Toxicomania - Causes, symptoms and treatment. MF.

There is a group of addictions that can develop in any person, regardless of its individual characteristics or concomitant diseases. If most scientists believe that the personality of the patient, his environment and social status is still important for the development of drug addiction, then for this type of dependence there are no special predisposing factors. Especially often it is observed in adolescents, it occurs in elderly people who are forced to take certain medicines for a long time. We will talk about substance abuse.

Toxicomanias are diseases very similar to drug addiction in the mechanism of development and symptomatology. The only difference is that the substances that are abused by toxic substances are not listed in the narcotic drugs. They are produced and sold without special state intervention.

But the consequences of substance abuse are not any easier than the consequences of addiction. Also, lethal outcomes are also frequent with overdoses, the health is seriously undermined, the social life of the patient is ruined. Thus, the distinction between substance abuse and drug addiction is socially-legal, not medical.

Causes of substance abuse

The cause of substance abuse is the use of a substance that causes a painful addiction. There are a lot of them. Among them are found both medicines and substances not used in medicine( for example, organic solvents - acetone, gasoline, components of adhesives).

We will consider the most common types of substance abuse.

Symptoms of substance abuse

1. Dependence on sleeping pills .This group includes the abuse of tranquilizers( nitrazepam, phenazepam, relanium), actually hypnotic drugs( rohypnol, imovan), antiallergic agents( diphenhydramine) and other drugs with sedative, i.e.soothing effect( phenobarbital, sodium oxybutyrate).

The intoxication caused by these substances is similar to the usual alcoholic. Outwardly, the person also gives the impression of being drunk: coordination of movements, unsteady gait, lubricated speech are impaired. The skin is pale with a greasy touch, the pupils are dilated, the pulse is increased, the blood pressure is lowered. Dangerous overdose of sedatives and hypnotics - there may be coma or even death as a result of stopping breathing. This type of substance abuse sometimes develops imperceptibly in the treatment of insomnia. Especially the probability of painful addiction to hypnotics in self-medication is very high. Also, as with drug addiction, when the drug is stopped in the body, the toxicoman develops an abstinence syndrome - it is similar to that in alcoholism. There is tremor, insomnia, headaches, nausea, sweating, redness of the face, weakness. In severe cases, convulsive seizures are possible. With prolonged abuse of sleeping pills, the personality of the patient changes. A person becomes distracted, unrestrained, his mood changes without reason, memory and intellect suffer. Outwardly, people who abuse sleeping pills look edematous, their skin is gray-green in color, greasy, wrinkles are expressed. The pupils are dilated. The tongue is dirty brown, there is tremor in the hands. Such patients often visit a therapist or neurologist with complaints of poor sleep and ask for discharge of sleeping pills. At the same time they insist on the discharge of a certain drug, to which they have formed a dependence. If the doctor refuses or attempts to replace the drug, the patients become irritated, lose their temper. Insomnia, in fact, often worries people who suffer from this type of substance abuse, but, alas, sleeping pills no longer help them in restoring their sleep.

2. Abuse of anticholinergic agents .This is a relatively young, but already quite popular form of substance abuse. Cholinolytic drugs include such drugs as cyclodol - it is used to correct side effects of neuroleptics( therefore this kind of substance abuse is common among psychiatrist patients), diphenhydramine( antiallergic drug), solutan( cough medicine), etc.

Intoxication with these drugs resembles alcoholic. A special feature is frequent hallucinations, a sense of fear, confusion. Outwardly, the patients look pale with an unhealthy blush on their cheeks and scarlet lips. Muscles are constrained, involuntary movements and twitches of individual muscles are noted. Gait unnatural( the legs almost do not bend, the back is excessively straightened).The main symptoms of the withdrawal syndrome are irritability, melancholy, decreased efficiency, mood swings, sweating, muscle weakness, increased heart rate.

3. Abuse of volatile solvents .This type of substance abuse is most common in adolescents. To get intoxicated, vapors of volatile organic solvents( glue, gasoline, various household aerosols, stain removers, toluene, etc.) are inhaled.

Approximately 5 minutes after the substance enters the body, euphoria, increased mood, a sense of "hovering".Externally, intoxication is manifested by blurred speech, a shaky gait, and often there is vomiting. With this form of substance abuse, it is easy to get an overdose of the drug leading to the development of coma, severe brain damage, possibly even death. Externally, the toxic substances look pale, lethargic, drowsy, under the eyes - bruises, a tremor of the hands is expressed. Teens begin to lag far behind in school. With prolonged use of volatile solvents, dementia develops.

