1. OTC and Prescription Drug Abuse Slideshow Pictures
2. Health Risks of Alcohol Abuse Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Dr. Roxanne Dryden-Edwards is an adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist. She is a former Chair of the Committee on Developmental Disabilities for the American Psychiatric Association, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and Medical Director of the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda, Maryland.

View Full Profile

Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

View Full Profile

Someone who wishes to receive treatment for substance abuse or dependence should see a doctor. Family members should accompany the person with a drug abuse problem to the doctor's appointment to discuss the issue.

• Referral for counseling can be beneficial for some people. One place to start would be at the American Academy of Health Care Providers in the Addictive Disorders.
• Complications from drug abuse need medical evaluation.

A person with an acute drug overdose should be brought to a hospital's emergency department immediately. The emergency department is a frequent place for people who suffer from drug dependence to seek medical care. People who are behavior problems may come to the attention of the emergency medical services system or police. These public service professionals can assist in bringing the person to the hospital.

• Anyone with an alteration of consciousness needs immediate medical evaluation. Such a person may not recognize how ill he or she is or may be a danger to himself or herself or to others. A hallucinating person, for example, may think he can fly and jump off a building, killing himself as well as a person below. Violent behavior is also possible.
• Anyone with abnormal vital signs, severe pain, or any severe or sudden onset of problems needs immediate help.

Must Read Articles Related to Drug Dependence & Abuse

Alcoholism Alcohol problems vary in severity from mild to life threatening and affect the individual, the person's family, and society in numerous adverse ways. Despite al...learn more >>

Chronic Pain Chronic pain is pain that persists for a period of six months or longer, and is the result of a long-standing medical condition(s) or damage to the body. Common...learn more >>

Depression Depression is a mental illness that affects 19 million Americans annually. Causes are genetic, environmental, and biological. Symptoms and signs include weight ...learn more >>

See the Entire Drug Dependence & Abuse Topic Guide »