information

=introduction mateo p=

Definition

=maria juliana=

[|By Mayo Clinic staff] You may be hooked emotionally and psychologically. You may have a physical dependence, too. If you have a drug addiction, you have intense cravings for the drug. You want to use it again and again. When you stop taking it, you may have unpleasant physical reactions. While not everyone who uses drugs becomes addicted, many people do. Drug addiction involves compulsively seeking to use a substance, regardless of the potentially negative social, psychological and physical consequences. Certain drugs are more likely to cause physical dependence than are others. Breaking a drug addiction is difficult, but not impossible. Support from your doctor, family, friends and others who have a drug addiction, as well as inpatient or outpatient drug addiction treatment, may help you beat your drug dependence.

=gianella=

Symptoms [|By Mayo Clinic staff] Addiction to any drug may include these general characteristics: § Feeling that you need the drug regularly and, in some cases, many times a day § Making certain that you maintain a supply of the drug § Failing repeatedly in your attempts to stop using the drug § Doing things to obtain the drug that you normally wouldn't do, such as stealing § Feeling that you need the drug to deal with your problems § Driving or doing other activities that place you and others at risk of physical harm when you're under the influence of the drug The particular signs and symptoms of drug use and dependence vary depending on the type of drug.
 * General signs and symptoms **

=mateo p=

Cannabis compounds are found in marijuana and hashish. Signs and symptoms of use and dependence on these drugs include: § A heightened sense of visual, auditory and taste perception § Poor memory § Increased blood pressure and heart rate § Red eyes § Decreased coordination § Difficulty concentrating § Increased appetite § Slowed reaction time § Paranoid thinking
 * Cannabis compounds: Signs and symptoms **

=gianella=

Barbiturates and benzodiazepines are examples of central nervous system depressants. Phenobarbital, amobarbital (Amytal) and secobarbital (Seconal) are examples of barbiturates. Benzodiazepines include tranquilizers such as diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax), oxazepam (Serax), lorazepam (Ativan), clonazepam (Klonopin) and chlordiazepoxide (Librium). Signs and symptoms of use and dependence on these drugs include: § Drowsiness <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Slurred speech <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Lack of coordination <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Memory impairment <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Confusion <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Slowed breathing and decreased blood pressure <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Dizziness <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Depression
 * Central nervous system depressants: Signs and symptoms **

=maria juliana=

This class of drugs includes amphetamines, methamphetamine, cocaine and methylphenidate (Ritalin). Signs and symptoms of use and dependence on these drugs include: <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Euphoria <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Decreased appetite <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Rapid speech <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Irritability <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Restlessness <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Depression as the drug wears off <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Nasal congestion and damage to the mucous membrane of the nose in users who snort drugs <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Insomnia <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Weight loss <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Increased heart rate, blood pressure and temperature <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Paranoia Synthetic compounds, such as Ecstasy, which has both amphetamine-like and hallucinogenic effects, are included in this category. Signs and symptoms of using designer drugs vary depending on the drug. You might be able to tell that a family member or a friend is using or abusing a drug based on the physical and behavioral signs and symptoms associated with the drug. For example, Ecstasy produces a mild hallucinogenic effect and a feeling of euphoria. It also causes an increased heart rate, overheating, high blood pressure, kidney and liver toxicity, and memory problems.
 * Central nervous system stimulants: Signs and symptoms **
 * Designer drugs: Signs and symptoms **

