2009-11-04 00:34:31 -
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You may be hooked emotionally and psychologically. You may have a physical dependence, too. But if you’re addicted to a drug, whether the drug is legal or illegal, you have a craving for it. You want to use it again. When you stop taking the drug, you may have unpleasant physical reactions.
Drug addiction involves compulsively seeking to use a substance,
regardless of the potentially negative social, psychological and physical consequences. Certain drugs, such as narcotics and cocaine, are more physically addicting than some other drugs.
The range of drugs to which you can become addicted is wide. They include:
Cannabis compounds. Contained in marijuana and hashish.
Central nervous system depressants. Barbiturates and benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines include tranquilizers such as diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax), oxazepam (Serax), lorazepam (Ativan), clonazepam (Klonopin) and chlordiazepoxide (Librium).
Central nervous system stimulants. Amphetamines and cocaine.
Designer drugs. Synthetic compounds such as Ecstasy, which has both amphetaminelike and hallucinogenic effects.
Hallucinogens. LSD and phencyclidine (PCP).
Inhalants. Glue, paint, solvents, nitrous oxide.
Opioids. Narcotic, painkilling drugs produced naturally from opium or made synthetically. They include heroin, morphine, codeine and methadone.
Breaking a drug addiction may involve support from your doctor, family, friends and others who have an addiction, as well as inpatient and outpatient treatment.
Causes of Drug Withdrawal
Drug use or abuse crosses the line to drug addiction when you feel you have to have the drug, and you increase the amount of the drug you take. 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 some other drugs for many people.
Physical addiction appears to occur when repeated use of a drug alters reward pathways in your brain. This involves the addicting drug causing 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 and are received by receptors on other neurons and on their own cell bodies. The change to this communication process that occurs varies with the type of drug to which you're addicted.
Cannabis compounds. The main active agent in cannabis compounds, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), affects the neurotransmitter communication process. Some people perceive the effects of THC as enjoyable, and this sensation reinforces use of the drug. Other people experience anxiety or uncomfortable feelings, which do not reinforce use of the drug.
Central nervous system depressants. Benzodiazepines and barbiturates produce long-term cellular changes partly by enhancing the actions of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA). Released into the synapses, GABA binds to receptors and ultimately lowers cell excitability.
Central nervous system stimulants. These drugs raise the levels of dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin in the synapses. Brain cells release dopamine as part of the reward system through which you learn to seek stimuli such as food and sex. Norepinephrine is a hormone released in response to stress. Serotonin is a chemical in the brain that regulates mood. Stimulants block the reabsorption of dopamine after its release and can physically alter the sensitivities of some nerve receptors.
Opioids. These drugs affect the nerve cells of the reward pathways in your brain in ways similar to that of stimulants, producing positive reinforcement for the use of these drugs.
Signs and Symptoms of Drug Withdrawal
General varcharacteristics of drug addiction:
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
Failure 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.
Cannabis compounds signs and symptoms:
Less interest in others, more focus inward on yourself
Poor memory
Lack of motivation
Poor judgment
Disorientation
Agitation
Paranoid thinking
Central nervous system depressants signs and symptoms:
Slurred speech
Lack of coordination
Memory impairment
Confusion
Unsteady gait
Agitation
Paranoia
Inappropriate display of emotions
Drowsiness or coma
Central nervous system stimulants signs and symptoms:
Euphoria
Agitation
Rapid speech
Irritability
Difficulty concentrating
Debilitating cycle of runs (heavy use for several days a week) and crashes (letdowns when you're forced to stop using the drug, associated with intense fatigue, hunger and depression)
Nasal congestion, as drugs such as cocaine wear off
Designer drugs signs and symptoms
Signs and symptoms of using designer drugs vary depending on the drug. You might be able to tell that a family member or a friend is using or abusing a drug based on the physical and behavioral signs and symptoms associated with the drug. If you think a family member or friend has a drug dependency, encourage that person to talk with a doctor or another health professional who is knowledgeable about addiction.
Hallucinogens signs and symptoms:
Use of hallucinogens produces different signs and symptoms, depending on the drug. The most common hallucinogens are LSD and PCP.
Signs and symptoms of LSD use include:
Hallucinations
Greatly impaired interpretation of reality. You may interpret input from one of your senses as another, such as hearing colors.
Panic reactions
Permanent mental changes in perception
Rapid heart rate
High blood pressure
Tremors
Signs and symptoms of PCP use include:
Hallucinations
Euphoria
Acute psychosis
Agitation and irritability
Erratic behavior
Disorientation and incoordination
Paranoia
Drooling, nausea or vomiting
Suicidal thoughts
Placing yourself in physical danger from loss of response to pain
Opioids signs and symptoms:
Depression, often of an agitated type
Apathy
Impaired judgment
Drowsiness
Impaired attention or memory
Fear of having to stop using the drug and of withdrawal
Limited coping strategies and low frustration tolerance
Need for rapid or immediate pain relief or gratification
Recognizing drug abuse in teenagers
Possible indications that your teenager is using drugs include:
School performance. Your child suddenly shows an active dislike of school and looks for excuses to stay home. Contact your school officials to see if your child's attendance record matches what you know about his or her absent days. A student who experiences a drop in performance, possibly failing courses or receiving only minimally passing grades, may be using drugs.
Physical health. Listlessness and apathy may indicate your child is using certain drugs.
Appearance. How they look is extremely important to adolescents. A sudden lack of interest in clothing, grooming or looks may be a warning sign of drug use.
Personal behavior. Teenagers enjoy privacy, but exaggerated efforts to bar you from entering their room or knowing where they go with their friends might indicate drug use.
Money. Sudden requests for money without a reasonable explanation for its use may be a sign of drug use. You also may discover money stolen from previously safe places at home. Items may disappear from your home because they're being sold to support a drug habit.
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