Stress and Drug Addiction: Neurobiological Mechanism, Pharmacological and Psychological Management of Substance Use Disorder Patients in Nigerian

Abstract

The menace of substance use disorders (SUDs) has eaten deep into the fabric of the society and has caused a great deal to individuals and society. Little progress has been made in the management SUDs/condition due to dearth of mental health professionals namely Clinical Psychologists, Psychiatrists etc. and the increasing teeming population of youths/individuals engage on drug use and dependence. Individuals who do drugs engage in it for different purposes. The factor that led one to do drugs may be quite different from the other. In this work, one of the major reasons/contributing factors to drug use implicated in stress. In many who do drugs, drug use is a stress-driven behavior. Neurobiological mechanism as relates to stress were buttressed and therapeutic measures including psychological management techniques, pharmacological measures and treatment implications in the management of this menace were addressed.