What caused all these people get addicted to drugs? How does addiction affect people's lives? Is it possible to recover from addiction?
Addiction begins when a user of a drug begins to prioritize drugs over their own lives- including their friends and family, goals, and any responsibilities.
Increased drug usage among people occurs mostly due to peer pressure, sexual or physical abuse, being on bad terms with loved ones, being around others that also use drugs, and having them available. Addiction is more likely to occur among younger people, from genes inherited, or among people with mental illnesses.
If an addicted person attempts to stop their drug usage, they often fail due to relapses. Relapses are when an addicted person begins drug usage again after attempting to stop, and are began by specific triggers. Triggers can be people, stress, smells, or songs- and vary for different people. Triggers release a chemical called dopamine into the addict's brain, which gives them both pleasure and intense cravings for drugs. Triggers often occur without a person knowing. Drug abuse treatment often has to be continued throughout the addict's life due to relapses caused by these triggers in order for successful recovery to be reached. When a relapse occurs, the person in recovery should either restart or change their treatment again- a relapse doesn't necessarily mean that a treatment failed.
Drug addictions can't be instantly cured, and treatments are ongoing processes. In order to have a successful recovery, addicts must be eager to gain additional help if needed, keep maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and have support from family and loved ones in the process.
People can get the treatment that they need in hospitals, clinics, or residential treatment centers that they can reside in. Patients recovering from addiction are often treated through either therapy or medication. Recovery therapy can either be one-on-one, or with a group of people.
A variety of medication can be used in the recovery process to treat addiction. Medication is usually used in the beginning of treatment process, in order to treat the symptoms of detoxification. Detoxification is when a patient's body begins to rid itself of the drug that it had been addicted to. Medication can also be given to patients in order to remove specific withdrawal symptoms. Methadone and buprenorphine are often given to extreme addictions. Smokers can be aided in quitting by taking nicotine in either nicotine gum or in patches. Naltrexone or disulfiram can help people suffering from alcoholism
Drug addiction can cause health problems, destroy families and communities, unemployment, child abuse, violence, crime, and other issues. Addiction and both its effects and lengthy recovery process can be avoided entirely by simply not taking any drugs.
Is taking drugs truly worth the risk of becoming addicted to them? If people knew more about the effects of taking a drug before doing so, would less people become addicts?
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I have learned a lot about the negative aspects of using drugs, but what about the positive aspects? Are there any? How much of an impact does someone's environment have on the person, causing them to do drugs? How can people help and support the people around them who do have an addiction to drugs?
ReplyDeleteGood questions!
DeleteDrugs are actually beneficial- when prescribed. Some drugs, including marijuana, are used to ease pain. Other controlled substances can be prescribed for illnesses. One person that I polled said that by doing them, he gained more confidence.
People begin using drugs usually when they have a lot of stress, lots of drugs available, or a lot of people around them doing them in their environments.
People can keep others from not doing drugs by discouraging them from doing so and reminding them of the consequences, keeping them distracted and away from them, or encouraging treatment (see my post about the consequences of addiction)