Deaddiction :: De-addiction with homoeopathy

The problem of drug addiction exists in some form or the other in almost every country of the world. The reasons for drug addiction are varied. These could be on account of individual and social differences and also due to other ascertainable factors such as economic, physical, mental and cultural status of the individual.

Substance abuse is a pattern of behavior in which people rely on a drug excessively and regularly, bringing damage to their relationships, functioning poorly at work, or putting themselves or other in danger.

Low living standards in many countries of middle or Far East and bad working conditions, especially those resulting in ill-health, constitute an environment where in opium and cannabis drugs are considered a gift from the Gods.

Lack of proper medical facilities in villages has been responsible for villagers taking drugs for relief of ailments.

Many get into drugs through personal interests, association and group pressures. Younger generation take to drugs in expression of their parents and other near relatives.

Frustration in their lives drive some people to seek relief through narcotic drugs, some use it to appease hunger.
Cost, availability, custom and psychological characteristics- all these play an important part in an individuals re course to specific drug in a particular social setting.

People not only abuse the drug but also center their lives on it and perhaps acquire a physical dependence on it. Withdrawal consists of unpleasant and even dangerous symptoms, cramps, anxiety, sweating, nausea- that occur when individuals suddenly stop taking drugs.

People take sedatives to get through period of strain and stress.

The expert committee WHO- define addiction as a state of periodic or chronic intoxication, detrimental to the individual and to society, produced by the repeated consumption of a drug.

TREATMENT

It should include psychotherapeutic help with medication. A study by ? KOLB? shows that 90% of patients ( addicts are psychopathic or suffering from some illness.)

Many approaches have been used to treat drug addiction, including psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive- behavioral, biological and socio-cultural therapies.

PSYCHODYNAMIC THERAPY

The therapist tries to help people to become aware of the psychological problems that they believe are at the root. They first guide the client to uncover and work through their underlying conflicts, and then they try to help them change their substance related styles of living. This therapy tends to be of greater help when combined with other approaches in a multidimensional treatment program.

BEHAVIOR THERAPIES

Aversion therapy
An approach based on the principles of classical conditional. Individuals are repeatedly presented with an unpleasant stimulus at the very moment that they are taking a drug. After repeated pairings, they are expected to react negatively to the drug itself and to loose their craving for it.

Contingency management
Makes incentives contingent on the submission of the drug for urine specimens. These approaches can be effective only when individuals are motivated to continue with them despite their unpleasantness or demands.

HOMOEPATHIC MEDICATION
Our aim here is to treat such cases with homeopathic medicines so as to save the patient from side effects of the allopathic drugs (barbiturates) being used and avoid the ? difficult? treatment like ECT/ leucotomy. This will make the treatment more gentle and acceptable to large sector of patients.

The treatment is based on giving homeopathic medicines known for this purpose and symptomatic treatment (after ruling out the common symptoms of substance to which point is addicted) along with psychiatric help.
Homeopathy is effective as it treats the person as a whole. The background due to which a person landed up into such state (emotional turmoil) will also be considered for treatment so as to treat from the very roots of illness.

Considering the mental background, circumstances, desires, their attainment, satisfaction level, adaptation, ailment factor, precipitating factor, any physical complaints, all this in totally is basis for finding homeopathic medicine for the case which will set the person free from the clutches of the drug and that too in a mild and gentle way so to make him a more fit for himself and for the society.

CASE

Mr. Prince Sehgal, 21 years of age, is a college student, who is bound to be involved in the company of boys who used to take different drugs for fun sake, rather they are addicted to one or another drug. Intially Prince resisted himself to get bound to this addiction but in peer pressure of his friend circle, he stared taking Alprax 1mg daily. He initially started taking 10 tablets a day, which gradually increased upto 40-50 tablets a day. Now three years are passed since he is practising this schedule. Patient also complained of headache since last 18 months. Headache is bursting in nature and usually repeats itself after regular interval.

Prince had lost his father in early childhood and he had this grief settled in his mind since then. Thirst of the patient is unquenchable type; he use to drink lot of water but still feels thirsty. Patient has a peculiar desire for salty things. Other physical generalities are non-specific.

Mental Generals – Patient is reserve and introvert in nature, has a very small group of friends and do not open up easily. On taking these drugs, he feels he is not doing the right thing but even on knowing, he is not able to abstain himself from his deeds. If somebody tries to talk to him on his habit, he becomes irritated.

On above history, the constitutional emerges out to be Natrum Muriaticum.

8 Oct 2003
Nat. Mur.200 3 doses empty stomach.
Sac lac tds x 15 days.
Patient was also given a counselling session about de-addiction and withdrawl symptoms.

10 Oct 2003
Patient had develped severe withdrawl symptoms as he completely abstained himself from taking the drug. The symptoms include severe headache and vomiting and even he became unconscious for 2 days for which he had been admitted to VIMHANS for two weeks. After that he recovered from these symptoms but he developed profound sleeplessness.

20 Oct 2003
Again recasetaking was done.
Nat Mur 200 3 doses empty stomach Kali Phos 12X tds x 15 days.
Patient was again given a counselling session about cessation of drug intake.

12 Nov 2003
Patient improved quite a lot. He immensely reduced the intake of Alprax.
Nat Mur 1M, 3 doses, empty stomach.
Sac lac tds x 15 days.

5 Dec 2003
Patient improved and was not taking any Alprax and also there were no withdrawl symptoms and headache is totally relieved.
Nat Mur 1M, 3 doses, empty stomach.
Sac lac tds x 15 days.

15 Jan 2004
Patient improved with no complaints.
Nat Mur 1M, 3 doses,empty stomach.
Sac Lac tds x 1 month.

10 Feb 2004
No complaints.
Sac Lac tds x 1 month.