HEALTH - DRUG ABUSE
Some people are able to use recreational or prescription drugs without ever experiencing negative consequences or addiction. For many others, substance use can cause problems at work, home, school, and in relationships, leaving you feeling isolated, helpless, or ashamed. If you’re worried about your own or a friend or family member’s drug use, it’s important to know that help is available.
Learning about the nature of drug abuse and addiction how it develops, what it looks like, and why it can have such a powerful hold will give you a better understanding of the problem and how to best deal with it. Drug abuse is a serious public health problem that affects almost every community and family in some way. Each year drug abuse results in around 40 million serious illnesses or injuries among people in the United States.
Abused drugs include Amphetamines, Anabolic steroids, Club drugs, Cocaine Heroin,Inhalants,Marijuana,Prescription drugs and etc.,
Drug abuse also plays a role in many major social problems, such as drugged driving, violence, stress and child abuse. Drug abuse can lead to homelessness, crime and missed work or problems with keeping a job. It harms unborn babies and destroys families. There are different types of treatment for drug abuse. But the best is to prevent drug abuse in the first place.
Drug addiction and the brain
Addiction is a complex disorder characterized by compulsive drug use. While each drug produces different physical effects, all abused substances share one thing in common: repeated use can alter the way the brain looks and functions. Taking a recreational drug causes a surge in levels of dopamine in your brain, which trigger feelings of pleasure. Your brain remembers these feelings and wants them repeated. If you become addicted, the substance takes on the same significance as other survival behaviors, such as eating and drinking. Changes in your brain interfere with your ability to think clearly, exercise good judgment, control your behavior, and feel normal without drugs. Whether you’re addicted to inhalants, heroin, Xanax, speed, or Vicodin, the uncontrollable craving to use grows more important than anything else, including family, friends, career, and even your own health and happiness.The urge to use is so strong that your mind finds many ways to deny or rationalize the addiction. You may drastically underestimate the quantity of drugs you’re taking, how much it impacts your life, and the level of control you have over your drug use.
Support is essential to addiction recovery
Don’t try to go it alone; it’s all too easy to get discouraged and rationalize “just one more” hit or pill. Whether you choose to go to rehab, rely on self-help programs, get therapy, or take a self-directed treatment approach, support is essential. Recovering from drug addiction is much easier when you have people you can lean on for encouragement, comfort, and guidance. Support can come from: family members ,close friends ,therapists or counselors other recovering addicts ,healthcare providers ,people from your faith community
Drug addiction can bring about changes in brain chemical cells and massive alterations in the synapses and DNA structure can occur. This amply illustrates the long term damages that can be caused by heavy drinking. Clinic hotlines and rehabilitation websites often have support groups and networking communities which one can participate locally or even through online. These are essential follow up ways to keep one on track. It is also important to keep up with counseling to overcome personal problems facing one's life. But drug abuse of all forms of substance abuse brings the highest form of problems with mind altering meds and hallucinogens changing brain composition and structure.other details
www.nida.nih.gov
http://treatmentofdrugabuse.com/
www.drugsno.com