Substance Dependence Essay

853 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Causes and consequences of drug abuse

Once a drug user’s cravings grow stronger they become dependent on the drug. Substance dependence has different categories that indicate if the user is dependent or not. The first is tolerance, as a drug user begins to intake a drug more and more and his tolerance begins to grow so does his craving for the drug. The next sign is discomfort. This is when the user feels distress and uncomfortable when they are not high. Another sign is when the user has little desire or effort to regulate the use of the drug. As a drug user’s dependency slowly grows they begin to abandon normal activities and lose interest to perform tasks. Dependency is fully indicated when the user continues use knowing it has bad side affects.
Drug withdrawals are the symptoms experienced upon decreased intake of a drug and can be brutal on the drug user. In order for a drug user to experience withdrawal symptoms they first develop physical dependency and or psychological dependency. Drug use changes an addict’s state of mind, and when a drug is continuously used they begin to feel it needed in order to feel ‘normal’. Withdrawal symptoms vary depending on the drug being used, for example opiate withdrawals include, anxiety, sweating, vomiting, and diarrhea, while alcohol withdrawal cause, irritability, fatigue, shaking, sweating, and nausea. After an addict’s withdrawal symptoms recede, they can be triggered again by reminding the addict of the drug.
Addiction affects the brain in three ways by, craving the addiction, loss of control over its use, and continuing use despite its negative consequences. Addiction attacks the brain by disrupting the way it registers pleasure and then by corrupting other normal drives such as learning and motivation.
Depressants ...

... middle of paper ...

...ipulations of drug-associated memories (Psychopharmacology pg. 14). When a drug user is reminded of the drug he or she uses often times the addict continues use. Researchers have discovered by reducing these cues that the craving for the drug lessens. Other forms of treatment include rehabilitation. In Rehab the drug addict is treated in ways including medication, counseling, and sharing of experiences. With proper treatment a drug addict can live the rest of their life drug free.
Substance addiction is very addictive and can permanently affect ones life. It is one of the hardest addictions to cut and is reason for many pre-mature deaths throughout the United States. With proper aid drug addict can cut this psychological disorder and live a clean life. If someone you know is misusing drugs reach out to help him or her before addiction consumes his or her life.

Show More
Related

  • Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome

    770 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many of the problems associated with early sobriety do not stem directly from psychoactive substances. Instead they are associated with physical and psychological changes that occur after the substances have left the body. When a person regularly uses psychoactive drugs, the brain undergoes physical changes to cope with the presence of drugs in the body. When the drugs are removed from the body, the brain craves the drugs that it has become accustomed to and as the brain attempts to rebalance itself without the presence of psychoactive drugs the person often experiences feelings of confusion, pain, and discomfort. The symptoms that are experienced immediately after stopping drug use are called acute withdrawal. But often the symptoms do not stop at acute withdrawal. After the body makes initial adjustments to the absence of drugs, the changes that have occurred in the brain still need time to revert back to their original state. During this period, a variety of symptoms known as Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) begin to occur. In the book Uppers, Downers, All Arounders, published by CNS Productions, authors Darryl Inaba and William Cohen define PAWS as “a group of emotional and physical symptoms that appear after major withdrawal symptoms have abated” (Inaba & Cohen, 2011).

    Read More

  • Another Look a Pamplet Published by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

    1214 Words  | 3 Pages

    Drug addicts lie and steal from their families, lose jobs, and do not live stable lives. Abuse of Prescription medication and marijuana is among one of the greatest concerns in the United States, especially in young people because drugs are causing issues between families, money, etc. Addicts find ways to create different drugs. This is making drug abuse difficult to control and ultimately change. In addition, addiction is not only a physical dependence, but also mental. Drug abuse has various causes, effects, and treatments. Based on the pamphlet, “Another Look,” published by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc., states “If we can find greater agreement on what addiction is not, then perhaps what it is may appear with greater clarity” (3). If people can see drug addiction for what it really is, a sickness, then an addict’s family and friends would better understand that addicts do not choose to become addicted to drugs. Addiction is a routine of compulsive behavior (3). In addition, recovering addicts feel very restricted with freedom because they are afraid of abusing drugs again, but want to be free to do as they please at the same time (3). Addicts have a need to control everything because they fear there will be obstacles in life that they may not be able to handle (3). If addicts can find ways to deal with their problems, they may not use drugs as a way to escape reality. There are many ways for addicts to cope with life, such as, counseling, drug rehabilitation centers, family and friends support.

