Drug Addictions:
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What is a Drug Addiction?
Drug addiction is considered a pathological state. The disorder of addiction involves the progression of acute drug use to the development of drug-seeking behavior, the vulnerability to relapse, and the decreased, slowed ability to respond to naturally rewarding stimuli. TheDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) has categorized three stages of addiction: preoccupation/anticipation, binge/intoxication, and withdrawal/negative affect. These stages are characterized, respectively, by constant cravings and preoccupation with obtaining the substance; using more of the substance than necessary to experience the intoxicating effects; and experiencing tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, and decreased motivation for normal life activities. By definition, drug addiction differs from drug dependence and drug tolerance.
Drug Causing Addiction
Drugs known to cause addiction indclude illegal drugs as well as prescription or over-the-counter drugs.
- Stimulants: Amphetamine and Methamphetamine; Caffeine; Cocaine; and Nicotine.
- Sedatives and Hypnotics: Alcohol; Barbiturates; Benzodiazepines, particularly alprozolam, clonazepam, temazepam, and nimetazepam; Methaqualone and the related quinazolinone sedative-hypnotics; and GHB and analogues (specifically GBL)
- Opiate and Opioid analgesics: Morphine and Codeine, the two naturally-ocurring opiate analgesics; Semi-synthetic opiates, such as Herion, Oxycodone, and Hydromorphone; Fully synthetic opioiods, such as Fentanyl and its analogs, Meperidine/Pethidine, and Methadone.
- Anabolic Steroids.
Addictive drugs also includes a large number of substrates that are currently considered to have no medical value and are not available over the counter or by prescription.
Signs and Symptoms
Addiction to any drug may include these general characteristics:
- Feeling that you need the drug regularly and, in some cases, many times a day
- Making certain that you maintain a supply of the drug
- Failing repeatedly in your attempts to stop using the drug
- 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 activities that place you and others at risk of physical harm when you're under the influence of the drug
The particular signs and symptoms of drug use and dependence vary depending on the type of drug.
Causes
Currently, the United States leads the world in Substance Abuse.
The range of drugs to which you can become addicted is wide, and includes both legal and illegal drugs.
Drug dependence is characterized by impaired control over the drug, preoccupation with use, continued use despite negative consequence, and sometimes evidence of physical dependence on the drug. Various factors, such as your personality, your genetic makeup and peer pressure, affect your likelihood of becoming addicted to a drug. In addition, some drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, more quickly produce a physical addiction than other drugs do for many people.
Changing brain pathways
Physical addiction appears to occur when repeated use of a drug alters reward pathways in your brain. The addicting drug causes physical changes to some nerve cells (neurons) in your brain. Neurons use chemicals called neurotransmitters to communicate. Neurons release neurotransmitters into the gaps (synapses) between nerve cells; neurotransmitters are received by receptors on other neurons and on their own cell bodies.
The changes that occur in this communication process vary with the type of drug to which you're addicted, though researchers have discovered that addictive drugs, such as cocaine and morphine, affect some areas of the brain in the same manner. If further research confirms findings such as this, it would be possible to develop more effective medications to combat addiction to more than one drug.
When to Seek Advice
Addiction is a chronic relapsing disorder, meaning you tend to fall back into old addictive behaviors, including drug use, even after treatment. The sooner you seek help, the greater your chances are for a long-term recovery. If you're initially reluctant to approach a doctor, help lines or hot lines may be a good place to start to learn about treatment. You can find these lines listed in the phone book or on the Internet.
Because denial is often a characteristic of addiction, many people who are addicted to or who abuse drugs won't seek medical treatment on their own. Family members, friends or co-workers may need to persuade the user to undergo screening for drug addiction. Breaking a drug addiction may involve counseling, an outpatient treatment program or residential treatment.
Source: www.mayoclinic.com
Free At Last
While serving my 5th prison term, I had a spiritual awakening. This was more than jailhouse religion. It was true transformation. I dedicated my life to Christ and promised Him to serve and live for Him the rest of my life. I spent the rest of my time reading and learning and listening to God’s word on the radio and praying for direction.
All I knew was that my old self had to die and all I had to work with was faith; because I had no idea what to do once I got out. So I prayed and prayed. I read God’s promises in the Bible and claimed them for myself.
I met an inmate from Redding who told me about Restoration Enterprises a restoration ministry served by Set Free Services. He gave me one of the board member’s phone number and I gave him a call.
After writing back and forth a couple times, an “Ambassador” from Restoration actually came to the prison and visited me. Talk about an answer to prayer! Soon, thereafter I was released. I went to work for Restoration Enterprises in doing construction jobs and later became Coordinator for Restoration’s C.R.E.W, one of their projects to train and provide a bridge to becoming a valued productive employee. It feels so good to now give back something that I took from myself and others.
After being on parole for 13 months, I was discharged and am back in Santa Clara in a restored relationship with my wife Fran. I am active in a local support group in my church and working full time at a job I love. I am keeping my promise I made to my Heavenly Father when I was up in Susanville. I am not going back.
Praise God for His faithfulness. I am so grateful to Restoration Enterprises and Set Free Services for providing what is missing for so many of us who have made bad choices but are finally ready and serious about change. Thank you for being the bridge for me to a new life and a future with hope.
-Larry Van Groningen
Get Inspired! with this Great Quotes Movie
Read: Set Us Free From Gambling
Look where time and choice of "chance" has taken us. The politicians have gambled away our future and given us gambling establishments that are daily destroying families lives and their futures. The cost to all of us is far greater than the much heralded benefits. Our politicians -federal, state and local- and the media are being seduced into embracing gambling as an easy means to generate revenue and create "jobs" with little regard to the destructive gradualism bought by the "harmless recreation" of legalized gambling.
Drug abuse is a serious problem that needs to be dealt with immediately. In fact, prevention is the best way to deal with this condition. Always keep open lines of communication with your children and encourage them to come to you if they are ever confronted with drug use. To learn how to educate your kids, go to www.drugproofyourkids.com. Also, you can contact us with questions or for assitance in finding help in your area.