Addicted People Research Articles

The lived experiences of becoming a homeless person with addiction in Tehran: how they are withdrawn from the mainstream community?

ABSTRACTUnderstanding the experiences of street addicted people can help clarify the process of engaging people with this social problem. This study aims to discover the challenges of drug-dependent street people by exploring their lived experiences. This study was conducted using content analysis of qualitative interviews with 22 street recruited from within compulsory drug treatment centers in Tehran. Participants were selected through purposive sampling and their experiences of homelessness and addiction were collected through a semi-structured interview. After analyzing the data, three categories and eight sub-categories were determined. The main categories included instability, social distrust, and economic vulnerability. Instability includes experiences such as rejection from their home, street attraction, and avoiding returning home. The social distrust theme consists of experiencing the stigma related to addiction and high-risk behaviors. The economic vulnerability encompasses gradual capital loss and weakening their work status in the context of a weak economic foundation. Dependent drug use added to those isolating experiences leads to weakened family ties, and social and economic interactions and finally results in being disconnected completely from the community mainstream.

Addiction psychology of Drugs and Alcohol Causes and Treatment

Addiction psychology of Drugs and Alcohol is a serious phenomenon in most societies. This phenomenon makes people confused toward some adolescents and unsound sons. The problem statement is represented by that thisphenomenon is one of phenomena which affects negatively on the society and educational institutions. So, this paper seeks to identify this phenomenon size, its causes, its treatment methods, and how to control it in real and good way. This paper concludes with several causes and treatments which benefits the drugtreatment practitioners and educators and which related to the real situation for addicted people of drug and alcohol

Modeling Health Benefits and Harms of Public Policy Responses to the US Opioid Epidemic.

To estimate health outcomes of policies to mitigate the opioid epidemic. We used dynamic compartmental modeling of US adults, in various pain, opioid use, and opioid addiction health states, to project addiction-related deaths, life years, and quality-adjusted life years from 2016 to 2025 for 11 policy responses to the opioid epidemic. Over 5 years, increasing naloxone availability, promoting needle exchange, expanding medication-assisted addiction treatment, and increasing psychosocial treatment increased life years and quality-adjusted life years and reduced deaths. Other policies reduced opioid prescription supply and related deaths but led some addicted prescription users to switch to heroin use, which increased heroin-related deaths. Over a longer horizon, some such policies may avert enough new addiction to outweigh the harms. No single policy is likely to substantially reduce deaths over 5 to 10 years. Policies focused on services for addicted people improve population health without harming any groups. Policies that reduce the prescription opioid supply may increase heroin use and reduce quality of life in the short term, but in the long term could generate positive health benefits. A portfolio of interventions will be needed for eventual mitigation.

Adult rat morphine exposure changes morphine preference, anxiety, and the brain expression of dopamine receptors in male offspring

Addiction to drugs, including opioids is the result of an interplay between environmental and genetic factors. It has been shown that the progeny of addict people is at higher risk for drug addiction. However, the mechanisms of such trans-generational effects of drugs are not so clear. Here we have evaluated the effects of parental morphine consumption on anxiety, morphine preference, and mRNA expression of dopamine receptors in F1 and F2 male offspring. Morphine was chronically administered to adult male and female Wistar rats followed by 14-day abstinence before mating. Morphine preference and anxiety-like behavior in the offspring were measured by two-bottle-choice paradigm and elevated-plus maze, respectively. Real-time PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression level of dopamine receptors in the striatum, nucleus accumbens, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus of F1 animals. The results indicated that F1 but not the F2 male progeny of morphine-exposed parents had a greater preference for morphine, and more anxiety-like behavior compared to the offspring of saline-treated parents. In F1 male progeny of morphine-treated parents, D1 and D5 dopamine receptors were significantly increased in the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens. D5 and D2 receptors were decreased in the hippocampus. D4 dopamine receptor was augmented in striatum and hippocampus and decreased in the prefrontal cortex. Adulthood exposure to chronic morphine in male and female rats before conception leads to higher morphine preference and increased anxiety in F1 but not F2 male progeny. Alterations of dopamine receptor expression in the reward system may be one mechanism responsible for observed changes in F1 offspring.

