internal organs and a number of accompanying diseases.
• It leads poisoning and incoming deaths.
• Drugs lessen adaptability of a person to environment. An addict becomes isolated from his family and environment by degrees. Mostly, severe depressions accompanies with that scene.

What should be done?

• It is not useful to talk with him if s/he is under the effects of a substance.
• Do not talk with him unless you feel ready.
• Be open, sincere and credible, do not give a moral lesson.
• Abstain from generalization.
• Korkularınıza dayanarak konuşmayın.
• Do not talk in the way based on your fear.
• Abstain from drawing attention because it is hard to approach a person labelled as a user.
• Be aware of your prejudices, hence you may reduce the possibility of miscommunication.
• Try to understand his thoughts, life and fear with empathy.
• Convince him to get expert help with a sincere approach.

What should be done?

• Not accepting, denial: No, my child never uses it.
• Accusation of himself or his partner: This child became like this because of you. We could not be a good parent.
• Disappointment, desperation: Did I raise you for this? It is all over, from now on nothing will be as it is used to.
• Anger: I can’t have such a child!
• Accusation of a child and insulting: You are dysfunctional.
• Taking extreme decisions: Your school life is finished.

Preventive Elements

• • Accurate drug information in accord with ages
  • Strong and positive family connection
  • Parents’ care for their child and acquaintance with whom their child is friend of
  • Open family rules and obedience of each member of family to those rules
  • Success in school

For treatment

People who use drug, who want to be treated and look for solution or their relatives can apply to psychiatry clinics and Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment Centres (AMATEM in Turkey).The treatment conducted in cooperation with patient and doctor includes decontamination by staying at hospital in 2-6 months and psycho-social treatment throughout a year. The best preventive way is to start never.

It is possible to quit drug!

• Addiction can be treated but great struggle and time are necessary in order to recover properly.
• The most important phase is desire to be treated and feeling ready.
• Communicating properly and sharing experiences with relatives are significant in this process.
• Addiction treatment depends on person, type of used substance and consumption duration.
• It is nearly impossible to quit drug on one’s own, undoubtedly s/he should get expert help.

Risk factors

• Children of parents who have psychological problems or addiction to any substance are at much higher risk.
• Lack of care and connection between child and parents
• Excessive timidity or violent behaviours
• Decline in school success

Prevention is important!

Actions to prevent use and spread of substances leading addiction in society are conducted with the aim of minimizing personal and social problems caused by substances and developing healthy manners in society.

• Addiction is a disease the treatment of which is hard after the development of tolerance.
• The cost of long-term treatments is quite high.
• If necessary socio-psychologic measures are not taken after recovery, the repetition possibility of addiction is very high.
• Health expenditure of country increases as a result of negative effects of drug use on human health.
• It is observed that the cost of every kind of prevention programmes is much lower than the treatment cost.