Addiction can be beaten. At his office, Dr. Jesalva provides residents of the Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, Westlake Village, Simi Valley, Agoura Hills and Camarillo areas of east Ventura County in Southern California treatment for substance abuse and dependence.
What is Substance Abuse?
Substance abuse -- more correctly called substance use disorder -- occurs with recurrent use of alcohol and/or drugs like tobacco, marijuana, stimulants, hallucinogens or opiate medications. In addition to “street” drugs, prescription medications are often drugs of abuse. The key is that the use of these substances causes significant clinical or functional impairment in the patient's life. These can include health problems, disability, and failure to meet major responsibilities at school, work or in the home. Patients typically display impaired control, show signs of social impairment (having difficulty with relationships) and an inability to stop using.
How Do I Know if I Have a Problem?
The key to any substance use disorder is lack of control. The actual amount you use is not as important as whether you can stop and the effects of using. People who have substance use disorders continue to use even if use damages their health or relationships, affects their schooling or work, or causes problems like automobile accidents. Once a substance abuse disorder moves into dependence and full-blown addiction, the patient will have physical symptoms (withdrawal) if s/he tries to stop using.
How is Substance Abuse Treated?
Treating substance abuse is difficult and complex. Some patients need to be hospitalized to get them through withdrawal (this is often called “detox”). Medications may be helpful in managing physical symptoms, but a hallmark of substance abuse programs is psychotherapy treatment. Individual and/or group treatment can occur in hospitals, residential facilities or in outpatient settings. Peer support groups and programs like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous may be used instead of or in addition to medical treatment.
What's the Risk of Relapse?
Drug addiction is a very complex issue. All substances of abuse actually change the brain. These changes promote compulsive abuse, because the brain changes result in symptoms like anxiety, depression and stress when the user tries to stop. However each use fosters the addiction, and even when people really want to stop, the risk of relapse is high. Relapse rates in substance abuse disorders range from 40 to 60 percent, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
What is Substance Abuse?
Substance abuse -- more correctly called substance use disorder -- occurs with recurrent use of alcohol and/or drugs like tobacco, marijuana, stimulants, hallucinogens or opiate medications. In addition to “street” drugs, prescription medications are often drugs of abuse. The key is that the use of these substances causes significant clinical or functional impairment in the patient's life. These can include health problems, disability, and failure to meet major responsibilities at school, work or in the home. Patients typically display impaired control, show signs of social impairment (having difficulty with relationships) and an inability to stop using.
How Do I Know if I Have a Problem?
The key to any substance use disorder is lack of control. The actual amount you use is not as important as whether you can stop and the effects of using. People who have substance use disorders continue to use even if use damages their health or relationships, affects their schooling or work, or causes problems like automobile accidents. Once a substance abuse disorder moves into dependence and full-blown addiction, the patient will have physical symptoms (withdrawal) if s/he tries to stop using.
How is Substance Abuse Treated?
Treating substance abuse is difficult and complex. Some patients need to be hospitalized to get them through withdrawal (this is often called “detox”). Medications may be helpful in managing physical symptoms, but a hallmark of substance abuse programs is psychotherapy treatment. Individual and/or group treatment can occur in hospitals, residential facilities or in outpatient settings. Peer support groups and programs like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous may be used instead of or in addition to medical treatment.
What's the Risk of Relapse?
Drug addiction is a very complex issue. All substances of abuse actually change the brain. These changes promote compulsive abuse, because the brain changes result in symptoms like anxiety, depression and stress when the user tries to stop. However each use fosters the addiction, and even when people really want to stop, the risk of relapse is high. Relapse rates in substance abuse disorders range from 40 to 60 percent, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.