Comparision the Meta-Cognition, Cognitive Flexibility and Focus Attention between Metamphetamine Addicted and Normal People

سوء‌مصرف متامفتامین، اعتیادی است که برای ترک یا کنترل آن داروی مناسبی وجود ندارد. لذا این پژوهش با هدف بررسی کارکردهای شناختی و مدل شناختی – اجرایی مغز افراد مبتلا، و مقایسه آن با افراد سالم انجام شد. 60 نفر شرکت کننده به روش نمونه گیری در دسترس انتخاب شده و به طور مساوی در گروههای افراد مبتلا به سوءمصرف متامفتامین و افراد سالم قرار گرفتند. ملاکهای ورودی سن، تحصیلات و مدت مصرف کنترل شدند. داده ها با آزمونهای ویسکانسین، فراشناخت و عملکرد پیوسته بدست آمده و توسط تحلیل واریانس چند متغیری مورد تحلیل قرار گرفتند. نتایج نشان داد که افراد مبتلا به سوءمصرف متامفتامین در فراشناخت، انعطاف پذیری شناختی و توجه متمرکز به میزان معنی داری ضعیف‌تر از افراد سالم هستند. همچنین، بیشترین تفاوت در میزان فراشناخت و سپس در توجه متمرکز بین دو گروه بود. طبق یافته‌های بدست آمده، افراد وابسته به سوء مصرف متامفتامین نسبت به افراد سالم در کارکردهای اجرایی ضعف عملکردی معنی داری نشان می‌دهند. برای نتیجه گیری، مطالعات بیشتری مورد نیاز است؛ اما احتمال دارد، ارتقاء سطح کارکردهای اجرایی مغز، بتواند در کنترل و ترک سوءمصرف متامفتامین موثر باشد.

The impact of exercise training in the treatment of drug addiction. The role of changes in neurotransmitters

Background. Dopamine and serotonin including are among neurotransmitters involved in addiction to drugs such as the methamphetamine, which suffered cause major damage. This study aimed to investigate the effect of exercise training in the treatment of drug addiction with respect to the changes in neurotransmitters). Methods. In this study, English and Persian databases including Magiran, SID, Google Scholar, PubMed and Scopus were searched, using keywords such as Exercise, Neurotransmitter, Health Treatment and Patient Addiction. Related articles published during 1986–2017 were assessed. Prevalence of depression in diabetic patients, as well as the relationship between depression and different variables including age, sex, and marital status, was evaluated. This study presents a review of research that has examined the effects of exercise training on drug addiction. Results. Regular physical activity as aerobic and resistance training resulted in a significant increase in circulatory levels of serotonin and dopamine. Conclusion. Based on the results achieved by literature analysis and reliance on its major findings it can be concluded that physical activity and exercise training can have an effect on the circulatory levels of both neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine in addicted people to drugs, and it can also be a helpful factor with respect to the considerations in the treatment of addiction and as well as physical and mental improvement of addicted people.

Change stages in addicted people rehabilitation

Change stages in addicted people rehabilitation

Assessment of Anxiety and Depression among Drug Addicts at the Addiction Management Unit of Assiut University Hospital

Addiction is a social, health, economic and cultural harm and problem that have influenced the future sovereignty and security of countries. The interactions between anxiety, depression and drug addiction are complex, approximately 31% of depression and anxiety has been found among drug addict people in Egypt. Aim of the study: To assess levels of anxiety and depression, and assess the difference between levels of anxiety and depression among drug addict people. Subjects and method: Non experimental (case-control) research design used to conduct this study. The current study included 150 subjects, 100 were drug addict people & 50 were drug non- addict people. Tools of study included demographic and clinical data sheet, Drug Use Disorder Identification Test, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale Results: The majority of drug addict people had severe levels of anxiety and depression as compared to normal non- addict people. Using patterns and various drug related problems was positively and significantly correlated with anxiety (r=0.256&p=0.010*) and depression (r=0.330&p=0.001**). The present study can concluded that drug addict people had severe levels of anxiety and depression than drug non-addict people Recommendations: psychosocial counseling program for drug addict people to decrease depression and anxiety.

Effectiveness Analysis of the 12 Step Recovery Program from the Standpoint of the Cultural-historical Approach

Some provisions of Vygotsky’s concept allow us to understand in a new way the e˙ective-ness of the action of 12 step programs in the recovery of addicts. From our point of view, the program implements the following provisions of the cultural-historical approach: the basis for human mental development is a qualiitative change in one’s social situation; training leads to development; thanks to directive training, the addicted people aquire self-regulation; the program promotes the formation of the agency. Becoming a subject of one’s own activity for getting rid of this dependency and its reflection, a person begins to change his/her life in many directions. The article analyzes the tools of the program, allowing to develop a agency position in the process of recovery: the content of the pro-gram, the community itself as a collective teacher, specific members of the community as role models of a healthy lifestyle.