Examination for suspected substance abuse

If a person has changed in behavior, he has health problems( weakness, malaise, blood pressure changes, insomnia), plus everything seen using any drugs at doses exceeding therapeutic ones is likely to haveplace of substance abuse. In this case, one should not postpone an appeal to a doctor - a psychiatrist, but rather to a narcologist.

Parents should be alerted if the child has problems with behavior and study, if the clothes smell chemical smell, if the child's things are stain removers, glue and other household chemicals. In the presence of unmotivated weakness, lethargy, headaches, insomnia and other symptoms of malaise, it is also not necessary to delay visiting a specialist. If anxiety is caused only by physical symptoms, you can consult a therapist. To determine the state of health, it is necessary to take blood tests, urine tests, and make an electrocardiogram.

In the presence of even a single convulsive fit is mandatory consultation of a neurologist and an electroencephalogram.

Self-diagnosis of substance abuse is unlikely - identifying the addiction syndrome is not an easy task. Let the specialist do it. External manifestations of substance abuse may resemble the symptoms of many other diseases( arterial hypertension, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular insufficiency, the consequences of craniocerebral trauma, epilepsy, etc.).Many mental illnesses begin with lethargy, inhibition, sleep disorders( eg, schizophrenia, depression, neuroses, etc.).To put the correct diagnosis can only the doctor, he also will appoint or nominate optimum treatment.

Treatment of substance abuse

Treatment of substance abuse has the same principles as drug treatment. This is the abolition of the drug that is addictive, the fight against the withdrawal syndrome and the treatment of mental dependence. The first stages of treatment are best in a hospital. There, the restoration of the body functions with the help of detoxification( intravenous drip infusion of various solutions - glucose, isotonic solution, other liquids normalizing the water-salt balance, for example, rheopolyglucin).

Also used fortifying means - vitamins( groups C, B, PP), biostimulants( preparations of aloe), nootropic drugs( piracetam).To correct mental disorders use different groups of drugs depending on the symptoms. For example, with irritability and aggression, neuroleptics are helped( sonapax, nuleptil), with anxiety tranquilizers are used( except, of course, when they are addicted, in such a situation, anxiety can be quenched with antidepressants with an additional anti-anxiety effect, for example, herfolk, synecan), with a decrease in mood, antidepressants are indicated( amitriptyline, paxil, fluoxetine).

After discharge from the hospital, it is very important to receive maintenance therapy and to have regular follow-up with a narcologist or psychiatrist. At this stage, psychotherapy is actively used - family, individual, group, behavioral, etc.

Self-medication usually leads to disappointing results. Effective means to combat addiction in folk medicine is not represented. Medications that could be useful in substance abuse are related to potent and without prescribing a doctor, confirmed by a prescription, most likely they can not be purchased. But even if such a possibility is presented, the unauthorized use of drugs will bring harm rather than good. There is a risk not only not to get rid of substance abuse, but also to acquire dependence on another drug, in addition to what is already available - then it will be a question of polytoxicomania( or polydrug use), and this condition is very difficult to treat. If the patient is focused on the treatment with herbal preparations, then in consultation with the doctor, it is possible to use various soothing preparations in addition to the main treatment, for example, as a hypnotic( melissa, mint, valerian, etc.).

When substance abuse reaches such a level that the patient completely falls out of society, then in addition to treatment, rehabilitation is also necessary. Rehabilitation measures may include training with a psychologist, a psychotherapist, a social worker, assistance in finding a job.

Complications of substance abuse

With a complex impact on the disease and the cooperation of the patient and his relatives with the doctor, the prognosis for substance abuse is better than with drug addiction. In many cases, almost complete recovery and good social adaptation can be achieved. But if you do not seek help in time, the consequences of substance abuse can be severe. This is the strongest poisoning, and death as a result of an overdose. For teenagers abusing volatile organic solvents, there is a real danger of getting dementia for the rest of their lives. With prolonged experience of substance abuse, the organism wears out - chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system, respiratory organs, liver, nervous system appear. Therefore, it is important to recognize substance abuse as soon as possible, and ideally try to avoid this problem.

Prevention of substance abuse

To reduce the likelihood of dependence depends on well-organized leisure time for school-age children, trusting relationships with parents, and for adults - avoid self-treatment, especially insomnia, irritability, anxiety.

Doctor psychiatrist Bochkareva OS