Drug Abuse

Drug Abuse - Addiction

Drug abuse is a serious problem among people in the world today. Many people feel it is harmless to "experiment" with a few of the many drugs that there are. A person may start out trying marijuana then being pressured or encouraged to try a few pills that there buddy has, to trying just a little line of cocaine, to smoking or injecting a very dangerous amount of methamphetamine a day. Many people don't realize that they consume drugs almost everyday. Drugs can range from caffeine or cigarettes to harder drugs such as crack or heroine Most drug abusers are or become "rock bottom" addicts.

Addiction is a dependence on a behavior or substance that a person is powerless to stop. Some researchers speak of two types of addictions: substance addictions, for example, alcoholism, drug abuse, and smoking; and process addiction, for example, gambling, spending, shopping, eating, and sexual activity. There are five stages of addiction:

1.) Drugs produce a short-term, intensely pleasant, and artificial sense of well-being in the user.

2.) A craving develops for the drug, and begins to control the user.

3.) As drug use continues, it takes more of the substance to produce the desire effect.

4.) The central nervous system adapts to the continuing drug use and becomes dependent on the drug for normal function. The person needs more of the drug to maintain their physical dependence.

5.) When the user quits using the drug, they become sick and have with drawl symptoms.

Most people that use drugs say they started using them because it made them feel relaxed in an uncomfortable situation, made them more popular or cool, or made them feel better in a painful situation, such as a death. By eighth grade, 52% of adolescents have consumed alcohol, 41% have smoked