Addiction in Terms of Drug Misuse - Essay Example

Addiction and Drug Usage Roll No: Teacher: 19th February 2009 Addiction and Drug Usage Addiction in Terms of Drug Misuse Addiction can be defined as physical dependence on any substance in terms of regular usage of the substance (Goodman 1990). People who rely on addictive substances for the normal functionality of their bodily functions become addict to the used substances. In terms of drugs usage, when a person is addict to the usage of drugs, he/she increases his/her tolerance level for the drugs to a harmful extent. Addiction is not always regarded as something negative or is not always linked to substance abuse. While using drugs whether prescribed by the doctors and those that are harmful for health such as Marijuana, cocaine, opium, hallucinogens and many others, people become addicted to the usage of those drugs (Giannini 1997). The drugs that are prescribed by the doctors do not appear to be harmful for the users but those that are harmful and are used without the help of any doctor or in terms of self-medication come up with negative consequences in terms of health and life security. The drugs that are prescribed the doctors can also be considered as abusive when a person gets addict to the drugs. After being addicted, the tolerance level of a person increases due to which, an increased amount of drug is required by the person that can harm him/her in terms of his/her health (Kalivas and Volkow 2005). Drugs that are considered as causing addiction are mostly illegal drugs such as cocaine, nicotine, caffeine, heroin, Marijuana, opium and many others (Goodman 1990). When people start misusing the drugs to a harmful level, they become addict to the drugs due to which, they have to depend on the drugs for their physical sustenance and normal health. This dependency on drugs is not considered a negligible issue as the number of people who can be called as dependent on drugs and addicts are increasing day by day (Nestler and Malenka 2004). The addiction to drugs causes many dangers for the health of men as well as women. Illegal usage of drugs causes such consequences that are not facilitating for the drug users. Women are categorized as mostly disadvantageous in terms of misuse of drugs because of their future or current pregnancy (Giannini 1997). The misuse of drugs causes many types of diseased effects in the users due to which, they are unable to lead normal lives and face many health issues. People always seek out for drugs in spite of knowing the dangerous consequences being caused by drugs because of their becoming addicts. Why People Use Drugs on a Regular Basis? People use drugs on a regular basis due to many factors. Many people make use of drugs because they are prescribed by the doctors to do such for their problems such as depression, stress, for relieving pain and many others. People themselves make use of drugs to get relaxation of mind, to get relieve from pain, in distressed situations, for escaping from their problems, for seeking pleasure and for many other situations (Lende and Smith 2002). The drugs are regarded as changing the chemical milieu of the brain due to which, people show dependency towards drugs for their regular usage (Kar 2006). By making use of drugs, people become physically as well as psychologically dependent on the drugs and continue the usage in their daily lives. When people are prescribed by doctors to make use of drugs, they are asked to make the use to a meagre level that is not harmful for the people (Goodman 1990). However, when people make use of the drugs to an extended level, they become addicts and their health is harmed. People face problems such as depression, stress, loneliness, carelessness of their parents, unemployment and other social and emotional problems due to which, they start using the drugs in their daily routine. This daily routine makes them addict and they feel a compulsion for the usage of drugs. By making use of the drugs, people feel relieved and relaxed due to the effects of the drugs (Kalivas and Volkow 2005). In terms of injury or physical pain, drugs are also effective (Koob and Kreek 2007). They accommodate the people to get relieve and comfort from their problems on a temporary basis. For physical pain and injury, no one can deny the fact that drugs prove to be effective (Leavitt 2003). Drugs are regarded as affecting the people to a great extent and also it is considered that drugs have the strength of making people addicts. After being addicted to drugs, people are forced to make use of the drugs in their daily routines (Giannini 1997). In case, they try to withdraw from this routine of regular usage, there are physical and psychological symptoms and irregularities in their physical and psychological health (Nestler and Malenka 2004). Validity of the Concept of Addiction The concept of addiction is quite valid. The drugs whether they are legal or illegal consist of the potency to make people dependent on them and make use of them in their daily routines (Lende and Smith 2002). Due to regular usage of the drugs, people stay away from many physical problems but on the other hand, their