The Effects Of Addiction

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One time is all it takes. Just trying one sip, one puff, or one pill can lead to addiction. Addiction is when a person becomes “hooked” on a drug. Addiction lowers one’s ability to make independent choices. It consumes one’s thoughts and actions. Drug use is when one ingests a substance into their system. The substance does not necessarily have to be an illicit drug; for instance, it can be psychoactive drug or an over-the-counter drug. Psychoactive drugs have an impact on the central nervous system and can change consciousness, mood, perception, and thought. The main categories of psychoactive drugs include depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens. Depressants act on GABA receptors to produce calming, sedating effects. Stimulants imitate the effects of epinephrine and increase activity in the central …show more content…

Withdrawal symptoms are side effects of not having enough of the drug in one’s body. Other withdrawal symptoms can include increased appetite, insomnia, constipation, or diarrhea. Some drugs can cause violence, trembling, seizures, hallucinations, and sweats. Withdrawal symptoms are what commonly prevent one from stopping drug use. The symptoms can sometimes be too hard to handle, so the user resorts to continuing drug use. Addiction still occurs even when people know of adverse health conditions. A person continues to take a drug even though they know it is harming their body. For instance, cocaine causes strokes because it restricts the blood vessels in the brain. It can also cause heart attacks because of increased blood pressure and heart rate. Addiction can lead to social and recreational sacrifices. One may lose friends due to drug dependence because he or she may devote more time to drugs. An alcoholic may not be able to spend time with friends if they have a

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