Drugs are chemicals that have a profound impact on the neurochemical balance in the brain which directly affects how you feel and act. People who are suffering emotionally use drugs, not so much for the rush, but to escape from their problems. They are trying to self-medicate themselves out of loneliness, low self-esteem, unhappy relationships, or stress. This is a pattern that too often leads to drug abuse and addiction. Find out how to recognize the signs and symptoms of drug abuse or addiction in yourself or someone you care about. When these problems are faced and thoughtfully addressed, there is hope for overcoming drug abuse and addiction. What happens when you take drugs? Drug abuse or substance abuse, involves the repeated and excessive use of prescription or street drugs. In one way or another, almost all drugs over stimulate the pleasure center of the brain, flooding it with the neurotransmitter dopamine which produces euphoria. That heightened sense of pleasure can be so compelling that the brain wants that feeling back, again and again. These drugs cause increased energy, rapid heart rate and elevated blood pressure, but they also produce racing thoughts and make you feel overly-stimulated. Continued use causes rapid breathing, irritability, impulsiveness, aggression, nervousness, insomnia, weight loss, tolerance, addiction, and possible heart failure. These drugs also cause an impairment in cognitive functioning which negatively affects memory and impacts the ability to learn. Signs and symptoms: drug abuse vs. drug dependence Drug ABUSE: How can I tell if I have a drug problem? | Signs and symptoms of drug ABUSE | | Health and behavior | - Continuing to use drugs even though you have health problems that are affected or caused by your drug use
- Irritability, anger, hostility, fatigue, agitation, anxiety, depression, psychosis (seeing or hearing things that are not there), lack of coordination, difficulty concentrating
| | Financial and legal issues | - Paying bills late, collection agencies calling, inability to keep track of your money
- Being arrested, doing things that you would normally not do, such as stealing to obtain drugs
| | Employment or school | - Continuing to use drugs even though you realize your job or education is in jeopardy
- Missing work or school, or going in late due to drug use
| | Family and friends | - Feeling annoyed when other people comment on, or criticize your use of drugs
- Feeling remorse or guilt after using drugs
- Associating with questionable acquaintances or frequenting out of the ordinary locations to purchase or use drugs
| | Social life | - Scheduling your day around using drugs
- Focusing recreational activities around obtaining drugs, using drugs, or recovering from drug use
- Using drugs when alone
| | Signs and symptoms of Cannabis use (Marijuana and Hashish) | - Heightened visual and auditory perceptions and increased sensitivity in taste
- Increased appetite
- Problems with memory, difficulty concentrating, paranoid thinking
- Decreased coordination, slowed reaction time
- Bloodshot eyes, elevated blood pressure, increased heart rate
| Drug DEPENDENCE: How serious is my drug use? How drug use can lead to addiction People with conditions such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or mood disorders such as depression and anxiety may find that a street drug makes them feel less jumpy, depressed or anxious. The line between substance abuse and drug dependence is defined by the role drugs play in your life. Addiction and drug dependence occurs when drugs become so important that you are willing to sacrifice your work, home and even family. Once your brain and body get used to the substances you are taking, you begin to require increasingly larger and more frequent doses, in order to achieve the same effect. Drugs such as Heroin, a painkiller, over-stimulate the pleasure centers of the brain producing euphoric effects which cause compulsive drug-seeking behaviors and affect self-control and judgment. These drugs are highly addictive and require a medical detoxification (detox) to cleanse the chemicals from your system. The severity of withdrawal symptoms such as chills, shakes, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and cravings can be reduced in detox with prescribed medications that can be slowly decreased over time. Withdrawal affects you physically and emotionally resulting in sadness, depression and exhaustion. | Signs and symptoms of drug DEPENDENCE | | Cravings and relapse | - Strong and overwhelming desire to use your drug of choice at a specific time of day or several times a day
- Drug seeking behaviors
- Trying to stop using the drug but failing more than once
- Feeling that you must have the drug to deal with your problems
| | Tolerance | - In order to feel the same effect, using more of the drug than intended and using the drug more frequently
| | Withdrawal symptoms | - Cocaine: Agitation, insomnia, anxiety, depression, anger, cravings, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, shakes, irritability, muscle pain
- Anti-anxiety medications: Sleeplessness, irritability, anxiety, feeling shaky, headache, dizziness, loss of appetite, and in extreme cases, seizures
- Heroin: Dilated pupils, goose bumps, watery eyes, runny nose, yawning, chills, nausea, muscle cramps, stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, shakes, sweats, feeling jittery, irritable, panic, tremors
- Methamphetamine: Fatigue, disturbed sleeping patterns, irritability, intense hunger, moderate to severe depression, anxiety, psychotic reactions
| | Effects on memory and motivation | - Impairments in learning, memory and cognitive functioning
- Losing interest in activities and hobbies that were once pleasurable
| | Risky behavior | - Sharing needles
- Having unsafe sex
| Effects of drug abuse and addiction The effects of drug abuse and addiction differ depending on the drug used. For example, with heroin the effects include: | Short and Long Term Effects of Heroin Abuse | | | Short-Term Effects: - “Rush”
- Depressed respiration
- Clouded mental functioning
- Nausea and vomiting
- Suppression of pain
| |
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