    Read More

  • Relapse in Substance Abuse Treatment

    1167 Words  | 3 Pages

    In relation to drug abuse, relapse is resuming the use of a chemical substance or drug after a period of abstinence. The term can be said to be a landmark feature of a combination of substance abuse and substance independence. The propensity for dependency, repeated use, and tendencies that take the form of the substance being used, are some of the issues that drug users’ experience. Substances that enhance most severe tendencies in users and pose high pharmacological efficacy, are those that are cleared quickly from the body, in addition to those that bring out the highest tolerance. There can be increased substance tolerance with the increasing dependency in relation to drug in question, and withdrawals and cravings when the user stops.

    Read More

  • Substance Abuse Counselor Essay

    649 Words  | 2 Pages

    A substance abuse counselor is a person who helps people that are struggling with alcoholism and/or drug addiction. Substance abuse counselors provide patients with treatment and support while they are working to overcome their addiction and piece their lives back together. In addition, substance abuse counselors help patients’ families cope with their loved one’s disease and subsequent recovery. Finally, substance abuse counselors may work to spread awareness of addiction throughout the community by starting up/working for outreach programs.

    Read More

  • Drug Addiction: A Brain Disease?

    746 Words  | 2 Pages

    Since memory and pleasure zones are intertwined in the brain, many researchers have been using psychological approaches to stop drug use.

    Read More

  • Substance Abuse: A Nationwide Epidemic

    2210 Words  | 5 Pages

    Drug addiction is often characterized as being a complex brain disease that causes compulsive, uncontrollable, drug craving, seeking and use without any regards to the consequences they may bring upon themselves, or society. As long as the brain is exposed to these large amounts of dopamine on the reward system, it will inevitably develop a tolerance to the current dopamine levels, which it is receiving, lessening the pleasure the user will experience. In order to satisfy the brains “reward...

    Read More

  • Neil Levy's Article: Addiction Is A Brain Disease?

    1019 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to Leshner, drug addiction is a chronic brain disease that is expressed in the form of compulsive behaviors (Leshner, 2001). He believes that drug addiction is influence by both biological, and behavioral factors, and to solve this addiction problem we need to focus on these same factors. On the other hand, Neil Levy argues that addiction is not a brain disease rather it is a behavioral disorder embedded in social context (Levy, 2013). I believe, drug addiction is a recurring brain disease that can be healed when we alter and eliminate all the factors that are reinforcing drug addiction.

    Read More

  • Dopamine and Drug Addiction

    1156 Words  | 3 Pages

    Drug addiction is more complicated than medicine thought in previous years. It’s not because someone is weak or unable to control themselves. They are chemical such a dopamine in the human body that makes the process difficult. The brain works in a neuropath way and drug interrupt the normal process which stops the frontal lobe to work as it should. Treatment isn’t done right and patients tend to repeat their habit after they get out of rehab. Psychological treatment is not as effective as chemical injection for dopamine to reward the brain. However, even after the treatment is complete, it will be a life struggle to stay away from drugs since the brain will always look for a simpler way to reward itself.

    Read More

  • Addiction and Recovery

    884 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...g the extent to which addiction affected the brain system resulting into changes and adaptations that the addict has no control. In addition to this, I learnt of the innate struggle that they experience with every attempt made towards becoming “clean” again; a struggle which almost always ends in defeat. A situation that can be described as “baffling”, an expression used by one of Dr, Volkow’s interviewees. Learning the involuntary nature of addiction and relapse that occur during recovery and the immense efforts required from the recovering addicts greatly changed the way I perceived the recovery process. Now I know it takes intervention from others, in addition to the effort made by the affected individual desiring to recover. Indeed, one cannot easily recover from drug addiction and avoid relapsing without help from family, friends and the society at large.