=fercho=

Use of hallucinogens produces different signs and symptoms depending on the drug. The most common hallucinogens are LSD, phencyclidine (PCP) and ketamine (special K), a so-called "club drug." Signs and symptoms of LSD use include: <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Hallucinations <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Greatly impaired perception of reality, for example, interpreting input from one of your senses as another, such as hearing colors <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Permanent mental changes in perception <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Rapid heart rate <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ High blood pressure <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Tremors <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Flashbacks, a re-experience of the hallucinations — even years later Signs and symptoms of PCP use include: <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Hallucinations <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Euphoria <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Delusions <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Panic <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Loss of appetite <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Depression <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Aggressive, possibly violent behavior Signs and symptoms of ketamine use include: <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Increased heart rate <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Nausea and vomiting <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Numbness <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Impaired motor function <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Loss of memory The signs and symptoms of inhalant use vary depending on what substance is inhaled. Some commonly inhaled substances include glue, paint thinners, correction fluid, felt tip marker fluid, gasoline, cleaning fluids and household aerosol products. When inhaled, these products can cause brief intoxication and a decreased feeling of inhibition. Long-term use may cause seizures and damage to the brain, liver and kidneys. Inhalant use can also cause death.
 * Hallucinogens: Signs and symptoms **
 * Inhalants: Signs and symptoms **

=mateo p=

Opioids are narcotic, painkilling drugs produced naturally from opium or made synthetically. This class of drugs includes heroin, morphine, codeine, methadone and oxycodone (OxyContin). Signs and symptoms of use and dependence on these drugs include: <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Reduced sense of pain <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Sedation <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Depression <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Confusion <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Constipation <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Slowed breathing <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Needle marks (if injecting drugs) Possible indications that your teenager is using drugs include: <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** School performance. ** Your child suddenly shows an active dislike of school and looks for excuses to stay home. Contact your school officials to see if your child's attendance record matches what you know about his or her absent days. A student who experiences a drop in performance, possibly failing courses or receiving only minimally passing grades, may be using drugs. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Physical health. ** Listlessness and apathy may indicate your child is using certain drugs. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Appearance. ** How they look is extremely important to adolescents. A sudden lack of interest in clothing, grooming or looks may be a warning sign of drug use. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Personal behavior. ** Teenagers enjoy privacy, but exaggerated efforts to bar family members from entering their rooms or knowing where they go with their friends might indicate drug use. Also, drastic changes in behavior and in relationships with family and friends may signal drug use. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Money. ** Sudden requests for money without a reasonable explanation for its use may be a sign of drug use. You may also discover money stolen from previously safe places at home. Items may disappear from your home because they're being sold to support a drug habit. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Causes <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ [|By Mayo Clinic staff] <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); display: none;">§ <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ The range of drugs to which you can become addicted is wide, and includes both legal and illegal drugs. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Drug dependence is characterized by impaired control over the drug, preoccupation with use, continued use despite negative consequence, and sometimes evidence of physical dependence on the drug. Various factors, such as your personality, your genetic makeup and peer pressure, affect your likelihood of becoming addicted to a drug. In addition, some drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, more quickly produce a physical addiction than other drugs do for many people. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Changing brain pathways ** Physical addiction appears to occur when repeated use of a drug alters reward pathways in your brain. The addicting drug causes physical changes to some nerve cells (neurons) in your brain. Neurons use chemicals called neurotransmitters to communicate. Neurons release neurotransmitters into the gaps (synapses) between nerve cells; neurotransmitters are received by receptors on other neurons and on their own cell bodies. