Drug Use and Addiction

Have you ever dealt with the effects of drugs firsthand? A drug is a substance which has a psychological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body. The causes of drug use can vary depending on the person. According to “Causes and types of narcotic addiction: A Psychosocial View” in the Psychiatric Quarterly it says, “The causes of drugs stem from the manner of which you were introduced to it whether it be by abnormal curiosity, chance encounters with addicts and narcotic peddlers, or prolonged illness” (Ausubel). So in other words its somewhat bad luck if you become addicted. The effects of drugs can be different in certain people as well whether it be for pleasure or to take away the pain. Most of the effects of drugs occur in the brain, where it increases the level of dopamine at a specific site possibly giving the addict the pleasure they were feigning for (Robbins). I believe I was around the age of six when I started noticing the signs of my Aunty Wendy becoming extremely skinny and looking somewhat unhealthy. As a child I didn’t know much about drugs except for what your parents and teachers at school tell you which is,“Just Say No.”

The signs of a drug addiction consist of a high craving of drugs with no regard for the way in which it is acquired (Plos). Those signs are exactly the signs she showed in the kitchen that day besides how she physically looked. For awhile my aunt went missing due to drugs and then one day she turned up at the backdoor of my grandpa’s home. As I was playing on the steps of grandparents’ home I recognized my aunt. She was begging to come inside the house. Conveniently, enough, my Aunty Sharon, her sister, was in the kitchen and let her in, but my grandfather quickly put her back outside because he didn’t want her in his house if she was on drugs. Not too long after that day my Aunty Wendy got into trouble with drugs and was sent to rehab. According to “Drug Addiction Treatment Methods” on Drug-rehabs.com it says, “There are several types of drug abuse treatment programs. Short-term methods last less than 6 months and include residential therapy, medication therapy, and drug-free outpatient therapy. Longer term treatment may include, for example, methadone maintenance outpatient treatment for opiate addicts and residential therapeutic community treatment” (Drug).