No one ever picks up a drug to experiment with the idea at the back of their mind that one day this will lead to drug rehabilitation. Some people are more susceptible to drug addiction by the nature of their genetics, personalities and possibly even chemical imbalance in the brain. There are also drugs that have been described as highly addictive, resulting in instant addiction. Methamphetamines and crack cocaine fall into this category. When it gets to the point that life is unmanageable and drug rehabilitation is necessary, there are a few basic points to consider:
State-licensed drug rehabilitation facility. State-licensed alcohol and drug rehab facilities are to routine inspections to ensure the quality of care given meets standards.

Alcohol and drug rehabilitation treatment program. Most programs are based on the 12-step model made known by the founding members of Alcoholics Anonymous. This is the most widely used model in drug and alcohol treatment. Other treatment programs may include holistic or behavioral modification. Ensure you’re comfortable with the alcohol treatment and drug rehabilitation program offered so it doesn’t conflict with your values and end up interfering with your recovery.

Look for a comprehensive alcohol and drug rehabilitation center. Alcohol and drug addiction is a 3-part malady that afflicts mind, body and spirit. A good treatment program addresses all three with sessions in clinical therapy, drug & alcohol counseling, group therapy, education on the disease model of addiction, skilled holistic practitioners and introduction to the 12-step program.

Qualified drug rehabilitation personnel. Clinical staff members and drug & alcohol counselors should have proven certification that ensures you are receiving the quality care promised.

Location of drug rehabilitation center. Most people look for drug rehab treatment close to home so they can be near family. All too often this can interfere with treatment. Drug rehabilitation offers a safe, supportive environment away from distractions so you can focus on getting sober and saving your life. Being too close to home can defeat this purpose.

Avoid “one-size-fits-all” drug rehabilitation approach. People end up in drug rehabilitation facilities under different circumstances and its important that the treatment plan is flexible enough to take into consideration your personal history and substance abuse. Do your homework before deciding which alcohol treatment and drug rehabilitation program is best for you.

Before you can talk about drug rehabilitation, you have to consider what addiction is. According to the dictionary, addiction is the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing or activity. This of course forces the dictionary reader to look up “addict” which is defined as a person who is addicted to a particular substance (breaking the old grammar school rule about using a word to define itself). Ironically, somehow the definition manages to cause a cycle similar to the actual fact of addiction. But it has to stop somewhere.

Addiction is an uncontrolled proclivity for a certain drug. Most drugs cause physical as well as psychological addictions, so any type of rehabilitation must address both physical and psychological factors. That uncontrolled proclivity in an addict can be likened to thirst. You know when you are thirsty. You are not only satisfying the need for water; you are also preventing the discomfort of being without water. This is the type of crisis that the addict faces–not only are they slave to the need; they are also enslaved to preventing the pain of being without.

Successful Drug Rehabilitation

Drug rehabilitation, therefore must handle at the very least–those two factors. They must eliminate the pain of being without (which requires detox.) And then drug rehabilitation must also train the individual to break the need and eliminate the desire. If there is going to be any hope of success, this requires a substantial external support system; as well as a support system for the addict’s family Drug rehabilitation programs are thick on the ground; that is, there are a lot of them available, which is a good thing because the incidence of addiction is rising. But it all begins with the first step–seeking help in a drug rehabilitation program..

It has become commonplace for people who are overweight to attribute their waistline to their DNA. Now, celebrities caught snorting cocaine might also be able to blame their parents.

Scientists reported yesterday the discovery of a gene that increases the chances of becoming hooked on the drug. Addicts were 25% more likely to carry the gene variant than people who did not use cocaine, a study found.

Cocaine Addiction Treatment

The discovery is unlikely to lead to a effective cocaine treatment, but scientists hope it could be used to screen for those most likely to have problems kicking the habit if they ever try the drug.

“If you are a carrier of this gene variant, the likelihood of getting addicted to cocaine is higher,” said Rainer Spanagel, a professor of psychopharmacology at the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim, Germany, who led the study. “You can certainly use this as a vulnerability marker for cocaine addiction.”

He said people found to be susceptible to cocaine addiction could be given counselling or protected with experimental vaccines now being developed. The vaccines are designed to block the “high”, or euphoria, associated with the drug.

Last week, an analysis by the European Union’s drug agency put Britain at the top of its list of cocaine-abusing states, with its users outnumbering all those elsewhere on the continent.

Genetic factors, scientists believe, account for 70% of cocaine addiction, making it as heritable as schizophrenia and other mental health conditions. Studies of twins suggest alcoholism is about 50% genetic.

Researchers linked a version of the CAMK4 gene with cocaine addiction after studying mice that had been genetically modified to alter the gene. One particular breed was affected more strongly by the drug and became addicted quicker than others in the group, according to the study in the US journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

To see if the gene played a role in cocaine addiction in humans, the researchers ran genetic tests on 670 cocaine addicts and more than 700 matched non-users. While 40% of non-users carried the gene, it was found in half of the addicts.

Source Guardian Newspapers Limited 2008