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Alcohol and drug abuse and its effect on society
Psychological effects of drug abuse
Psychological effects of drug abuse
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Recommended: Alcohol and drug abuse and its effect on society
In the context of drugs, alcohol and solvent abuse, addiction/dependency refers to when a user can no longer operate their day-to-day to day lives without the constant support of substances. Often when a user becomes addicted or dependent to a substance, they will no longer experience the 'high' that is associated with the substance, and the substance will only have the effect of making them feel well or less sick from
Many of the problems associated with early sobriety do not stem directly from psychoactive substances. Instead they are associated with physical and psychological changes that occur after the substances have left the body. When a person regularly uses psychoactive drugs, the brain undergoes physical changes to cope with the presence of drugs in the body. When the drugs are removed from the body, the brain craves the drugs that it has become accustomed to and as the brain attempts to rebalance itself without the presence of psychoactive drugs the person often experiences feelings of confusion, pain, and discomfort. The symptoms that are experienced immediately after stopping drug use are called acute withdrawal.
The cognitive behavioral models say that incentives make way for the right conditions for the need for drug abuse. Drug use is associated with experiences such as self-exploration, religious insights, altering moods, escaping boredom or despair, enhancing creativity, performance, sensory experience or pleasure, and so on (Capuzzi & Stauffer, 2012). Cognitive behaviorism has brought in appreciated data at the same time refining theories and treatments. This model stands out from other addiction models because it stands out from the expressive, organic or public causes for addiction. Because it focuses on the patient's own beliefs rather than the influence is the primary focus. The mental process of cognition is related to perception, judgment and reasoning. Cognitive behaviorism affects a person mentally as well as their physical reaction to stimuli. Example, if a person is depressed, the depression is mental but when a person cannot get out of bed, doesn’t want to eat or don’t want to partake in other activities that they usually do is the physical. The factor that can cause a person to use are become a victim to substance abuse and began drug addiction by using drugs to get away from or numb themselves from their depression.
In relation to drug abuse, relapse is resuming the use of a chemical substance or drug after a period of abstinence. The term can be said to be a landmark feature of a combination of substance abuse and substance independence. The propensity for dependency, repeated use, and tendencies that take the form of the substance being used, are some of the issues that drug users’ experience. Substances that enhance most severe tendencies in users and pose high pharmacological efficacy, are those that are cleared quickly from the body, in addition to those that bring out the highest tolerance. There can be increased substance tolerance with the increasing dependency in relation to drug in question, and withdrawals and cravings when the user stops.
The multi-causal model of drug abuse takes into account social and individual causes of addiction, both distant and immediate, that lead to a disposition to using drugs, drug use and the social and individual consequences. Why a person becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol is different for everyone. Some are genetically predisposed, some learn it from their environment (i.e. family or friends), and still others use it to avoid a trauma they have experienced. The case history describes a client that had both social and individual causes for her alcohol use and subsequent dependence.
Addiction is a complex psychiatric disorder that consists of social and psychological factors, but at its most basic level it is a biological process. Addiction may come in many forms, but its primary choice of substance is drugs. In particular, prescription medications in the form of pills have become a major health problem, not only to those addicted but the clinicians who prescribe them. In order to fully understand this disorder, considering what brain mechanisms and functions are involved with addiction, the next area to look into is the factors that make the prescription drugs so addictive, along with long term effects, and to discover any new treatment options out in practice today, whether it be through medicine and/or counseling.
Drugs seem to cause surges in dopamine neurotransmitters and other pleasure brain messengers. However, the brain quickly adapts and these circuits desensitize, which allows for withdrawal symptoms to occur (3). Drug addiction works on some of the same neurobiological mechanisms that aid in learning and memories (3). "This new view of dopamine as an aid to learning rather than a pleasure mediator may help explain why many addictive drugs, which unleash massive surges of the neurotransmitter in the brain, can drive continued use without producing pleasure-as when cocaine addicts continue to take hits long after the euphoric effects of the drug have worn off or when smokers smoke after cigarettes become distasteful." (4)
Drug addiction is often characterized as being a complex brain disease that causes compulsive, uncontrollable, drug craving, seeking and use without any regards to the consequences they may bring upon themselves, or society. As long as the brain is exposed to these large amounts of dopamine on the reward system, it will inevitably develop a tolerance to the current dopamine levels, which it is receiving, lessening the pleasure the user will experience. In order to satisfy the brains “reward...
The repeated use of drugs often causes both physical and psychological dependence, as mentioned in an article by the Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia (“Drug Dependence”). In order for an individual to truly be set free from their addiction, seeking treatment is necessary. Rehab centers are a great place with scientifically proven methods to cure those addicted to drugs. It is important to try to end drug use in our country, rather than allowing it to continue longer than it already has. While funding for rehabilitation facilities could become an issue, drug users may continue their addiction without proper treatment, and therefore those arrested for drug use should be sent to a rehabilitation center instead of prison.
It has become one of the major social problems of our day, leaving a great number of families and communities within our country devastated and without hope of recuperation for any of their afflicted members and loved ones. Growing to become a big social challenge affecting all aspects of the American society, addiction rates have escalated to enormous proportions within the country as reported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Addiction has been described as a chronic brain disorder,” resulting from adaptations in the brain that leads to changes in behavior”, according to Dr. Nora Volkow, who also assert that it can be treated (NIDA 2006).
So, it is clear that addiction is all around us and can attack anyone of us at any given time. Even studies conducted show that people neglect to speak around their dependency for two primary reasons. Foremost, because people do not comprehend, or they bear a total misconception to their addiction, that they do not realize that addictions can be critical to their overall wellness. Moreover, second, many people believe being an addict will never happen to them, but, in reality, most addictions start off as simple little habits. Such as starting with one drink after dinner and before you know it you are drinking several drinks a day. However, one does not opt to be addicted to a substance, because addictions are physical defects in the brain, a disease, and not one’s choice.
Also, the brain releases less dopamine. Bringing back the initial euphoric feeling requires consumption of more alcohol. Therefore, the addict looks for larger amounts of drugs and builds up a tolerance. A drug user or an addict cannot perform daily activities well without alcohol or other substances in the system.
...er says, that “eventually, the drugs decrease the person’s ability to experience pleasure without a drug” (Torr 13).
...his high after he has obtained a tolerance for the tobacco. After the tolerance has been built, the user must use tobacco more often and in greater quantities if they would like to reach the same high. Though tobacco is legal, it is still just as deadly as many illegal narcotics and drugs.
The addict becomes dependent on the drug. The addict uses it, despite having full knowledge of its harmful effects on health. It is considered a brain disease because it changes the structure and functioning of the brain.There is an uncontrollable desire or craving to consume the drug. Addicted people often engage in compulsive behavior to obtain the drugs. The addicts find if impossible to control the drug intake. In case of drug abuse, people start taking drugs in larger doses than the recommended doses. The addict is not able to discharge his/her day-to-day responsibilities in an efficient manner. It effects both the physical and mental health of the addict. Very often, addicts witness extreme changes in body weight. Very often, the addict stops socializing.Sometimes, drug addiction is also referred to as drug dependency since the addict develops dependency or addiction for a particular
Drug abuse and addiction not only has negative effects in the lives of the people involved, but also in the lives of their close relatives, friends and immediate society. It leads to disintegration, failure in school, loss of employment and violence. Although intake of drugs is a voluntary and conscious decision initially, continuous intake of drugs changes the brain and challenges the self-control of the “addicted person” and inhibits the ability to resist extreme desire for drug intake.