Drug-Related Problems

There are several different approached when it comes to counselling people with alcohol and drug related problems. The approach of Alcoholic Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous is that it is primarily due to pre-existing physical (biochemical) abnormality and is usually referred to as a kind of incurable allergy to their substance of addiction and therefore life-long abstinence is the only solution.

Another medically influenced approach sees its related harm as important and dealt with by reducing harm by minimizing risks, reduce intake rather than total abstinence and possibly changing to another prescribed substance with reduced harm implications.

Third approach sees the drug misuse as a pattern of inappropriate coping and hence the focus on cognitive factors to change perceptions and improve feelings of efficacy and increase the vocabulary of alternate coping behaviours that may be used as an alternative to drugs. Apart of this there are number of other approached but above are the most commonly encountered in India at present.