Marijuana is one of the world’s most commonly used psychoactive drugs utilized for medicinal and recreational purposes. However, the cost of its recreational usage surpasses its medical benefits primarily because 80.6% of those who use marijuana medically also use it recreationally. Moreover, marijuana users with severe psychiatric conditions, such as anxiety or depression use the drug in a more complex manner.
Despite being effective in treating diseases such as Cohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis etc., the plant does, in fact, come with side effects. This article will discuss the signs of marijuana addiction and the risks associated with its misuse. It will further discuss the don’ts if you want to treat your loved ones addicted to the drug, including the options for medical treatment.
Dangers of Marijuana Abuse
Be mindful that any drug, no matter how helpful in treating conditions, entails certain risks. It is better to cut your dependency on external drugs and try to cope with daily life on your own as much as possible.
Marijuana’s dangers vary with the age and condition of the person, ranging from learning and retaining new information to diminished cognition.
In pregnant women, cannabis misuse can lead to the birth of an intensely underweight baby with a risk of rising neurological and behavioral issues. The other health problems include permanent short-term memory issues, chronic coughing and breathing problems and lung infection.
Treatment for the Patients Addicted to Marijuana
Marijuana-related medical problems vary from person to person, so behavioral therapies and medical treatment options are applied depending on each individual’s response.
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy works by increasing self-control and breaking drug usage. In addition, the program teaches strategies for identifying and resolving behavioral issues and other problems resulting from drug abuse.
- Contingency Management entails monitoring target behaviors and rewarding or punishing them as needed.
- Motivational Enhancement Therapy mobilizes the addict’s resources for recovery and engagement to bring immediate, internally motivated change.
What are the Commons Signs of Marijuana Addiction?
You may not know your loved one is being pulled towards the charming benefits of marijuana unless it’s too late. Here are some clear cut signs and behavior patterns that point towards marijuana addiction-
- They have a craving for its use
- A continuous decline in productive performance (work or otherwise)
- Poor physical hygiene and appearance
- You see them depend on the drug for everyday functioning
- Socially reserved in the interest of using marijuana
- Lying about the usage and trying to hide the drug
You can avoid a lot of trouble if you are aware of marijuana addiction symptoms. Knowing the destructive patterns makes it easier to detect them in a loved one and stage an intervention to stop the addiction in its tracks. However, the intervention needs to be planned with the assistance of a healthcare professional so as to avoid any unforeseen mistakes.
Following are a few precautionary steps that will guide you through the process so that it goes smoothly.
- Assemble an intervention team that is made up of friends, family, and coworkers.
- Create a plan that outlines how the process will work.
- The third step is to find out what detox and rehabilitation programs are right for the addicted person.
- Record personal statements from those in the intervention team about how addiction harmed the addict
- Set limits and end codependency by making a commitment. The refusal to receive treatment will impact the individual’s relationship with family and friends.
Things to Avoid when Staging Intervention
- Dealing with drug-addicted people is a bit of a sensitive issue. Therefore, besides careful planning before staging an intervention, there are a few things to keep in mind to avoid derailing the intervention process before it begins.
- Avoid selecting the family members, friends and coworkers in the intervention team who are extra emotional. The emotional expression during the intervention process can make things complicated and unproductive.
- Avoid staging an intervention with an intoxicated individual; rather, do it when they are sober to get their responses easily. It is also better to do it in the daytime.
- Interventions at home are also not ideal because the subject can easily escape to their comfort room and end the conversation on the spot. It is better to hold the meeting at a public place where people control their emotions in the surrounding of strangers.
- Don’t improvise because the best interventions are scripted and planned. Make sure that you intervene with proper planning, as to who will lead the intervention and how the involved team members will speak.
- Negotiation with addicts is not a good idea. Just seek a direct response. If you give them extra time or money, they are likely to take advantage of your lenience by delaying their treatment for as long as possible.
- Don’t give up if the intervention fails. Instead, prepare to enter into the next stage of intervention with the help of a professional.
Conclusion
Marijuana can be very harmful if it is taken without a prescription. You can quickly get addicted and overdosing can cause severe mental disorders in a person. Marijuana addiction is more psychological than physical. It is therefore necessary for loved ones to participate in an intervention for the treatment. It requires careful planning, commitment and strong nerves on the part of those close to the addict.