5^th International Conference and Exhibition on Addiction Research & Therapy October 03-05, 2016 Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Substance abuse causes alteration in the genetic structure and functions of nervous system which leads to various neurological and behavioral changes in the form of substance abuse disorders. For the treatment of substance related disorders it is necessary to understand the neurology of substance use.

Drug addiction is a brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking, despite of its harmful consequences. It causes changes in the normal activity of the nervous system damaging the nerve tissues, killing neurons and this leads to dysregulation of neural system. Thus uncontrolled drug use results in toxicity of brain. Some of the behavioral effects of drug addiction include Paranoia, Aggressiveness, Impulsiveness, and Loss of Self-Control. Prescription drugs that are often abused are opioids, sleep medicines.

New advances in psychology and neuroscience have shed light on the changes that long term use of alcohol and other drugs brings into the brain especially in brain reward system, to foster continued and chronic patterns of compulsive drug abuse. New research topics in addiction include Behavioral Pharmacology Research, Relationship between youth violence and substance abuse, effect of alcohol on cognitive functioning and cocaine vaccines and addiction epidemiological research. Behavioral Pharmacology Research implies broad-based substance abuse clinical research program encompassing both human laboratory research and outpatient treatment research. Cocaine abuse is an ongoing and serious problem therefore vaccines against cocaine are being developed.

Animal models has contributed immensely to our understanding of addiction mainly drug abuse, its consequences and prevention and treatment. Animal studies have yielded fundamental insights into why people abuse drugs and how drugs cause the compulsion and disordered thinking seen in addiction. It is a valuable research tools because they allow scientists to conduct experiments that they could never perform on humans. It has various effects on human race, results from animal studies should be extrapolated to humans with caution, their value is incalculable. Case reports are also incorporated in addiction research.

Behavioral changes in human race occur due to various multimedia addictions which is becoming prominent in the daily life of the community. Among this, major is food addiction, caused due to binge eating habits and unscheduled meal sessions. Internet usage and gaming is most prominent in the young generation as they are always connected to the digital media sources to gain knowledge about the current activities all across the globe. Hence, living standards and habits changes to explore new trends in fashion world and lead them to be shopping addicts. More exposure and freeness in the society is increasing the concerns for serious involvement in pornography or other related sex addiction activities.

Drug Addiction is a condition that results when a person ingests a substance that can be pleasurable but the continued use or act of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary life responsibilities, such as work, health, and relationships. Most common type of addiction is drug addiction along with cocaine and gambling addiction. Tobacco and smoking addiction is mainly present in Asian & European countries.

Binge drinking is a serious problem it means heavy episodic drinking, a modern epithet for drinking alcoholic beverages with the primary intention of becoming intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time. This type of problematic drinking which leads to alcohol dependency is called alcoholism. In this dependency various psychological and clinical changes takes place in the human body including alcoholic liver diseases. Women alcoholism during pregnancy may result in fetal alcohol syndrome which is a pattern of seviour physical and mental defects in the developing fetus. Alcoholic polyneuropathy is damage to the nerves that results from excessive drinking of alcohol, chronic pancreatitis & Peptic ulcers is also a serious disease caused due to alcohol addiction. Delirium tremens (DTs) is caused by alcohol withdrawal after a period of heavy drinking and lead to severe mental and nervous system changes. Various chemotherapeutic agents like methadone are used for alcohol detoxification.

Consumption of a substance in a manner or amount which is very harmful to the user and its surrounding is termed as substance abuse. For many teens, illicit use of central stimulants such as khat, methamphetamine and dopamine become part of the landscape of their teenage years. Effect of substance abuse in adolescence is a very risky proposition. Substance Use Disorders occur when a person has a dependence on alcohol and or drugs that is accompanied by intense and sometimes uncontrollable cravings and compulsive behaviors to obtain the substance. Vulnerability to develop addiction also dependents on genetic factors. They are believed to contribute 40% to 60% to the risk for alcoholism, research on the genetics of alcohol dependency suggests that the tendency to become alcoholic is inherited via presumed genetic mutations. The altered gene functions due to mutation result in altered brain proteins.

