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Drug Addiction

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Drug Addiction
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Drug Addiction

Drug addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences to the drug addict and those around them. Drug addiction is a brain disease because the abuse of drugs leads to changes in the structure and function of the brain. Although it is true that for most people the initial decision to take drugs is voluntary, over time the changes in the brain caused by repeated drug abuse can impair a person's self-control and ability to make sound decisions, and at the same time create an intense impulse to take drugs.


It is because of these changes in the brain that it is so challenging for a person to stop abusing drugs. Fortunately, there are treatments that help people to counteract addiction's powerful disruptive effects and regain control of their lives. Research shows that combining addiction treatment medications, when appropriate, with behavioral therapy is the best way to ensure success for most patients. Treatment approaches that are tailored to each patient's drug abuse patterns and any concurrent medical, psychiatric, and social problems can help achieve  sustained recovery and a life without drugs.


As with other chronic diseases, such as diabetes, asthma, or heart disease, drug addiction can be managed effectively. Yet, it is not uncommon for a person to relapse and begin abusing drugs again. Relapse does not signal failure; rather, it indicates that treatment should be reinstated or adjusted, or that alternate treatment is needed to help the person regain control and recover.

Drug addiction symptoms or behaviors include, among others:

Feeling that you have to use the drug regularly — daily or even several times a day
Having intense urges for the drug that block out any other thoughts
Over time, needing more of the drug to get the same effect
Taking larger amounts of the drug over a longer period of time than you intended
Making certain that you maintain a supply of the drug
Spending money on the drug, even though you can't afford it
Not meeting obligations and work responsibilities, or cutting back on social or recreational activities because of drug use
Continuing to use the drug, even though you know it's causing problems in your life or causing you physical or psychological harm
Doing things to get the drug that you normally wouldn't do, such as stealing
Driving or doing other risky activities when you're under the influence of the drug
Spending a good deal of time getting the drug, using the drug or recovering from the effects of the drug
Failing in your attempts to stop using the drug
Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you attempt to stop taking the drug
Like many mental health disorders, several factors may contribute to development of drug addiction. The main factors are:

Environment. Environmental factors, including your family's beliefs and attitudes and exposure to a peer group that encourages drug use, seem to play a role in initial drug use.
Genetics. Once you've started using a drug, the development into addiction may be influenced by inherited (genetic) traits, which may delay or speed up the disease progression.
The best way to prevent an addiction to a drug is not to take the drug at all. If your doctor prescribes a drug with the potential for addiction, use care when taking the drug and follow the instructions provided by your doctor.

Doctors should prescribe these medications at safe doses and amounts and monitor their use so that you're not given too great a dose or for too long a time. If you feel you need to take more than the prescribed dose of a medication, talk to your doctor.

Preventing drug misuse in children and teenagers
Take these steps to help prevent drug misuse in your children and teenagers:

Communicate. Talk to your children about the risks of drug use and misuse.
Listen. Be a good listener when your children talk about peer pressure, and be supportive of their efforts to resist it.
Set a good example. Don't misuse alcohol or addictive drugs. Children of parents who misuse drugs are at greater risk of drug addiction.
Strengthen the bond. Work on your relationship with your children. A strong, stable bond between you and your child will reduce your child's risk of using or misusing drugs.
https://www.mayoclinic.org
Drug Addiction

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