Drug Abuse Rehabilitation

A controversial memoir of James Frey, narrates the story of a 23 year old alcoholic and a drug abuser. The book, 'A Million Little Pieces', presents the readers with the horrific consequences of drug abuse and alcoholism. The book talks about how the protagonist goes through the war of rehabilitation to find his peace. Despite its gory details, the author maintains a positive outlook through his character James, who refuses to blame anybody for his condition and believes that he is a victim of his own choices.

Very rarely do we come across such people, who accept their mistakes. It takes a mighty heart to own up to a wrong doing. Often drug abusers take to drugs, in order to get rid of stress and experience extreme joy. Another commonly found reason for alcohol and drug abuse, is peer pressure. They begin, thinking it is for fun. To derive momentary pleasure, they become regular users and gradually become addicts. Over a period of time, the use of psychotropic drugs becomes a habitual act.

Mostly seen amongst teenagers and adolescents, drug abuse is on rampant rise. A huge market and an abundant availability of drugs, has left many young people addicted to it. Drug addiction is dominant among both, the underdeveloped section of society as well as the developed societies. The reasons for people who take recourse in drugs, are however, an absolute contrast. For instance, people from low economic backgrounds, use drugs to get rid of depression and the other lot uses it as a tool to satisfy their snob appeal.

Rehabilitation centers have come up in the recent past, to teach drug abusers, the techniques to overcome their addiction. The programs implemented by the medical practitioners and psychologists at these rehabilitation centers, aim at enabling the sufferers to cease the use of psychoactive substances. The drug abuse rehabilitation programs work towards releasing the patients from their psychological and physical dependency on drugs. An abrupt stoppage of drug intake, can strike the patient with withdrawal symptoms, that affects the body for a long time.

Psychological therapy attempts to involve the patient in a drug free environment. A 'twelve-step program' is a method adopted by most rehab centers, which focuses on making the drug abuser realize that there exists a greater power to attain happiness. The program also targets at making the user admit that his addiction has gone far beyond control and that it can now, only be treated with help.

Rehabilitation centers primarily follow counseling treatments to motivate the addicted person to overcome his addiction. Many drug rehabs have the option of customized programs for individuals, depending on the severity of the problem. The rehabs provide the patient with a leisure environment for therapeutic benefits. Outdoor activities at these centers, brings them closer to nature and helps them to understand the finer nuances of life. Gradually, the rehab programs ensure that the affected person sees the positive change in himself/herself.

Drug abusers fall a prey to their own unstable minds. Socially unacceptable, drug addicts are treated with contempt and disregard. They are subjected to isolation by the society. If we accept cancer patients and treat them with love and care, then what happens when it comes to drug addicts? To have healthy neighborhoods, it's imperative that we condone these addicts, who are at a 'dis-ease' with themselves and us. Let's make a collective effort rather than selective deletion, 'to make this world a better place for you and for me and the entire human race', as Michel Jackson sang.