| Someone who is dependent on drugs
use them simply to make themselves feel better, but drug abuse can
have dire consequences. We explain how to identify your addictions
and get help right now But a
person's use of a drug such as tobacco, alcohol, cannabis or
heroin can become uncontrolled, or start to control them. Even
when the use of drugs leads to serious physical and mental
problems, the person using may still not want to stop.
If they do decide to give up, they
may then find it's much harder than they thought.
How To
Spot If Someone Is Addicted To Drugs
There are loads of different words used to describe
drug use and addiction problems. Not every expert will agree with
the definitions here, but being consistent about the terms used
helps to reduce the confusion and anxiety everyone feels when
faced with this problem.
Each drug has different patterns
of:
- use
- intoxication
- overdose
- hangover
 For
each different drug, the term 'substance abuse' can cover
different levels of use, including:
- experimenting with use
- bingeing
- using large amounts without
appearing intoxicated
- using large amounts to get
intoxicated
Then, it's why do they
use drugs?, why don't they just stop, and can I help get them off
the drugs.
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The Use Of
Drugs And Drugs Abuse
People can use a substance for more
than one of the above reasons, and may also use several drugs at a
time for different reasons.
Untangling the 'how' and 'why' of a
person's drug use is rarely an easy task, but most people use a
drug because they enjoy the effects. This may seem like a
simplistic or insensitive statement, but it's a fact that's easily
forgotten by the people around the drug user, who are concerned
and trying to understand why they're using drugs.
What's the signs of drug use, the
simple answer is that it's very hard to spot. Many users who have
contact with mental health services manage to conceal their use
from mental health professionals, so it's obviously difficult to
identify.
Parents obviously want to help, but
this is not always easy with teenagers, as they might view the
methods parents use to find out if they are using drugs as
intrusive and controlling. And angry confrontations with teenagers
might push them further into a cycle of resentment and refusal to
communicate.
The Dependence
Of Drugs
The media's portrayal of a
person giving up drugs usually focuses on the immediate effects of
withdrawing from heroin. It's important to remember that there's
often more to an addiction than the physical withdrawal symptoms.
In fact, for some drugs such as
cannabis, there's a debate about whether there are actually any
physical symptoms of withdrawal. People who use cannabis regularly
over a long period may find there are certain situations in which
they come to rely on the drug. If they stop using it they may feel
very disabled.
This is a situation that can
develop for almost any substance that affects the mind and this
aspect of addiction can be harder to overcome than the physical
symptoms.
Mental symptoms can include:
- anxiety
- depression
- disrupted sleep and rest
- relearning different coping
skills
- reduced well-being
The pattern of these symptoms will
depend on the drug being used, the psychological make-up of the
person using it and the circumstances under which they are
attempting to remain drug free.
The term 'craving' is often used
when talking about addiction. If a person is experiencing any of
the symptoms listed above and they know that by using the drug all
these problem will go away, it's not surprising that they develop
an overwhelming desire to use and that this dominates their
thoughts.
Addiction Free Forever Program - Click Here
 The
Physical Addiction Of Drugs
It's ironic that through
films such as Trainspotting quite a lot of people feel that they
understand the physical effects of withdrawal from heroin. They
rightly see it as an unpleasant and difficult experience and a
good reason not to experiment with it.
The irony is that alcohol has much
worse and more dangerous withdrawal effects. It's possible, but
very rare, for someone experiencing heroin withdrawal to need to
be admitted to hospital, while someone who is physically addicted
to alcohol should not attempt to stop using it without consulting
a doctor.
Again, as with psychological
dependence, the length and severity of withdrawal differs
according to the drug, how much has been taken and for how long.
For most addicts, their problem is
a mixture of both physical and psychological aspects. There are
some instances when it's difficult to distinguish between the two.
The stimulants cocaine and
amphetamine are classic examples of this - people coming down
after using these drugs feel very low and lack energy. When they
take cocaine, they feel very high and use up lots of energy. Their
feelings afterwards could be partly because of feeling tired and
adjusting to a normal mood again, but there are other theories
that suggest these feelings are because the body is
re-establishing its chemical balance.
What Help Is
There To Stop My Drug Addiction?
The saying that admitting
you have a problem is half of solving the problem is very
applicable. The next step is to get support.
If you're physically addicted, it
may be dangerous just to stop - especially if you're using alcohol
or tranquillisers. Even if it isn't dangerous to stop abruptly, a
doctor may be able to prescribe medication to help you through the
first phase of withdrawal.
Not all family doctors are happy to
help with this problem, so if yours isn't it's probably best to
approach your local drug dependence unit (DDU). It's also vital to
get other forms of support and counselling.
We have a number of sites you can
access information from, get products to help with your drug
addiction.
Addiction Free Forever Program - Click Here
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