The doctor and family nurse prioritized primary care of the population, thereby ensuring the continuity of medical services with the support of specialists as an inseparable part of the community health system. Thus the participation of the Health Mental Centre in relation to drugs and its consequences. Attention to people we talked to Yennifer Izquierdo Rivera, Head of the Health Mental Department in San Antonio de los Baños.

What is drug addiction?

Drug addiction is a disease that involves the dependence of substances that affect the central nervous system and brain function, produces changes in behavior, perception, judgment and emotions.

The effects that cause drugs are different on our nervous system. What can you tell us about that?

According to the different types of drugs used: some are exciting and others depressants; accelerate our mental functioning, with the risk of increasing mistakes, and others will become slow or distort it; others produce hallucinations or changes in the perception of reality. The effects of drugs are different, depending on the type of drug and how much or how often you drink it. They can produce hallucinations, intensify or dull the senses, cause feelings of euphoria or despair. Some drugs can even lead to madness or death. Drug use has consequences for the normal functioning of our nervous system and causes a number of effects that alter our capabilities.

Drug use affects interpersonal relationships within the family and social context. What do we mean?

We are talking about the consequences, because drugs change the way of thinking, working, to interact with others and to face the challenges of reality. The effects of drugs are different, depending on the type of drug and how much or how often you drink it. In short, make fewer of our lives. Drugs have negative effects on our physical and mental abilities. Among the consequences of drug abuse we can point to physiological and psychological disorders. Among physiological disorders have withdrawal, seizures, changes in heart rate, central nervous system impairment.

Among the psychological disorders include hallucinations, paranoid tendencies, depression, neurosis. The deterioration and weakening of the will, because the addict becomes literally a slave to drugs, which makes anything to get it. Often steals or cheats and this deteriorates further their relations.

Drugs not only have negative consequences for those who use them. What do we mean and what message we can give to family and society?

We all belong to a family and social environment and drugs trigger interpersonal relationships; these are affected. People around the addict, especially its closest, so friends and family suffer from deterioration of values. Not only the life of the addict is at stake. The problem of drug addiction is rooted in society itself. That is why a commitment of society as a whole is necessary. Parents, teachers, media, institutions must commit to building a new society, where being promoted, especially the authentic spiritual values. Failure to do so, all prevention strategies will be futile, since the underlying problem will still exist.

For people who have already fallen into drug abuse and is not enough simple medical treatments, since there are other problems of the individual behind the fact of his drug addiction. It is necessary, along with medical drug treatment itself, a method of rehabilitation to have the person rediscover its value and its deepest identity. This treatment is not possible without the participation of the individual, without their willingness to change. Family support and adequate spiritual assistance are also essential for rehabilitation.