121 DRUG ADDICTION AND REHABILITATION Look up what the most commonly used drug in Italy is. A new device, the Bridge, is placed behind the ear and sends electric pulses to stimulate certain brain nerves and regions known to be involved in the addiction process. Drug addiction, also called substance use disorder , is a condition which affects a person s brain and behaviour and which leads to an inability to control the use of a (legal or illegal) drug. When addicted, people may continue using the drug despite the harm it causes; in fact, drug addiction can be defined as a chronic disorder. 29% of adults (aged 15-64) in the EU are estimated to have used illegal drugs at least once in their lifetime. In Italy, in 2024, 39% of teens were reported to have consumed illegal drugs at least once. In the UK, drug misuse is one of the major reasons for fatalities of people aged between 16 and 40 years old. Causes Substance use disorder is caused by multiple factors, including genetic vulnerability, environmental stressors, social pressures, individual personality characteristics, and psychiatric problems. Drug rehabilitation and treatments to cope with: affrontare fatality: incidente mortale relapse: ricaduta to resume: riprendere 246 DIffICULtIES Drug rehabilitation involves helping addicted individuals stop compulsive drug seeking and use. Treatment is a long-term process that involves multiple interventions and regular monitoring; a successful one includes both medical and behavioural therapy, followed by relapse prevention. Detoxification is the first step of the process, then further medical treatment is needed to reestablish normal brain function, in fact, if patients do not receive any further treatment, they will resume drug use. In the case of opioid addiction, sometimes electric devices are also used in order to minimise withdrawal effects. Behavioural therapy includes: cognitive-behavioural therapy, which tries to help patients recognise, avoid, and cope with situations in which they are most likely to relapse; multidimensional family therapy, with the aim of supporting recovery by improving family functioning; motivational interviewing, to increase motivation to change behaviour and enter treatment; motivation incentives, with a positive reinforcement to encourage abstinence. Rehabilitation programmes may also use group therapy, which can provide social reinforcement and help behavioural therapies which promote abstinence and a non-drug-using lifestyle.