Drug Addiction

Drug addiction is a dependence on a street drug or a prescription medication. When you're addicted, you may not be able to control your drug use and you may continue using the drug despite the harm it causes. Drug addiction can cause an intense craving for the drug. You may want to quit, but most people that are addicted to a drug find that they cannot do it alone, but need the support of a drug rehab program. Not everyone who uses drugs becomes addicted, but for many what starts as casual use leads to drug addiction. Drug addiction can cause serious, long-term consequences including problems with physical health, relationships, employment and the law. You may need help from your, family, friends, or an organized treatment program to overcome your drug addiction.

Most drug addictions start out with casual or social use of a drug. For some people, this is as far as it goes. For other people, using the drug becomes a habit and use becomes more and more frequent. As time passes, you may need larger doses of the drug to get high. Soon you may need the drug just to feel good. As your drug use increases, you may find that it becomes increasingly difficult to go without the drug. Stopping may cause intense cravings and make you feel physically ill (withdrawal symptoms).

Drug addiction symptoms or behaviors include:

Feeling that you have to use the drug regularly - this can be daily or even several times a day
Failing in your attempts to stop using the drug
Making certain that you maintain a supply of the drug
Spending money on the drug even though you can't afford it
Doing things to obtain the drug that you normally wouldn't do, such as stealing
Feeling that you need the drug to deal with your problems
Driving or doing other risky activities when you're under the influence of the drug
Focusing more and more time and energy on getting and using the drug

Recognizing signs of drug abuse and addiction
The particular signs and symptoms of drug use and dependence vary depending on the type of drug. You might be able to tell that a family member or a friend is using or abusing a drug based on the physical and behavioral signs and symptoms associated with the drug.

Signs of drug abuse and addiction can include:

A heightened sense of visual, auditory and taste perception
Poor memory
Increased blood pressure and heart rate
Red eyes
Decreased coordination
Difficulty concentrating
Increased appetite
Slowed reaction time
Paranoid thinking

Barbiturates and benzodiazepines
Barbiturates and benzodiazepines are prescription central nervous system depressants. Phenobarbital, amobarbital (Amytal) and secobarbital (Seconal) are examples of barbiturates. Benzodiazepines include tranquilizers such as diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax), lorazepam (Ativan), clonazepam (Klonopin) and chlordiazepoxide (Librium).

Signs of abuse and addiction can include:

Drowsiness
Slurred speech
Lack of coordination
Memory impairment
Confusion
Slowed breathing and decreased blood pressure
Dizziness
Depression

Methamphetamine, cocaine and other stimulants
this class of drugs includes amphetamines, methamphetamine, cocaine and methylphenidate (Ritalin).

Signs of abuse and addiction can include:

Euphoria
Decreased appetite
Rapid speech
Irritability
Restlessness
Depression as the drug wears off
Nasal congestion and damage to the mucous membrane of the nose in users who snort drugs
Insomnia
Weight loss
Increased heart rate, blood pressure and temperature
Paranoia

Methamphetamine, also known as "meth," is a particularly dangerous drug. It's highly addictive and causes a number of short-term and long-term health consequences. Methamphetamine is relatively inexpensive and widely available.

Club drugs
Club drugs are drugs commonly used by teens and young adults at clubs, concerts and parties. Examples include Ecstasy (MDMA), GHB, Rohypnol ("roofies") and ketamine. These drugs are not all classified in the same category, but they share some similar effects and dangers.

Signs of club drug abuse and addiction can include:

An exaggerated feeling of great happiness or well-being (euphoria)
Reduced inhibitions
A heightened or altered sense of sight, sound and taste
Amphetamine-like effects (with ketamine and Ecstasy)
Impaired coordination
Impaired judgment
Memory problems or loss of memory
Increased or decreased heart rate and blood pressure
Drowsiness and loss of consciousness (with GHB and Rohypnol)

Narcotic painkillers
Opioids are narcotic, painkilling drugs produced naturally from opium or made synthetically. This class of drugs includes heroin, morphine, codeine, methadone and oxycodone (OxyContin).