Marijuana and opioid addiction are the most common type of drug addiction. According to Addiction biology of marijuana, marijuana use can overstimulation the endocannabinoid system which causes changes in the brain. In order to minimize its effects control measures are taken. Opioid dependence characterized by a compulsive use of opioids. Opioid treatment measures include various maintenance therapies like pharmacologic therapy, methadone maintenance therapy.

Addiction psychiatry focuses on the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of people who are suffering from one or more disorders and mental health issues related to addiction. Counseling and addiction treatment is very essential for such individuals. Due to latest advancement in technologies like Mobile health, now days it has become so easy for the people to get connected to health services and being updated with all the information. Rural and underserved communities often suffer from limited access to specialty treatment programs this can be overcome by Tele mental health. Online Recovery programs provide the opportunity for alcohol and drug addiction treatment by trained experts via the Internet, in a way that is convenient and private.

The toxic effects of drugs can mimic mental illness in ways that can be difficult to distinguish from mental illness. Drug induced brain disorders are distinct from independent co-occurring mental disorders in that all or most of the psychiatric symptoms are the direct result of substance use. It can’t be state that substance-induced disorders preclude co-occurring mental disorders, only that the specific symptom cluster at a specific point in time is more likely the result of substance use, abuse, intoxication, or withdrawal than of underlying mental illness. Some common substance related brain disorders are Anxiety, Depression and Insomnia, Schizophrenia, dementia, sleep disorder and Psychosis

Addiction has severe medical consequences like cancer, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, Respiratory Disease, chronic pain and suicide. Excess alcohol consumption causes alcoholic hepatitis, fatty liver and chronic hepatitis with hepatic fibrosis or cirrhosis. Unsafe use of injected drugs results in HIV/AIDS. Drug and alcohol addiction lead to a variety of respiratory problems like bronchitis, emphysema and lung cancer, drug Induced Pulmonary Toxicity and Alcoholic lung disease.

Various advancements in addiction treatment techniques will help in providing quality care for people with unhealthy alcohol, tobacco, or other drug use. Among them Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of psychotherapy designed to treat behavioral effects of substance abuse. The Behavioral Pharmacology Research is a substance abuse clinical research program encompassing both human laboratory research and outpatient treatment research. Neurorehabilitation and therapy offers complex medical process which aims to aid recovery from a nervous system injury due to addiction. 12 step recovery therapy involves an active engagement strategy designed to increase the likelihood of a substance abuser becoming affiliated with and actively involved in 12-step self-help groups, thereby promoting abstinence. It has long been an important part of the recovery process and the basis for many recovery programs.

Addiction treatment and rehabilitation involves various treatments and therapies. Substance abuse treatment comprises of Motivational therapy in which we encourage a patient to develop a negative view of their abuse, along with a desire to change their behavior. It is one of the important therapies included in Rehabilitation house treatment approaches. Social behavior in addiction can be treated by behavioral treatment approaches and drug induced addiction treatment.

Dual Diagnosis is a condition when a person suffers from both a substance abuse problem and another mental health issue such as depression or an anxiety disorder. Sometimes use alcohol or drugs are due to mental problems. Individuals who are dealing with Autism spectrum disorder are in high risk of substance abuse. They may feel that substance abuse helps them to cover their social ineptness but over time it begins to cause serious problems in their life. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is also relate to addiction.  Self-medication theory is widely used for the treatment of co-occurring disorders.

Yoga and retreat approaches- have been designed to provide natural remedies, which inhibits the prolonged use of any substance. People who are mentally ill are prescribed to go with yoga as it restores brains dopamine functions and keeps stress out. Meditation brings the mid the state of rest, in which a human thinks of present. Dance and music therapies are given to people to bring a ray of hope inside them that they still can perform better than others. Retreat facilities provides special period of time for prayer, silence, rest, simplicity and contemplation. It is a way out from life’s daily stresses as well as an opportunity to deepen one’s experience of self and the universal energy that surrounds and supports us. Relapse offers a systematic method of teaching the abuser to recognize and manage relapse warning signs.