    Read More

  • Substance Abuse Disorder

    1305 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Withdrawal Symptoms for Drug and Alcohol Addiction: Physical, Emotional." Addictions and Recovery.org - Relapse Prevention and Coping Skills. Web. 14 Dec. 2010

    Read More

  • Biology Of Addiction Essay

    848 Words  | 2 Pages

    Chronic addiction affects parts of the brain negatively, which leads to memory loss, poor decision-making, poor judgments, and immoral behaviors. These effects on the brain from drugs are long-lasting.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Drug Abuse

    1089 Words  | 3 Pages

    Abuse can cause countless medical problems to the body. A person who is addicted will continue to stimulate themselves regardless if they are aware of the negative chain reactions. Once addicted, it becomes difficult to stop due to how the body has become dependent. Health will be harmed the more a stimulant is used. Health effects include: cardiovascular disease, strokes, cancer, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, lung disease, mental disease, birth defects. Mental health is what keeps a person in the right mind to make better decisions and have better control in life. Drugs have the ability to change mood and behavior. If drugs have affected the brain already, the desire increases which changes mental health. Some may not realize that they have been affected their health negatively. “A person who abuses drugs may not realize they have a problem until pronounced effects of drug abuse are seen, often physically. While drug abuse effects on the body vary depending on the drug used, all drug abuse negatively impacts one 's health (Addictions Community). Since drugs create many health issues, treatment is not a simple task. Treatments are hard to obtain and addictions often go

    Read More

  • Why Should Drugs Be Legalized?

    1174 Words  | 3 Pages

    To begin with, the people who are addicted to drugs are hard to get rid of taking. Normally, a lot of people assumed that because of the lack of moral principles and willpower, the drug abusers cannot stop abusing through changing their behavior (NIH 2012). But in the real world, giving up abusing takes more than strongly will, because the ways of brain is changed by drugs that enhance the compulsive drug abuse. As a result, it is difficult of drug users to stop abusing the drugs.

    Read More

  • Substance Abuse Social Problem Essay

    1792 Words  | 4 Pages

    Substance abuse is an issue that plays a major social problem in society, the effect of drugs on families and communities is destructive. This paper will discuss evidence showing how substance abuse is a specific social problem that is widespread, and is affecting every level of our judicial system. Many people turn to drugs for many different reasons, they will try just about anything to relieve the pain. In our society today many people go through devastating experiences in their life. Furthermore people turn to drugs to mask the horrible memories and find relief. Drugs can temporarily relieve the symptoms of angry, loneliness or boredom, but it may be a temporary fix to an individual problems. They may

    Read More

  • An Essay About Drug Addiction

    1114 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are many addictions in the world, and drug addiction is the biggest. People may experiment with the drug for many reasons. “If your drug use is causing problems in your life, then you likely have a drug abuse or addiction problem”.(Lawrence Robinson pg.1) Many people start out using drugs by peer pressure or out of their own curiosity. Stress, anxiety, lows self-esteem and depression could be another factor to start using drugs. The drug takes over your body and gives you a good feeling that many people tend to enjoy. The urge to use the drug can keep increasing rapidly after the first use. The urge can become so severe that your mind can find many other ways to deny the factor of addiction. Very few drug addicts can feel and realize when they have crossed the line with drugs. A drug addicts mind can build up a very large tolerance for the drug that they start to abandon the activities they used to do on a daily basis like showering, hobbies, socializing and even being associated with family members. The person with the addiction will continue to use the drug knowing that it is harming there body, but they don’t have any remorse. A drug addict will often try to hide their problem, so they can continue to use without anyone’s input. Family and friends may try to use preaching methods or tell the user that they need to stop using the drug. This method is not ...

    Read More

More about Substance Dependence Essay

Open Document