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ The changes that occur in this communication process vary with the type of drug to which you're addicted, though researchers have discovered that addictive drugs, such as cocaine and morphine, affect some areas of the brain in the same manner. If further research confirms findings such as this, it would be possible to develop more effective medications to combat addiction to more than one drug. Risk factors [|By Mayo Clinic staff] These factors increase the likelihood of your having an addiction to a legal or an illegal drug: <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Personality. ** If you have another psychological problem, such as depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder, you're more likely to become dependent on drugs. Children who exhibit aggression, a lack of self-control and a difficult temperament may be at greater risk of drug addiction. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Social environment. ** Particularly for young people, peer pressure is a strong factor in starting to use and abuse drugs. A lack of attachment with your parents may increase the risk of addiction, as can a lack of parental supervision. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Anxiety, depression and loneliness. ** Using drugs can become a way of coping with these painful psychological feelings. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Genetics. ** Drug addiction is more common in some families and likely involves the effects of many genes. If you have family members with alcohol or drug problems, you're at greater risk of developing a drug addiction. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Type of drug. ** Some drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, more quickly result in physical addiction than do others. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ When to seek medical advice <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ [|By Mayo Clinic staff] <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Addiction is a chronic relapsing disorder, meaning you tend to fall back into old addictive behaviors, including drug use, even after treatment. The sooner you seek help, the greater your chances are for a long-term recovery. If you're initially reluctant to approach a doctor, help lines or hot lines may be a good place to start to learn about treatment. You can find these lines listed in the phone book or on the Internet. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Because denial is often a characteristic of addiction, many people who are addicted to or who abuse drugs won't seek medical treatment on their own. Family members, friends or co-workers may need to persuade the user to undergo screening for drug addiction. Breaking a drug addiction may involve counseling, an outpatient treatment program or residential treatment. Tests and diagnosis <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ [|By Mayo Clinic staff] <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ Diagnosing a drug addiction often starts at the family doctor level, often after one family member has raised concerns about another family member's behavior. Your doctor may ask questions about the frequency of drug use, whether any family member has criticized your drug use or whether you've ever felt you might have a problem. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ A definitive diagnosis of drug addiction usually occurs after an evaluation by a psychiatrist, psychologist or a specialized addiction counselor. Blood tests often aren't able to result in a diagnosis of a drug addiction, but these tests can help a doctor detect the presence of a drug when its use has been denied. Complications [|By Mayo Clinic staff] Dependence on drugs can create a number of life-changing complications, including: <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Health. ** Drug use and addiction has many physical consequences that vary depending on which drug you use but may include delirium, seizures, coma, heart attack, respiratory failure, kidney damage, unconsciousness and sudden death. Recent research suggests that marijuana, which many consider to be a fairly harmless substance, may increase your risk of developing a psychotic illness, such as schizophrenia, later in life. Using drugs may make you more likely to participate in other unsafe behaviors, such as sharing needles or having unprotected sex, which can increase your chances of contracting HIV or hepatitis. People who are addicted to drugs are also at a higher risk of overdosing because addicts need more and more of the drug to achieve the same feeling. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Family. ** Behavioral changes may cause marital or family strife. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Work. ** Work performance may decline, and you may be absent from work more often. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Social. ** You may lose or alienate longtime friends. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** School. ** Academic performance and motivation to excel in school may suffer. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Legal. ** Stealing to support your drug addiction and driving while impaired are just two of the possible legal problems drug addiction can cause. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Financial. ** Spending money to support your habit takes away money from your other needs, could put you into debt and could lead you into behaviors that are contrary to your values.
 * Opioids: Signs and symptoms **
 * Recognizing drug abuse in teenagers **

