Drug Addiction

Drug addiction is a complex condition characterized by intense and, at times, uncontrollable drug craving, along with the desire to compulsively seek and use drugs that persists even in the face of devastating consequences. While the path to drug addiction begins with the voluntary act of taking drugs, over time, the ability of a person to choose not to do so becomes compromised and seeking and consuming the drug becomes compulsive. This behavior results largely from the effects of prolonged drug exposure on brain functioning. Addiction is a brain disease that affects multiple brain circuits, including those involved in reward and motivation, learning and memory and inhibitory control over behavior. Some individuals are more susceptible to becoming an addict, depending on genetic makeup, age of exposure to drugs, other environmental influences and the interplay of all these factors. Addiction is often more than just compulsive drug consumption and can have far reaching consequences. For example, drug abuse and addiction increase the risk of a person to have a variety of other mental and physical illnesses related to a drug abuse. People may suffer the toxic effects of the drugs themselves. Additionally, a wide range of dysfunctional behaviors may result from drug abuse and interfere with normal functioning within a family, the workplace and the community. Because drug abuse and addiction have so many dimensions and disrupt so many aspects of the life of an individual, treatment is not simple. Effective treatment programs typically incorporate many components, each directed to a particular aspect of the illness and its consequences. Addiction treatment must help the individual stop using drugs, maintain a lifestyle free of drugs and achieve productive functioning in the family, at work and in society. Because addiction is typically a chronic disease, people cannot simply stop using drugs for a few days and halt addiction. Most patients require long term or repeated episodes of care to achieve the ultimate goal of sustained abstinence and recovery of quality of life. Research and clinical practices demonstrate the value of continued care in treating addiction, with researchers studying a variety of approaches in both residential and community settings. The future holds new research results on the influence of genetics and environment on gene function and expression, which will herald the development of personalized treatment interventions. Clinicians will integrate this information with current evidence that supports the most effective drug abuse and addiction treatments and implementation.

Mind Body Medicine

Mind body practices focus on the interactions among the brain, mind, body and behavior, with the intent to use the mind to affect physical functioning and promote health. Many complementary medicine practices embody this concept in different ways.
Meditation techniques include specific postures, focused attention or an open attitude toward distractions. People use meditation to increase calmness and relaxation, improve psychological balance, cope with illness or enhance overall health and wellbeing. Various styles of yoga used for health purposes typically combine physical postures, breathing techniques and meditation or relaxation. People use yoga as part of a general health regimen and for a variety of health conditions.
Acupuncture is a family of procedures involving the stimulation of specific points on the body using a variety of techniques, such as penetrating the skin with needles that an administrator then manipulates by hand or by electrical stimulation. Acupuncture is one of the key components of traditional Chinese medicine and is among the oldest healing practices in the world. Acupuncture is part of mind body medicine, but it is also a component of energy medicine, manipulative and practices based on the body and traditional Chinese medicine.
Other examples of mind body practices include deep breathing exercises, guided imagery, hypnotherapy, progressive relaxation, qi gong and tai chi.
Several mind body approaches ranked among the top 10 complementary medicine practices reported by adults in the 2007 NHIS. For example, the survey found that 12.7 percent of adults had used deep breathing exercises, 9.4 percent had practiced meditation and 6.1 percent had practiced yoga. The use of these three complementary medicine practices had increased significantly since the previous 2002 NHIS. Progressive relaxation and guided imagery were also among the top 10 complementary medicine therapies for adults; deep breathing and yoga ranked high among children. Acupuncture had been used by 1.4 percent of adults and 0.2 percent of children.

Aerobic Activity

One way to meet physical activity goals is by participating in aerobic activities. Aerobic exercise includes any activity that makes the lungs work hard and increases the heart rate for a sustained period. Common aerobic activities include: brisk walking, cycling, dancing, playing basketball, running and swimming. Experts recommend moderate- to vigorous-intensity exercise. Moderate-intensity aerobic activity may make a person breathe harder and make it more difficult to talk, but always try to carry on a conversation. If a person is just beginning, slowly work up to moving at a moderate-intensity pace until weight loss occurs.

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