Diazepam filled hard capsules intended for detoxification of patients addicted to benzodiazepines and Z-drugs

ObjectivesThe abuse of benzodiazepines and Z-drugs reduces the quality of life of millions of addicted people worldwide. They cannot be discontinued abruptly due to harmful withdrawal symptoms. Detoxification is usually...

How to Recover from a Brain Disease: Is Addiction a Disease, or Is there a Disease-like Stage in Addiction?

People struggling with addiction are neither powerless over their addiction, nor are they fully in control. Lewis vigorously objects to the brain disease model of addiction (BDMA), because it makes people lose belief in their self-efficacy, and hence hinders their recovery. Although he acknowledges that there is a compulsive state in addiction, he objects to the claim that this compulsion is carved in stone. Lewis argues that the BDMA underestimates the agency of addicted people, and hence hinder their recovery. Lewis’s work offers us a very much to be welcomed neurobiology of recovery. It offers addicted people a hopeful and respectful narrative for their recovery that treats them as agents rather than as damaged brains. However, I argue that overestimating people’s agency can also result in people losing belief in their self-efficacy. Lewis’s strong focus on the agency of addicted people might not match their experiences of struggle, hence reinforcing their feelings of guilt when they fail to control their use. I propose to replace the notion of addiction as a disease with a notion of a disease-like stage in addiction. I call this stage the duress stage in addiction, in which the addictive behaviour is largely impervious to the agent’s values and to available techniques of self-control. However, the agent can overcome this stage by developing new techniques of self-control, by building on their self-concept and belief in self-efficacy, by changing their environments and habits, and by engaging in projects that are meaningful to the agent.

Disease or Developmental Disorder: Competing Perspectives on the Neuroscience of Addiction

Lewis’ neurodevelopmental model provides a plausible alternative to the brain disease model of addiction (BDMA) that is a dominant perspective in the USA. We disagree with Lewis’ claim that the BDMA is unchallenged within the addiction field but we agree that it provides unduly pessimistic prospects of recovery. We question the strength of evidence for the BDMA provided by animal models and human neuroimaging studies. We endorse Lewis’ framing of addiction as a developmental process underpinned by reversible forms of neuroplasticity. His view is consistent with epidemiological evidence of addicted individuals ‘maturing out’ and recovering from addiction. We do however hold some reservations about Lewis’ model. We do not think that his analysis of the neurobiological evidence is clearly different from that of the BDMA or that his neurodevelopmental model provides a more rigorous interpretation of the evidence than the BDMA. We believe that our understanding of the neurobiology of drug use is too immature to warrant the major role given to it in the BDMA. Our social research finds very mixed support for the BDMA among addicted people and health professionals in Australia. Lewis’ account of addiction requires similar empirical evaluation of its real-world implications.

A Comparative Study of Problem Solving Styles and Mental Health in Male Substance Abusers and Normal Men

The purpose of this research, which has been done on the basis of causal-comparative method, was the comparison of ways of problem-solving and mental health in people suffering from drug abuse and normal people in Maragheh, Iran. In order to do this, 35 men suffering from Substance Abuse Disorder (SUD) and 35 normal men were chosen using purposeful sampling method and via matching the two groups. Then the participants were requested to answer the 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the 24-item Cassidy-Long Problem-Solving Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the technique of multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and SPSS software. Findings showed that the compared groups in problem-solving ways and constructive and unconstructive items and mental health in depression subcomponents had a meaningful difference. The average scores were higher in constructive problem-solving ways in healthy group, and in unconstructive styles in people suffering from drug abuse. Also, the addicted people meaningfully used unconstructive ways of problem-solving more than healthy people. In mental health, the average scores of addicted people in the issues of somatization, anxiety, and social dysfunction were higher than those of healthy group, and in depression, the average scores of healthy people were higher than those of addicted group. Moreover, the addicted people meaningfully reported more signs of somatization and less depression in comparison with the healthy people. Overall, this research showed that using unconstructive styles of problem-solving in people suffering from drug abuse is more common than that of normal people. This necessitates the planning of treatment and rehabilitation interventions for addicted people.

A Comparison of Behavioral Activation/Inhibition Systems and Mindfulness in Addicts and Non-addicted Males

The main objective of this causal-comparative research was to compare behavioral activation and inhibition systems and mindfulness in addicts and non-addicted men of Maragheh, Iran. In order to do this, 35 addicted males and 35 non-addicted men were chosen using purposeful sampling method and via matching the two groups. The participants answered the 120-item test of activation/inhibition systems (Gray-Wilson Personality Questionnaire or GWPQ) and the 39-item test of mindfulness (Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills or KIMS). Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and SPSS software. The findings showed that the compared groups in activation/inhibition systems and mindfulness had meaningful differences. The average scores of mindfulness in healthy people were higher than those of the addicted people. While the average scores of behavioral inhibition system in healthy people were higher than addicts, the average scores of behavioral activation system in addicts were higher than non-addicted people. In general, since this study showed that activity level of activation system in addicted people is more than non-addicts, activity level of inhibition system in non-addicts is more than addicted people, and that mindfulness skill in addicts is lower than non-addicts there is the necessity to design therapeutic and rehabilitative interventions.

