DRUGAbuse

and

Addiction

Drug abuse is a disorder that is characterized by a destructive pattern of using a substance that leads to significant problems or distress.

What is Drug Addiction?

Drug addiction, also called substance dependence or chemical dependency , is a disease that leads to significant problems involving tolerance to or withdrawal from the substance, as well as other problems that use of the substance can cause for the sufferer, either socially or in terms of their work or school performance.

What Types of Drugs are commonly abused?

Virtually any substance whose ingestion can result in a euphoric (“high”) feeling can be abused.

Alcohol: It is classed as a depressant, meaning that it slows down vital functions—resulting in slurred speech, unsteady movement.

Amphetamines: This group of drugs comes in many forms, from prescription medications. Its a synthetic, addictive, mood-altering drug, used illegally as a stimulant.

Anabolic steroids: A group of substances abused by bodybuilders and other athletes, can lead to terrible psychological effects like aggression and paranoia,infertility and organ failure.

Types of Drugs (con’t)

Caffeine: While it is consumed by many, coffee, tea and soda drinkers, when consumed in excess this substance can produce, insomnia, andsignificant anxiety.

Cannabis: More commonly called MARIJUANA.It can produce infertility, paranoia, lack of motivation.

Cocaine: A drug that tends to stimulate the nervous system, cocaine can be snorted in powder form, smoked when in the form of rocks (crack cocaine), or injected when made into a liquid.

Ecstasy: This drug tends to create a sense of euphoria and an expansive love or desire to nurture others. In overdose, it can increase body temperature to the point of being fatal.

Types of Drugs (con’t)

Hallucinogens: These drugs can be dangerous in their ability to alter the perceptions of the user. Mushroom is an common natural occurring hallucinogen.

Inhalants: One of the most commonly abused group of substances due to its accessibility, inhalants are usually contained in household cleaners. It causes Brain damage even to the point of death.

Nicotine: The addictive substance found in cigarettes, nicotine is actually one of the most habit-forming substances that exists.

❖Feeling that you have to use the drug regularly.❖Failing in your attempts to stop using the drug.❖Making certain that you maintain a supply of the drug.❖Spending money on the drug, even though you can't afford it.❖Doing things to obtain the drug that you normally wouldn't do, such as stealing. ❖Feeling that you need the drug to deal with your problems.❖Driving or doing other risky activities when you're under the influence of the drug.❖Focusing more and more time and energy on getting and using the drug.

Signs and Symptoms of DRUG ABUSED

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Effect on HEALTH

What causes DRUG ABUSE

& ADDICTION ?

Like many psychological disorders, drug addiction and dependence depends on several things. Two main factors include:Environment. Environmental factors, including your family's beliefs and attitudes and exposure to a peer group that encourages drug use, seem to play a role in initial drug use.Genes. Once you've started using a drug, the development into addiction may be influenced by inherited traits.

Effects of Drugs on

BrainYour brain produces chemicals that allow you to feel emotions: happiness, pain, anger, and depression. Some drugs input the chemical that causes a feeling of extreme euphoria (“High”). As you take more drugs, your brain receives so much of this "happy chemical" that it starts to create less of it.

Therefore, without drugs, you feel constantly unhappy; you need the drug to feel joy. You are compelled to take more to attain that feeling. After a while, low-scale drugs like marijuana will no longer provide you with the joy you need, and you will find yourself yearning for more joy and moving on to more dangerous drugs such as crystal meth and cocaine.

What is the treatment for Drug Addiction

Screening. With just a few questions in an interview, practitioners can identify patients who have alcohol or other drug (substance) use problems and determine how severe those problems already are.

Brief Intervention. The intervention educates them about their substance use, alerts them to possible consequences and motivates them to change their behavior.

Brief Treatment. If individuals are at moderate to high risk, the next step is brief treatment. Similar to brief intervention, this emphasizes motivations to change and client empowerment, though it consists of a limited number of highly focused and structured clinical sessions with the purpose of eliminating hazardous and/or harmful alcohol and/or other substance use.