Substance abuse in head injury rehabilitation

The desire for relief of discomfort appears to be universal, and the fact that certain chemicals can provide relief from physical/emotional discomforts may understandably result in recourse to them. Various factors may result in these chemicals having deleterious effects, either because of toxicity, addiction, or adverse sociocultural consequences. The widespread use of these chemicals and their manifold effects warrant increasing study and familiarity with patterns of abuse, etiology, and management on the part of all who are involved in the delivery of human services.