Internet Addiction of Young Greek Adults: Psychological Aspects and Information Privacy.

The main goal of this study is to examine the Internet addiction status of Greek young adults, aged from 18 to 25, using Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and self-administered questionnaires. In addition this paper assesses the psychological traits of addicted persons per addiction category, using the big five factor model tool to study the user's personality and analyze the components that lead a person to become Internet addicted. Furthermore, we found an association between addicted people and the five factors from the Big Five Factor Model; i.e., extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness to experience. Moreover, this paper discusses information privacy awareness issues related to Internet Addiction treatment.

Evaluation of the respiratory system of non-alcohol drug addicted patients

<B>Introduction</b>: One of the diseases that has left a mark on our age is psychoactive substance addiction. The onset of narcotic substance abuse has dropped to very early ages of life in our country. The prevalence of abuse of such substances as heroin and cocaine through inhaling is increasing dramatically. Abusing these substances by inhalation has life-threatening risks such as bronchospasm, alveolar hemorrhage and acute respiratory syndrome. Our aim in this study was to describe possible respiratory system risks in individuals who had substance addiction.<br /> <B>Material and methods: </b> The study was conducted with 40 healthy and 40 drug addicted people who receive treatment at AMATEM department in Akdeniz University Medicine Faculty. The data were interpreted according to the results of the anamnesis, physical examination, chest X-ray, spirometry and respiratory questionnaire for both test groups, and the final evaluation was carried out using these data.<br /> <B>Results: </b> For the addicted group, the symptoms related to the respiratory system and the symptom scores of the respiratory questionnaire were found to be significantly high during our study (p < 0.05).<br /> <B>Conclusions</b>: Consequently, the results of our study revealed that substance addicts most frequently preferred the inhalation mode when abusing narcotic substances. Moreover, it was also determined that they were heavily smoking besides narcotic substance abuse. We believe that efforts to prevent smoking addiction in society can be developed so as to include narcotic substance abuse, especially among young individuals, which in turn can contribute to a decrease in future risks.

Socio-economic Status of Drug Addicted Young People in Dhaka City

Introduction: Drug addiction is a burning problem in Bangladesh affecting vast population especially the youths. The spread of multi drug use has aggravated the overall situation affecting our personal, economical and social life, impairing health status, increasing crime and other unwanted risky behaviour.
 Objective: To find out the socio-economical status of drug addicted young population in Dhaka City.
 Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross sectional study was performed during August 2016 to December 2016 at five drug addiction treatment and rehabilitation centre in Dhaka. A total of 57 habitual drug addicted young people were selected by purposive and convenient method of sampling. The primary data was collected by repeated visit to centers and face to face interview with addicts and their family members using a pre tested semistructured questionnaire containing both closed and open ended query. Collected data were compiled and analyzed later on.
 Results: Most 45(78.95%) of the drug addicted young people were male and among them 12(21.05%) belonged to age group 15-17 years. Majority of addicts 46(80.71%) were Muslim. Educational qualification of 16(28.07%) samples was upto primary level, 21(36.84%) upto secondary level. Considering occupation, majority were students 14(24.56%) followed by unemployed 12(21.05%), day labourer 9(15.79%). Thirty five (61.40%) were the lone earning member of their family. Twelve people (21.05%) had monthly income of family below 10,000 taka. Most of the samples (64.91%) stayed in extended type of family. Thirty seven (75.51%) collected money for drug from family members and stealing from house followed by criminal activities 26(53.06%). Majority of the addicts (85.96%) started taking drugs after being influenced by friends. Causes of drug addiction included unemployment 12(21.05%), peer pressure 9(15.79%) and influence of foreign culture 8(14.03%). The commonly used drugs included- Barbiturate/sedatives 32(56.14%), Yaba 28(49.12%), Toluene/aica 22(38.59%). Oral route was the commonest 48(84.21%) followed by Injection 9(15.79%). Commonest place of drug addiction included dance bar/club house 18(31.58%), isolated room/mess 14(24.56%), open field 12(21.05%) and railway/ bus station 9(15.79%).
 Conclusion: The dangers of drug addiction have been shifted from upper to middle and lower middle class population of our country. Elaborate national plan is needed to motivate young generation for involvement in study and productive activities. Preventive measures for drug smuggling and addiction are needed to be taken with great caution. More drug addiction treatment and rehabilitation centres are required to combat present situation.
 Journal of Armed Forces Medical College Bangladesh Vol.12(2) 2016: 15-20