Signs of narcotic abuse and addiction can include:

Reduced sense of pain
Sedation
Depression
Confusion
Slowed breathing
Needle marks (if injecting drugs)

Physical addiction appears to occur when repeated use of a drug alters the way your brain feels pleasure. The addicting drug causes physical changes to some nerve cells (neurons) in your brain. Neurons use chemicals called neurotransmitters to communicate. Neurons release neurotransmitters into the gaps (synapses) between nerve cells; neurotransmitters are received by receptors on other neurons and on their own cell bodies.

People of any age, sex or economic status can become addicted to a drug. However, certain factors can affect the likelihood of your developing an addiction:

Peer pressure. Particularly for young people, peer pressure is a strong factor in starting to use and abuse drugs.
Lack of family involvement. A lack of attachment with your parents may increase the risk of addiction, as can a lack of parental supervision.
Anxiety, depression and loneliness. Using drugs can become a way of coping with these painful psychological feelings.
Taking a highly addictive drug. Some drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, cause addiction faster than do others.

Drug addiction can create a number of life-changing complications. They can include:

Health problems. Drug addiction can lead to a range of both short- and long-term mental and physical health problems. These depend on what drug is taken.
Unconsciousness, coma and sudden death. Taking some drugs can be particularly risky, especially if you take high doses or combine them with other drugs or alcohol.
Getting a communicable disease. People who are addicted to a drug are more likely to get an infectious disease such as HIV, either through unsafe sex or by sharing needles.
Accidents. If you're addicted to a drug, you're more likely to drive or engage in other dangerous activities while intoxicated.
Suicide. People who are addicted to drugs commit suicide more often than do people who aren't.
Family problems. Behavioral changes may cause marital or family strife and custody issues.
Work issues. Work performance may decline, and you may be absent from work more often.
Problems at school. Academic performance and motivation to excel in school may suffer.
Legal issues. These can stem from stealing to support your drug addiction, driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and disputes over child custody.
Financial problems. Spending money to support your habit takes away money from your other needs, could put you into debt, and could lead you into illegal or unethical behaviors

Withdrawal from different categories of drugs produces different side effects and requires different approaches.

Depressants (includes barbiturates, benzodiazepines and others). Minor side effects of withdrawal may include restlessness, anxiety, sleep problems and sweating. More-serious signs and symptoms also could include hallucinations, whole-body tremors, seizures, and increased blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature. The most serious stage of withdrawal may include delirium, which is potentially life-threatening. Withdrawal therapy may involve gradually scaling back the amount of the drug, adding another medication to help stabilize the nerve cells during detoxification, or both.
Stimulants (includes amphetamines, methamphetamine, cocaine, Ritalin and others). Side effects of withdrawal typically include depression, fatigue, anxiety and intense cravings. In some cases, signs and symptoms may include suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts, paranoia and impaired contact with reality (acute psychosis). Treatment during withdrawal is usually limited to emotional support from your family, friends and doctor. Your doctor may recommend medications to treat paranoid psychosis or depression.
Opioids (heroin, morphine, codeine, OxyContin and others). Withdrawal side effects of opioids can range from relatively minor to severe. On the minor end, they may include runny nose, sweating, yawning, feeling anxiety and craving the drug. Severe reactions can include sleeplessness, depression, dilated pupils, rapid pulse, rapid breathing, high blood pressure, abdominal cramps, tremors, bone and muscle pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. Doctors may substitute an artificial opiate, such as methadone, or buprenorphine (Subutex, others) to reduce the craving for heroin during recovery.

The most important factor regarding drug addiction is the process of getting treatment. It makes sense logically to pick a treatment center that does not use drugs in the withdrawal process. The definition of withdrawal is the discontinuation of the use of the addictive substance, so this should be the goal at the chosen drug rehab center. Overcoming an addiction and staying drug-free requires a lot of effort, but not half as much energy as it takes to maintain a drug addiction.