Drug Addiction and Substance Abuse
By Dr.Fourkan Ali
Drug addiction can have serious consequences
and carries enormous risks. The use of drugs can cause physical and
psychological health problems, especially when a substance has been abused
for a sustained period of time. Prolonged substance abuse will alter brain
functioning and cognitive processes, as well as causing serious physical
complications if treatment is not received in time.
An addict will
typically begin to use recreationally and experiment with occasional use, but
over time will increase the usage and develop a level of tolerance. The
euphoria and pleasure experienced in the outset will diminish over time and the
addict will find themselves chasing the same high. If you are concerned that
your substance use is having a negative impact on your day-to-day life, you are
advised to seek advice at the earliest possible opportunity. If you need any
help in choosing the right treatment programme, or would like to take an assessment to
discover the seriousness of your drug problem, you can contact Addiction Friend
for free and independent advice.
What Is Drug Addiction?
Drug addiction is a chronic condition that
causes users to compulsively seek and use drugs, even when aware of the harmful
consequences it is causing to them and other people in their life. Despite the
fact that the initial decision to use drugs is a voluntary decision for most
people, changes that occur in the brain over time will ultimately challenge an
addicts ability to resist impulses to use drugs, and limit their self-control.
Disruption to the brain’s communication system
caused by the chemicals that are contained in drugs means that the way the
nerve cells process, send, and receive information is distorted. This is caused
by chemicals limiting the natural chemical messengers and by
overstimulating the part of the brain’s “reward circuit”. The changes to
the brain that are caused by drug addiction mean that quitting is difficult,
but scientific advances in recent years mean that we now know more about
addiction and its effects on the brain than ever before. In the same way
that other chronic diseases can be managed and successfully treated, drug
addiction can also be overcome through treatment and rehabilitation.
Recognising an Addiction to Drugs
Drug use becomes an addiction when the user
develops a psychological or physical dependency to a substance. Despite the
undesirable consequences of continued substance abuse, a drug addict
will feel an uncontrollable desire to sustain their destructive behaviour.
You might be an addict if you…
·
have built up a tolerance to a
substance and find yourself having to use more to reach a desired effect
·
think drug use is taking over
your life and causing problems with your health or social life
·
experience withdrawal symptoms
like depression, insomnia and anxiety when trying to stop using
·
take more drugs or use drugs
more often than you intend to do
Someone you know might be an
addict if they…
·
have mood swings or are
secretive
·
disappear for long periods of time
·
loose interest in activities
they once enjoyed
·
avoid friends, family and
socialising
·
have lost interest in their
appearance
Finding help for substance abuse and drug
addiction
The first steps to
getting help is to recognise that you have a problem. Although this can take
strength and courage to do, it is perhaps the most difficult part of the
recovery process. Once you are ready to make the change, finding help to
overcome your addiction to drugs will let you build a drug-free life that is
satisfying and healthy. When faced with drug addiction, it can be easy to
rationalise the “just one more time won’t hurt” approach but this will just
delay recovery. Whichever drug addiction treatmentapproach you choose to accept, whether
self-directed, with therapy, or at rehab, support is essential. Having people
in your life that can offer comfort, guidance and encouragement will make the
whole recovery process easier for you.
Sources: online
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