N-acetylcysteine treatment blocks the development of ethanol-induced behavioural sensitization and related ΔFosB alterations

Ethanol addiction is a serious public health problem that still needs more effective pharmacological treatment. A key factor in the development and maintenance of this disease is the advent of neuroadaptations in the mesocorticolimbic brain pathway upon chronic ethanol abuse. In general, these neuroadaptations are maladaptive and affect numerous neurotransmitter systems and intracellular molecules. One of these molecules is ΔFosB, a transcription factor that is altered after chronic drug use. Behavioural sensitization is a useful model for the study of the neuroadaptations related to addiction. Recent works have shown a role for the imbalance of glutamatergic neurotransmission in the symptoms found in addicted people. In this sense, the treatment with N-acetylcysteine, a l-cysteine prodrug that acts by restoring extrasynaptic concentrations of glutamate through the activation of cystine-glutamate antiporter, has shown promising results in the treatment of addiction. Thus, an animal model of behavioural sensitization was used to evaluate the effects of N-acetylcysteine treatment in the behavioural and molecular alterations induced by chronic ethanol administration. Swiss mice were subject to 13 days of daily ethanol administration to induce behavioural sensitization. Two hours before each ethanol administration and locomotor activity evaluation, the animals received intraperitoneally N-acetylcysteine injections. Immediately after the last test session, their brains were removed for ΔFosB and cystine-glutamate antiporter quantification. It was found that N-acetylcysteine treatment blocked ethanol-induced behavioural sensitization, the increase of ΔFosB content in the prefrontal cortex, and its reduction in the nucleus accumbens. The results suggest a possible use of N-acetylcysteine in ethanol-related disorders.

COMPARING SOCIO – ECONOMIC STATUE, SENSATION -SEEKING AND PERSONALITY TRAITS OF ADDICTS AND NON-ADDICTS IN THE CITY OF IZEH

The aim of this study is to evaluate the socio-economic and personality factors and sensation-seeking and drug addiction in the Ize city. The sample is consisted of 18 individuals that were divided on the basis of drug addiction and normal in both groups (9 people with addiction and 9 normal people). This is a causal-comparative study. The research tool was a questionnaire MMPI short form questionnaire and Zuckerman Sensation Seeking Scale. Hypotheses include: 1. Between psychological and personality characteristics (hypochondriasis, depression, hysteria, psychopathy, paranoia, mental weakness, schizophrenia and Hypomania) in addicted and normal people, there is a significant difference. 2. Between sensation seeking of addicted and normal people, there is a significant difference. 3. Between socio-economic status of addicted and normal people, there is a significant difference. To test the hypotheses of t test, independent groups were used. The study results showed that between psychological characteristics of addicted and normal people, there is a significant difference in the level of p <5 %.

Effects of Vocational Consultation on Relapse Rate and Hope among Drug Dependents in Bojnurd, Iran.

IntroductionDrug addiction is one of the most flagrant social damages that can easily enervate the socio-cultural foundation of a country as well as endanger human dynamism. One of the prevalent problems among most addicted people is their low hope and relapse of drug dependence. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of vocational consultation (for training on problem-solving skills) on hope and relapse rate of patients treated in methadone maintenance clinics.MethodsThis experiment was conducted on 60 drug abusers treated in a methadone maintenance program in drug addiction centers in Bojnurd, Iran, in 2014. The patients were randomly and equally allocated into two study and control groups. All patients completed the Miller Hope Questionnaire before and after the intervention. Ten sessions of vocational consultation were held for the study group while the control group received no special treatment. Patients were followed up on for relapses for six months. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 16) and the paired-samples t-test technique.ResultsThe results indicated that the mean and standard deviation of hope on the pre-test in the study group increased on the post-test (from M=175.5, SD=31.8, to M=198.5, SD=20.4), while in the control group the mean of hope decreased from the pre-test to past-test stage (M=184.7, SD=27.7, to M=183.3, SD=26.1), showing a significant relationship, t(56)= 5.657, p<0.05. The relapse rate was not significantly different in the two groups.ConclusionThe vocational consultation positively affects hope among drug dependents but did not affect their relapse rate during the six-month follow-up. Increasing the hope in these groups of patients may be effective in other aspects of treatment success in long-term follow-up.