Treatments and drugs [|By Mayo Clinic staff] Drug addiction treatment typically involves steps to help you withdraw from using the drug, followed by counseling and attending self-help groups to help you resist using the addictive drug again. The goal of withdrawal therapy (detoxification) is for you to stop taking the addicting drug as quickly and safely as possible. Detoxification may involve gradually reducing the dose of the drug or temporarily substituting other substances, such as methadone, that have less severe side effects. For some people, it may be safe to undergo withdrawal therapy on an outpatient basis; others may require admission to a hospital or a residential treatment center. Withdrawal from different categories of drugs produces different side effects and requires different approaches. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Central nervous system depressants. ** Minor side effects of withdrawal may include restlessness, anxiety, sleep problems and sweating. More serious signs and symptoms also could include hallucinations, whole-body tremors, seizures, and increased blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature. The most serious stage of withdrawal may include delirium, which is potentially life-threatening. Withdrawal therapy may involve gradually scaling back the amount of the drug. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Central nervous system stimulants. ** Side effects of withdrawal typically include depression, fatigue, anxiety and intense cravings. In some cases, signs and symptoms may include suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts, paranoia and impaired contact with reality (acute psychosis). Treatment during withdrawal is usually limited to emotional support from your family, friends and doctor. Your doctor may recommend medications to treat paranoid psychosis or depression. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Opioids. ** Side effects of withdrawal of opioids, such as heroin, morphine, oxycodone or codeine, can range from relatively minor to severe. On the minor end, they may include runny nose, sweating, yawning, feeling anxiety and craving the drug. Severe reactions can include sleeplessness, depression, dilated pupils, rapid pulse, rapid breathing, high blood pressure, abdominal cramps, tremors, bone and muscle pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. Doctors may substitute a synthetic opiate, such as methadone, to reduce the craving for heroin and to gently ease people away from heroin. The most recently approved medication to ease withdrawal from opiates is buprenorphine (Subutex). Buprenorphine is a milder opioid that was approved in the United States to manage cravings in individuals who decide to stop using stronger opiates. This drug is the first narcotic medication used for the treatment of addiction that may be prescribed in a doctor's office rather than a treatment center. After detoxification, therapies such as counseling, addiction treatment programs and self-help group meetings can help you stay sober. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Counseling. ** Individual or family counseling with a psychologist, psychiatrist or addiction counselor may help you resist the temptation to resume using addicting drugs. Behavior therapies can help you develop ways to cope with your drug cravings, suggest strategies to avoid drugs and prevent relapse, and offer suggestions on how to deal with a relapse if it occurs. Counseling also can involve talking about your job, legal problems and relationships with family and friends. Counseling with family members can help them to develop better communication skills and to be more supportive. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Treatment programs. ** Treatment programs generally include educational and therapy sessions focused on establishing sobriety and preventing relapse. This may be accomplished in individual, group or family sessions. These programs are available in various settings from outpatient to residential and inpatient programs. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Self-help groups. ** Many, though not all, of these groups tend to use the 12-step model first developed by Alcoholics Anonymous. Self-help groups, such as Narcotics Anonymous, exist for people addicted to drugs, such as cocaine, sedatives and narcotics. The message is that addiction is a chronic disorder with a danger of relapse and that ongoing maintenance treatment — which may include medications, counseling and attending self-help group meetings — is necessary to prevent a relapse. Your doctor or counselor can help you locate a self-help group. You also can find listings for self-help groups in the phone book, at the library and on the Internet. Prevention [|By Mayo Clinic staff] The best way to prevent an addiction to an illegal drug is not to take the drug at all. Your doctor may prescribe narcotics to relieve pain, benzodiazepines to relieve anxiety or insomnia, or barbiturates to relieve nervousness or irritation. Doctors prescribe these medications at safe doses and monitor their use so that you're not given too great a dose or for too long a time. If you feel you need to take more than the prescribed dose of a medication, talk to your doctor. Parents can take the following steps to help prevent drug dependency in their children: <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Communicate. ** Talk to your children about the risks of drug use and abuse. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Listen. ** Be a good listener when your children talk about peer pressure, and be supportive of their efforts to resist it. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Set a good example. ** Don't abuse alcohol or addictive drugs. Children of parents who abuse drugs are at greater risk of drug addiction. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Strengthen the bond. ** Work on your relationship with your children. A strong, stable bond between you and your child will reduce your child's risk of using or abusing drugs. Coping and support [|By Mayo Clinic staff] Along with counseling and attending self-help groups, talk with your doctor or counselor about other ways you can boost your chances of staying drug-free. Following are some suggestions: <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Give yourself time. ** For most people, it takes about three months before significant improvement occurs, so don't give up on your treatment program too soon. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Promptly seek treatment for other mental health disorders. ** Because people with other mental health problems, such as depression, are more likely to become addicted to drugs, seek immediate treatment from a qualified mental health professional if you have any signs or symptoms of mental illness. <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Wingdings; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">§ ** Avoid high-risk situations. ** Don't go back to the neighborhood where you used to get your drugs. And, stay away from your old drug crowd. <span style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">.
 * Withdrawal therapy **
 * Continuing treatment **