Phases of drug addiction as chronic disease
Drug addiction is a chronic disease, which is given by the compulsive or uncontrollable search and consumption of drugs despite the negative consequences that it carries. In Peru, drug use is a problem of national relevance. According to the results of the National Drug Prevention and Use Survey 2002, the levels of life of social drugs are high: 94.2% of the population has ever consumed alcohol and 68% tobacco. It is known that around one million two hundred and seventy thousand people of different social strata or ages are dependent on alcohol consumption and almost five hundred thousand people addicted to tobacco.
As well as various social conflicts, drug addiction is also part of this, since it implies the abuse of prohibited and narcotic substances, which brings with it the death of many young people in Peru. Like any social conflict this is divided into 5 phases.
Early phase
In this first stage for the first time and in a casual way, the subject consumes the drug and, therefore, having recreationally tested this not to present any fade of fade.
What will make a difference at this stage of those who become a drug addict with a sporadic consumer will be mainly the acceptance of a social group, since the drug will be used not only because of its chemical effects, but also to compensate for personal limitations. Therefore, "the drug acquires a compensatory power and then the positive sensations would act as a reinforcement for the maintenance of initial consumption and the beginning of the escalation of the drug" (Gonzales and Ossa, 1996).
In addition, it is important to mention that drug addiction depends largely on the subculture from which the subject comes, since “a large number of drug addicts comes from places where there is economic deprivation, great family disorganization, lack of education, poverty, minority groups and frequent marginal ”; being common today that in these subcultures drug trafficking is the most popular activity of the neighborhood.
Scaling phase
At this stage the subject begins to use resources to obtain the drug by its own means, so that it ends up bounding with the trafficker network. Have drugs becomes part of your emotional safety. When this happens in a youth stage, in which the strengthening of identity is the main task, great sequelae is caused, since, the perception of itself changes whether or not to be under the effects of the drug. The organism begins to get used to the substance and goes to need not only a higher dose of this, but also other types of drugs, in this way consumption ceases to be something casual to change to something more permanent, even using multiple drugs. Even the subject begins to consume drugs without needing someone else, that is, lonely; Therefore, it is no longer a social reinforcer, but it becomes an important compensator of personal weaknesses and limitations, therefore it begins to occur, as with the deviation in general, a dual and ambivalent life. Since there is a group of people who know that it consumes drugs (in general the friends with which they consume) and a group of friends and parents who ignore their consumption, occurring a usual internal clash between both positions. With this the individual will gradually move away from his "normal" group for fear of being discovered and criticized, getting closer and more to consuming friends. However, addiction will be increasingly difficult to hide, since relatives and nearby people begin to notice changes in the subject. With this subject, this subject will become indifferent and distant with his close relationships, at this point he will seek refuge in his friends who are in the world of drugs so that consumption gradually stops being something private to being something public, sharpening in this way The break with its conventional medium
Crisis phase
At this stage they have biological alterations at the chemical level, mainly in the brain; Therefore, by increasing the tolerance of these substances, the greater the dependency towards these. Here consumption is already common, this becomes necessary, so the subject will do what is necessary to acquire the income he requires for his drugs. Therefore, the subject performs illegal activities as a means to achieve what he needs, so it reaches the point of linking with drug trafficking, since it becomes an activity that allows him to acquire drugs daily, in addition to solve your personal and family expenses.
In addition, at this stage there are consequences with their relatives and nearby people, since very apart from being indifferent with these it reaches the point of being aggressive with them, even it will only be interested in protecting their consumption surrounding only addicts and traffickers. This will produce a departure and the consequent reduction of his linkage with both relatives and non -consumers. At this time the break with the conventional environment is no longer only at the communication level, but also becomes a total break.
Descalement phase
Here a family member or nearby person will have to intervene to get the subject from the state in which he is. It is known that leaving drug use once you become addicted is not easy, that is, the subject cannot simply stop consuming drugs for a few days and healing already their body does not allow it. Therefore, most patients need long -term care to completely leave drugs and thus recover their life. This part begins with the treatment of the subject in question, these can be varied, for example: behavioral orientation, medication, medical devices which are used to treat abstinence symptoms or instruct the subject to develop new skills, evaluation of evaluation of recurring mental problems such as depression and anxiety in addition to long -term follow -up to avoid relapse.
Dialogue phase
In this case, the subject already recovered from the state of drug addiction in which he was, just as I rescue family and amic relationships, he also incorporated into society again as a new person.
"Addiction begins with the hope that something out there can immediately fill the inner vacuum"
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