Substance Abuse Prevention in Lexington KY

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For many individuals with underlying disorders or genetics predisposed to drug addiction or alcoholism, substance abuse prevention involves never trying drugs to begin with. It means that parents must understand their own struggles and family history enough to be proactive in substance abuse prevention for their children, and for individuals to "know thyself" in ways that most individuals can't without some level of physical or mental maturity.

The causes of alcoholism and addiction are multi-faceted and therefore any real substance abuse prevention program has to take into consideration that there are not only genetics at work that help to determine who will become an addict, but also a plethora of other mental health concerns that can lead to abuse as a form of self-medication. Lexington drug abuse prevention programs begin with educating people not only in the nature of addiction but also basic human physiology.

If you are concerned about substance abuse prevention and treatment, please call Lexington Drug Treatment Centers at (877) 804-1531.

Understanding Addiction

The human brain is an extremely complex and fascinating organ. It controls the body's entire function. Without the brain we are essentially nothing. The brain is able to direct the body into action using nerve cells and dendrites that pass chemicals throughout the brain using neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters tell the body to feel pain or not feel pain or to feel happy or even sad. It is theorized that some of the more common psychological and behavioral disorders can be linked to issues stemming with how neurotransmitters are able to function.

Educating the Public

The purpose of addiction rehab treatment programs is to educate people on the effects that drugs can have upon the brain and body. For example, everyone who takes an opiate over time will develop a dependency upon the drug.

Opiates are highly effective painkillers because of their ability to mask pain by disassociating the brain from that pain. They do this by binding themselves to the receptors that control moods, movement, and physiology. They cause the natural opiate receptors and neurotransmitters to react as if the body is undergoing extreme stress, such as an amputation or deadly blow.

Very quickly, opiates change how the brain functions and even the shape of synapses and cells within the brain, causing dependency upon the chemical for the individual to function "normally". It is not long before individuals taking the drugs cease to take them for euphoria and start to take them just to exist without pain, nausea, and extreme sickness. Drug abuse rehab programs attempt to address this through education.

Explaining this calmly and scientifically (ie, absence of emotion) is effective in dealing with teens and others who are considering taking opiates either for pleasure or even as a painkiller. Individuals who already have genetics predisposed to addiction will have an even more difficult time not developing a dependency to these powerful drugs, and therefore being forewarned with the knowledge can be a superior substance abuse prevention plan.

Lexington Drug Treatment Centerssubstance abuse prevention programs provide help where a vast majority of individuals addicted to drugs are actually addicted to legal, prescription medications. This sometimes makes it seem less serious than illegal drugs, but the reality is there is very little difference in terms of the impact on one's health and well being. For help now, call (877) 804-1531.