Archive for January, 2010

Drug Addiction in the Philippines

With much of the focus on drug use in the United States, many people probably don’t pay much attention to drug addiction in the Philippines.  Why should we?  Because it is an ever-increasing problem for the people of that country and they shouldn’t be ignored.  Drug addiction in the Philippines has increased at alarming rates [...]

With much of the focus on drug use in the United States, many people probably don’t pay much attention to drug addiction in the Philippines.  Why should we?  Because it is an ever-increasing problem for the people of that country and they shouldn’t be ignored.  Drug addiction in the Philippines has increased at alarming rates since World War II. Sadly, the reasons why aren’t clear cut.

Most of the drug users in the Philippines are young people.  Illicit drugs that are present include marijuana, LSD, opiates, and barbiturates.  While there are no hard fast statistics available, it is estimated that as many as 60,000 young people in the Philippines are dealing with drug addiction.

Within a period of ten years, the incidence of drug addiction rose dramatically according to studies done in this tiny country.  The majority of drug users are students with marijuana being the drug of choice.  Many people believe that this rise is attributable to simple curiosity, but more likely because Philippine youth are trying to emulate their Western counterparts here in the United States.

Because so much attention is focused on drug addiction in America, the information is readily available in the Philippines as are the drugs.  This has increased the demand for drugs thus pushing drug dealers to grow their own cannabis plants, which is illegal in the Philippines.  There have been recent reports as well of drugs being manufactured in illegal laboratories.  Local narcotics police have made several raids to try and curb this activity, but of course, to no avail.

To meet the challenge of the drug abuse problem several measures, both private and governmental, are being taken. Violators of narcotic laws who make known to the authorities the fact of their addiction and their desire to be cured are referred to the Addiction Institute of the National Bureau of Investigation so that they may undergo treatment and rehabilitation.

On another front, a new organization-the Narcotic Foundation of the Philippines-has recently been formed. This is a private association not related to Government institutions and treatment centers; its aims are to raise funds for the treatment and reorientation of young addicts, and to educate the public against the dangers of drug addiction. It is to be hoped that the efforts made by this newly-founded organization, along with the efforts of the Addiction Institute and other interested bodies, will help the country to eventually cope with the alarming growth in local drug abuse.
Drug addiction in the Philippines is a growing problem, but it is one that the Philippine government is trying to tackle and take hold of.  Just as in the United States, drug addiction is nothing to be taken lightly no matter where it happens here or in the Philippines.

Drug Addiction Recovery

Many people struggling with drug addiction think that recovery is nearly impossible for them.  They’re heard the horror stories of painful withdrawal symptoms, they can’t imagine life without drugs, and they can’t fathom actually being able to get through a recovery effort.  But people do recover from drug addiction ?every day in fact.  But they [...]

Many people struggling with drug addiction think that recovery is nearly impossible for them.  They’re heard the horror stories of painful withdrawal symptoms, they can’t imagine life without drugs, and they can’t fathom actually being able to get through a recovery effort.  But people do recover from drug addiction ?every day in fact.  But they don’t usually do it alone.  They have lots of help.

Help with drug addiction recovery can come from many different places in the form of loving family and friends, drug treatment programs, and drug rehab facilities.  Recovery is a long process that requires a commitment from a lot of people, but when you get help with your drug addiction, recovery is a very real possibility.

Drug addiction recovery entails more than just getting over the physical withdrawal from drugs, it also involves a healing of the mind and the mindset that started you towards drug addiction in the first place.  Recovery is a spiritual process that needs to take place in the mind, heart, and soul.

Recovery comes about after a long period of time.  The initial phase is abstinence or not using the drug.  Abstinence eventually moves into recovery as the addict begins to change and grow in positive ways.  Abstinence requires a decision, recovery requires effort.

Once you have gone through the abstinence phase with withdrawal from the drug, you can then move on to mental recovery.  This type of recovery has to do with issues like brain function and brain chemistry.  It involves changing your attitudes, belief systems, and rational thoughts so that you don’t start using drugs again.

Emotional recovery from drugs is a very complex part of the healing process as well.  This part of recovery has more to do with your feelings than anything else.  Emotional recovery involves learning to deal with feelings openly, honestly, and responsibly. It includes learning to express and resolve feelings in appropriate and effective ways. For most people in recovery, emotional recovery can take years.

Finally, you抣l need to recover from drug addiction spiritually.  Even if you are not a religious person, spiritual recovery has more to do with your attitude toward life and how you want to live that life.  When you begin to recover spiritually, the way you look at the world changes:  fear is replaced by faith, self-pity turns to gratitude, resentment becomes acceptance, and dishonesty turns to honesty.

You can choose to undertake your drug addiction recovery at a rehab facility or through a 12-step program, but you truly do need to seek out the help of others if you want to have a full recovery.  Very few people are able to recover from drug addiction on their own.  Don抰 be afraid to ask for help because you can have a successful recovery from drug addiction once you do!