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Deepti Dogra

Treatments for Substance Use Disorder

Updated: Jul 19, 2023

Drinking a glass of wine or two a week is known to be normal for a man. However, if you have been finishing a couple of bottles of wine or any other alcohol every day, then it could be alarming as you might be suffering from substance use disorder. There are a lot of treatments for substance use disorder that can be opted for once it has been diagnosed in a man. Let’s know more about these treatments below.

Substance use disorder, also known as drug addiction is a mental health condition in which drugs affect your brain, making you take them even when you do not want to. This disease progresses with time as you take recreational drugs like nicotine, marijuana, alcohol, cocaine and heroin. Sooner or later, you lose control over the consumption and keep on taking these drugs even though you know that the consequences can be life threatening.

When we talk about drug addiction, the problem is not willpower or morality. Addiction can be a powerful as well as a complicated disease. Men who are dealing with substance use disorder cannot just quit, even if they want to. However, there are certain treatments for substance use disorder. Let’s have a look at them below.

Diagnosis of Substance Use Disorder

In order to diagnose substance use disorder in a man, a thorough evaluation is required which includes an assessment by a psychiatrist, a psychologist, or a licensed alcohol and drug counsellor. Blood, urine and other tests are also used to assess drug use, but they’re not a diagnostic test for addiction. However, these tests may be used for monitoring treatment and recovery.

Treatments for Substance Use Disorder

When we talk about the treatments for substance use disorder, not all treatments are made for every man dealing with drug addiction. There are different treatments that are made for different men suffering from this condition. Some of the most common treatments that can take a man to the path of recovery include:

Detoxification

This is a medically assisted detox that allows you to rid your body of addictive substances in a safe environment. This is beneficial as ​​sometimes substance withdrawal can cause unpleasant or even life-threatening physical symptoms. However, detox does not treat the underlying behavioural causes of the addiction, it is typically used in combination with other therapies.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Treatments for Substance Use includes Cognitive Behaviour therapy.

This is a form of psychotherapy done by a psychologist and can be used for different types of addictions. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT helps you recognise your unhealthy behavioural patterns as well as helps in identifying the triggers and develops coping skills. It can be done individually, in a family or in a group, as per your choice.

Self Help Groups

Treatments for Substance Use can include Self Help Groups.

Self help groups are also an option for men to help themselves in quitting drug addiction. These groups work on the 12 step model first developed by Alcoholics Anonymous. Self-help support groups, such as Narcotics Anonymous, help people who are addicted to drugs. The self help support group message is that addiction is a chronic disorder with a danger of relapse. Self help support groups can decrease the sense of shame and isolation that can lead to relapse.

Conclusion

While experimenting with drugs, you might feel that you have it under control and you won’t get addicted to any kind of drugs. However, you don’t even get to know when you get addicted to alcohol or heroin and need it so badly. The best way to stay away from substance use disorder is to not try any sort of recreational drugs even if there is peer pressure all around you. It can be harmful for your body as well as life threatening.

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