physical condition due to the usage of harmful drugs invites many other diseases that are harmful for the safety of the people. Addiction cannot be considered as advantageous as it is dangerous for the people. Drug addiction is considered a disease of brain and the doctors offer treatments for this disease (Kalivas and Volkow 2005). Drug addiction is not considered as an incurable disease but a curable one. Although, the person who is addict suffers to a great extent but at last, he/she is able to leave the misuse of the drugs totally. People who are dependent on the usage of drugs crave for them and seek them (Goodman 1990). They are fully aware that drugs are harmful if used to a dangerous level but still after being addicted, they are forced physically and psychologically to make use of drugs. With the help of the treatment for drug abuse, the ultimate ambition is to reduce the amount of drugs being used by the addicted person (Nestler and Malenka 2004). Later on, he/she is able to leave the use of drugs wholly. People become addicted to drugs on the basis of their illnesses and sufferings (Koob and Kreek 2007). The doctors allow a meagre use of drugs in order to facilitate people to overcome their mental and physical problems. The quantity of drug usage prescribed by the doctors is not enough to make people addicts. However, people start making use of drugs in terms of self-medication and this self-medication is not restricted to a little usage (Leavitt 2003). After being addicted, people have to make use of the drugs in order to continue in their state of physical and mental health (Kar 2006). Addiction causes problems when the drugs are abused and not only used. With extensive usage of drugs, many problems are there, which are disadvantageous for the users. When people are in habit of making usage of drugs, it becomes nearly impossible for them to leave the drugs until they are ready for the treatment. Addiction cannot be considered as advantageous in any manner. The concept of addiction in relation to drug usage is valid enough but after being addicted, people overcome the problems that they face earlier on but they face many other problems as a result of the addiction. They continue the usage in their regular routines because they have become dependent and reliant on the drugs for their day to day lives. Addiction as a Term to Describe Regular Drug Use Drug dependence and drug tolerance are directly related to the concept of drug addiction, although both of the terms are regarded as totally different from drug addiction in terms of meaning. Drug dependence is caused when a person relies in his/her regular routine on drugs and when he/she is unable to seek the drugs that his/her body requires, he/she shows signs of impatience, stress and depression (Kar 2006). Drug tolerance can be defined as a phenomena according to which, people who make use of drugs in their daily routines have developed a tolerance level according to which, they become immune to a negligible amount of drugs (Koob and Kreek 2007). However, when they try to misuse drugs and use drugs to a dangerous level, the tolerance level is unable to help them in controlling their addiction. Drug addiction is somewhat different from drug dependence and drug tolerance. In drug addiction, the person who uses drugs on regular basis becomes a fanatic for the drugs (Goodman 1990). This is not necessary that he/she makes use of drugs for his/her normal functional power of his/her physical and mental being but because, he/she is in habit of making use of drugs. When a person is drug dependent and has also increased his tolerance level to a certain extent, he has quite significant chances of becoming drug addict. Dependency on drugs transforms into drug addiction (Kalivas and Volkow 2005). A person is able to reach to a certain level of tolerance but after that, he/she is unable to control himself/herself from drug usage. This uncontrollable attitude is called drug addiction. Drug addiction is not a negligible problem, it is a grand problem and can cause health and sustenance problems. Suitable measures should be taken in order to safeguard people from drug addiction. Drug addiction solves some problems of people but creates a lot more. References Giannini, A. J 1997, Drugs of Abuse, 2nd Ed., Practice Management Information Corporation, Los Angeles. Goodman, A 1990, "Addiction: definition and implications". British Journal of Addiction 85 (11): 1403–1408. Kalivas, P. W. and Volkow, N. D 2005, "The neural basis of addiction: a pathology of motivation and choice". American Journal of Psychiatry 162 (8): 1403–1413. Kar, P 2006, History of Drug Abuse, Dasgupta & Chatterjee, Kolkata. Koob, G. and Kreek, M. J 2007, "Stress, Dysregulation of drug reward pathways, and the transition to drug dependence", American Journal of Psychiatry 164 (8): 1149–1159. Lende, D. H. and Smith, E. O 2002, "Evolution meets biopsychosociality: an analysis of addictive behavior", Addiction 97 (4): 447–458. Leavitt, Fred 2003, The Real Drug Abusers, Rowman & Littlefield, Los Angeles. Nestler, Eric and Malenka, Robert 2004, "The Addicted Brain", Scientific American, pg. 78-83. Read More