Addiction, be it with drugs or alcohol is a subtle yet serious problem in our society today. The number of drug abusers and addicts are increasing. We may not see it as a trouble as long as they are not affecting and hurting other people. However, we may not also be aware of the fact that through addiction or drug abuse, the person is hurting and destroying his/her own self.

Subtle, as we may speak, since even the members of the family are often in denial and does not admit that their mother, father, brother, or sister is a victim of drug or alcohol addiction. Much more, the addict is also in denial.Things have become a part of their lives that they see everything as normal. Moreover, the problem is not only partial to the lifestyle changes both in the family and in the addict himself. Mental and physical changes may occur as a result of chronic drug or alcohol use.

It is a common knowledge that these substances, when taken improperly and thus, abused, could have a great impact on the brain. Some parts of the brain are affected which in turn affects the functioning of the person’s body.

Treatment centers are made available nowadays to provide services to those who seek help in treating their conditions. Treatment is simply the therapy done during the process of drug alcohol rehabilitation. Treatment is both educational and therapeutic. Treatment makes a person aware of the problem. It is not always happy in drug treatment centers. Helping addicts pull through is not an easy thing. Actually, it is not something to smile about, though doctors and nurses had to show a smile to provide a friendly and relaxing environment for the patients, their job to treat addiction is not easy.

Useful treatment programs naturally add in many components, each directed to a particular aspect of the illness and its consequences. Addiction treatment have to aid the person to end using drugs, keep a drug-free lifestyle, and achieve productive functioning in the family, at work, and in society. Because substance dependency is typically a chronic ailment, people cannot simply stop using drugs for a few days and be cured. Most patients need repeated episodes of care to attain the definitive goal of sustained abstinence and recovery of their lives.

Most often, patients are given medication according to the kind of addiction they have. With this, the drug’s effect on the brain is slowly being eliminated, allowing the brain to function properly again. Moreover, in aiding people get better from the nightmares of addiction and start a new life, the presence and support of the people that used to be a part of their lives before the addiction is very important. Loved ones have great impacts on the lives of a person. Even addicts have feelings and still, blood is thicker than water. Family members could significantly aid through supporting the person all throughout the therapies and treatment process.

The addiction is not just a problem but after recovering from an addiction can be much worse because of the stigma that comes with it. Cognitive-behavioral therapies are thought to cheer the patients to think positively about life and if necessary, deliberately change their outlooks in life. They are shown that life could still go on even without drugs or alcohol.

Addiction is a serious problem and thus, should be seriously attended to by the people concerned. To solve this problem, treatment should be given seriously.

Once in a while, occurrences in our lives disappoint us and make us sad. Having lost someone very important could lead one to say “I feel so depressed.” Some people tell that depression feels like a black curtain of despair coming down over their lives. Although feeling depressed once in our lives is normal, chronic depression happens among people who are not able to recover from the normal cycle of grieving. These are people who are not able to deal with stress.

Depression may be a state of mind but it is also related to physical changes in our brain. Depression is said to be caused by an imbalance of neurotransmitters that carry signals in the brain and nerves. Too much work from the stress respond system sends emotional centers of the brain into overdrive so that negative events make a disproportionate impact and hijack rational response systems. One literally can’t think straight. It makes one ponder over and over about the difficulties and disappointments one until that’s all one can focus on. Depression could be both caused by the genes or the environment. To most, being depressed is inherited. They are inclined to be depressed even when faced with mild stress because it may be inherited. On a different note, there are individuals who has not adjust to minimal changes in life. For example, failing in an exam. Depression can always creep in. These people may not have hereditay depression but still they are prone to be depressed when they are not able to recover from their gloomy moments. Moreover, a unenthusisastic personality characterized by a low self-esteem, and a negative outlook are at higher risk of becoming depressed. It is mentioned previously that being depressed is quite normal but this depression only goes for a short time. A prolonged depression could always lead to other psychological disorders.

When you get depressed, you feel hopeless and sad. You may not feel any pleasure from almost anything you do. Others either lose or gain weight because of changes in appetite. There are those who cannot sleep at night while others would develop hypersomnia. Also, a depressed person is either restless or feels tired all the time that moving seems to be a great effort .

Gender difference is one factor in considering depression. More women get depressed than men. This could be because of hormonal changes brought on by puberty, menstruation, menopause, and pregnancy. This fact might be debatable because in most cases only a small number of men seek help to cure their depression. Men usually disguise their condition with drugs or alcohol. Moreover, suicide cases due to depression are higher among men than women. Elder people are also prone to becoming depressed. This can be attributed to the fact that most of them are having problems living alone with their children having their own lives already. Seeing themselves useless and unimportant may lead the elderly to become depress.

Once you have the disorder of depression, the disorder wont leave you on its own. One must do something with it. Today, there are a number of therapies and treatments available to treat depression. Supportive therapy helps relieve the pain of depression, and tackles the feelings of hopelessness. Cognitive treatment on the other hand, changes the negative thinking, expectations, and negative self-evaluations that create depression and sustain it. This therapy facilitates the person differentiate serious from minor problems and it helps one to develop positive life goals and a more positive self-evaluation. Behavioral therapy allows an individual to make constructive solutions to certain problems. This develops improved coping skills. For better and faster recovery, these treatments may be combined.

Depression is more of state of mind than of biological basis. The person has control over his mind. The mind may be very powerful in instilling thoughts that could affect one’s judgment and outlook in life, but everyone is capable of deciding whether to allow these pessimistic to push them all sideways and decide

to view the brighter side of life.