What Is a Substance Abuse Evaluation?

Substance abuse refers to a form of poor adaptation to substance use that can cause clinically significant damage or pain, and that can recur continuously or intermittently over a long period of time.

Substance abuse refers to intermittent or persistent overuse that violates social norms or is irrelevant or inconsistent with accepted medical practices

Substance abuse is called psychoactive substance abuse. Occasional use of psychoactive substances can be called substance use if they do not have an adverse effect on an individual's physical and mental health and social functions. When an individual repeatedly uses a psychoactive substance, which causes obvious adverse consequences, it is called "abuse"

Substance abuse has the following characteristics: to use these drugs without any means to obtain it; increasing use (resistance of drug resistance); psychological and physical dependence (withdrawal symptoms), and to individuals 2. Society has a bad impact. Collectively referred to as substance dependence or drug addiction ^[1]

in 1980

Substance abuse can occur at all levels of different ages and races. Among Western adolescent patients, many come from broken families or frustrated or unemployed. Men are about 1/4 to 1/3 more than women. These people often achieve "happiness to escape" from material dependence. Generally considered to be related to:

Spontaneous contingency

Depends on how close to a substance. For example, medical, nursing, and pharmacy personnel have easy access to drugs because of their professional relationships, and they are more likely to become dependent than ordinary residents. Painters can become dependent on exposure to certain organic solvents such as paint thinners, adhesives, detergents, and gasoline.

Iatrogenic

Dependence is often caused by the doctor's frequent use of certain substances to patients. Such as the repeated use of morphine analgesic to cancer patients, causing dependence on morphine. There are also people who use hypnotic sedatives or pain medications due to occasional insomnia or pain, and even develop long-term abuse and eventually become dependent.

Degree of commercial circulation

Diffusion through commercial circulation channels quickly became popular, but there are certain geographical boundaries and ethnic characteristics, and certain group activities, which are generally easy to quickly control and put out.

Cultural influence

The most obvious is that young people in western societies are often affected by gangs of subcultural groups. Collective use of marijuana or other drugs is prone to widespread epidemics. In some areas, the customs and habits of residents are likely to lead to epidemics, such as social and environmental factors such as South American Indians eating coca leaves and Mexican Indians eating the tip of the plant peyotl (including South American cactus toxin).

Personality defect

Some people think that a person with substance dependence often has a defective personality, which is called an "addictive personality". It is generally believed that there are three types of personality defects that are prone to material dependence, namely abnormal personality, lone personality and dependent personality. It has also been found that personality defects consistent with alcohol dependence can cause other material dependence. The common characteristics of these personality defects are that they are prone to anxiety, nervousness, unsatisfied desires, emotional urges, and poor self-control.

Psychological positive reinforcement

The behavioral psychology school believes that the euphoria produced by substance abuse can produce direct positive reinforcement, while avoiding pain during withdrawal produces indirect positive reinforcement. The two work together to form a first-level enhancement. Scenarios and conditions that form material dependence can also form a strengthening effect on the environment, that is, a secondary strengthening. The superposition of these two levels of reinforcement then stabilizes human behavior, thereby creating material dependence. In addition, depending on the group psychology of the surrounding people they are in contact with, the dependents can also constitute a social reinforcement, which promotes more stubborn material dependence.

(1) Acute poisoning caused by excessive use.

(2) The effects of substances on embryos and newborns.

(3) Damage caused by improper use of substances.

(4) Chronic accumulation poisoning caused by long-term use.

(5) Easy to suffer from various physical complications.

(6) Trauma, accident and suicide.

(7) Affect the psychosomatic development of adolescents.

(8) Affects the work and family life of adults.

Publicize and disseminate knowledge

Publicize and popularize knowledge on the prevention and control of substance dependence, actively promote the harmfulness of substance abuse and dependence, and strengthen the management of drug production and distribution channels. Since the implementation of the "Pharmaceutical Administration Law of the People's Republic of China", the production, manufacture, sale, and use of pharmaceuticals have been backed by law. Violations must be investigated and law enforcement must be strictly enforced.

Actively investigate

Actively carry out epidemiological surveys on substance dependence, grasp the situation in a timely and accurate manner, provide scientific basis for prevention and control, place the prevention and control of substance dependence on the primary health care work schedule, mobilize grass-roots health organizations, and identify problems to be addressed nearby. Vigorously strengthen the construction of socialist spiritual civilization and material civilization, improve the scientific and cultural quality of the entire nation, and enrich the cultural and spiritual life of amateurs.

Withdrawal substance

Withdrawal of substances: This is the most fundamental part of the treatment of substance dependence. The specific methods adopted may vary from person to person. For lightly dependent people or non-body-dependent substances such as cocaine and marijuana, they should be immediately withdrawn. For those who are severely dependent or have a large amount of consumption, or substances with obvious physical dependence, they should be gradually reduced until complete withdrawal, or use alternative therapy to transition to complete withdrawal. The so-called replacement therapy is to replace a substance that has become dependent with a substance that has properties similar to that of the substance, but has no dependence or weak dependence, and then gradually reduce the dose until the replacement substance is completely stopped.

Management of withdrawal symptoms

Withdrawal symptoms are treated according to the severity of withdrawal symptoms. Some substances may have life-threatening withdrawal symptoms during sudden arrest. Slow reductions or, if necessary, small amounts of previously dependent substances should be taken to reduce withdrawal symptoms and then cured with alternative therapies.

Prevent restaining

Understand and respond to the psychological and social factors of material dependence of different subjects, give appropriate guidance and individual treatment, and follow up for a long time, often encourage and encourage them to establish perseverance and confidence. At the same time strengthen psychotherapy and behavior therapy. Relying people are determined to be good at persuading themselves, making plans, seeking truth from facts, being practical, gradual, and motivating themselves through positive feedback. Actively participate in a variety of cultural and sports activities to divert attention from dependent substances. Group supervision. Dependants should truthfully communicate with family, friends, and colleagues to obtain their cooperation, support, encouragement and supervision.