About Addiction http://aboutaddiction.biz Fri, 01 Jul 2011 18:13:23 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 Drug Addiction Help http://aboutaddiction.biz/drug-treatment-help/ http://aboutaddiction.biz/drug-treatment-help/#comments Fri, 01 Jul 2011 18:11:30 +0000 http://aboutaddiction.biz/?p=14 drug treatmentDrug Addiction is not only a problem, but it is also considered a disease. It is a chronic, brain disorder that causes compulsive drug seeking and prolonged usage even when the person is faced with the negative consequences associated with drug use. Drug addiction is very complex. Unlike other physical or mental ailments, one treatment regimen does not fit all who suffer from a particular drug addiction. Several people have a view of drug addiction that is restricted, blaming the individual of having a social problem and less willpower than another person to stop the use of drugs. This is a false claim. An individual who is truly addicted may not be able to simply cease drug use and still survive because of some drugs’ ability to alter the brain.

Through research and scientific advances, we now know how the brain reacts to specific drugs and how it reacts when a drug is abused for a long period of time. Because of this, it is possible to treat addictions to drug and help individuals resume their normal lives. Help for a drug addiction is easy to find. There are a variety of treatment centers and treatment options for the individual struggling with addiction. From inpatient treatment programs to weekly outpatient appointments with a counselor/specialist, anyone who wants to get better has the option to do so. Help for a drug addiction follows a unique pattern that is person-specific. However, the main goal of seeking help for anyone with an addiction is to cease using the drug, bypassing withdrawal symptoms, and regaining control of their life. Finding the right treatment option for you is the most important aspect when seeking help!

]]> http://aboutaddiction.biz/drug-treatment-help/feed/ 0 Drug Addiction http://aboutaddiction.biz/drug-addiction/ http://aboutaddiction.biz/drug-addiction/#comments Wed, 08 Jun 2011 18:17:13 +0000 http://aboutaddiction.biz/?p=5 cocaine-linesDrug addiction, or substance dependence is the compulsive use of drugs, to the point where the user has no effective choice but to continue use. This phenomenon has occurred to some degree throughout recorded history (see “opium”), though modern agricultural practices, improvements in access to drugs, and advancements in biochemistry have exacerbated the problem significantly in the 20th century with the introduction of purified forms of active biological agents, and with the synthesis of hitherto unknown substances, such as methamphetamine and gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB). While “addiction” has been replaced by “dependency” as a clinical term, in the drug rehab world, the terms are used interchangeably here. The addictive nature of drugs varies from substance to substance, and from individual to individual. Drugs such as codeine or alcohol, for instance, typically require many more exposures to addict their users than drugs such as heroin or cocaine.

Likewise, a person who is psychologically or genetically predisposed to addiction is much more likely to become dependent. Although dependency on hallucinogens like LSD and psilocybin is listed as Substance-Related Disorder in the DSM-IV, most psychologists do not classify them as addictive drugs. Experts on addiction say that the use of LSD and psilocybin causes neither psychological nor physical dependency. There is anecdotal evidence which emerges of psychological addiction to recreational psychedelics such as MDMA (Ecstasy) and Ketamine.

Drug addiction has two components: physical dependency, and psychological dependency. Physical dependency occurs when a drug has been used habitually and the body has become accustomed to its effects. The person must then continue to use the drug in order to feel normal, or its absence will trigger the symptoms of withdrawal. Psychological dependency occurs when a drug has been used habitually and the mind has become emotionally reliant of its effects, either to elicit pleasure or relieve pain, and does not feel capable of functioning without it. Its absence produces intense cravings, which are often brought on or magnified by stress. A dependent person may have either aspects of dependency, but often has both. “Chipping” is also a term used to describe a pattern of drug use in which the user is not physically dependent and sustains ‘controlled use’ of a drug. This is done by avoiding influences that reinforce dependence, such that the drug is used for relaxation and not for escape.

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