Drug Counseling for Drug Addiction

There are more than 20,000 new drug users in Germany every year; at the same time, 1,272 people died from the effects of narcotics in 2017. Anyone who has once taken a hard drug often never manages to get away from it. But even with legal drugs such as alcohol or nicotine, the numbers of addicts are alarming. Although their use is not immediately addictive, the path to addiction is faster than many people think. Regardless of the type of drug, the following applies: drug addiction is a disease like many others and can accordingly only be overcome with professional help.

Definition of drug addiction

Addiction is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a “state of periodic or chronic intoxication caused by the repeated use of a natural or synthetic drug.” This includes:

  • An uncontrollable desire to ingest and obtain the drug in question.
  • A tendency to increase the dose
  • Psychological and often physical dependence on the effect of the drug
  • The harmfulness to the individual or society
  • The loss of control over one’s own behavior

Drug addiction as a social phenomenon

The question of whether and why someone becomes addicted to drugs is difficult to answer. The drug problem runs through all strata of the population worldwide. Drugs include, for example.

  • Cannabis
  • Amphetamines
  • Cocaine
  • Alcohol
  • Ecstasy
  • Similarly, there are a wide variety of reasons why people take drugs. Whether out of frustration, pain, peer pressure, boredom, because of depression or to enhance performance – since each drug has a different effect, there are also the most diverse drug users. However, they all have one problem in common: they are more or less consciously dependent on a substance that causes serious damage to their body and psyche. To overcome this dependence, professional support is usually unavoidable.

    The will to quit

    The first step to overcoming a drug addiction is self-awareness. As long as an addict does not recognize his disease as such and decides to fight it, he cannot overcome it. This is because no therapy, no matter how good, can replace the power of one’s own will.

    Different forms of drug counseling

    There is now a wide range of help available for drug addicts and their families. From outpatient counseling centers and treatment locations to inpatient therapy in hospitals and clinics to self-help groups, each patient can be helped individually, depending on the severity of the addiction and the type of drug. Many church or non-profit agencies offer so-called “psychosocial counseling centers.” Those who would first like to receive anonymous advice over the phone can also contact the telephone counselling service or the nationwide addiction and drug hotline at 01805 – 31 30 31.

    Drug treatment: making a start

    The beginning of drug therapy usually takes place in a counseling center. There, addicts and their relatives can talk about their worries and problems and, together with the counselor, create a suitable withdrawal program. In some cases, outpatient treatment is already sufficient; in other cases, hospitalization is unavoidable. Assisted living in short-term or long-term facilities is also possible.

    Drug counseling with abstinence therapy

    In any case, the goal of drug therapy is complete abstinence from drugs, reintegration of the addict into society, relearning everyday and social structures, and an independent, self-determined life. To achieve this, most forms of addiction treatment focus on complete abstinence. However, this is controversial in modern drug treatment – not only because of the physical pain that withdrawal causes addicts, but also because of the high relapse rate.

    High risk of relapse

    Because care for addicts after treatment is often inadequate, about 60 to 80 percent quickly fall back into old behavior patterns, surround themselves with the same fake friends, have trouble finding housing or work, and therefore turn to drugs again.

    Low-threshold addiction counseling

    Modern programs operate at a low-threshold level, meaning they do not force those in therapy to be completely abstinent.Instead, with street workers, substitute substance treatment, medical support, distribution of free disposable syringes and counseling, they try to improve the living situation of drug addicts and thus pave the way for them to lead healthier, more self-confident lives. In this way, not only is the risk of infection with AIDS or hepatitis reduced, but the health and hygiene situation of addicts is also improved. The addicts here have to find their own way to a drug-free life, but the support they receive from the counseling centers can provide crucial support.