A drug addiction is a compulsive disorder. Addiction can be of varied kinds, namely drugs, alcohol, gambling, spending, smoking, sex, eating or any other behavior. A person hit by this is often unsatisfied and restless. Drug addiction in layman’s terms would be dependence on chemicals or on unwanted plants for the sake of getting high. This disorder requires very high consumption of drugs in order to fulfill drug seeking behavior, and is very vulnerable to relapse.

The following are some of the most common drugs that are physically and mentally addictive.

1) Marijuana

Marijuana is one of the most commonly used drugs. The drug is excessively popular amongst teenagers. Commonly known as pot, weed, grass, herb, Maryjane, and the devil’s cabbage. The effects can last for around 1-3 hours. It can cause a lot of harm to the lungs and a person loses his or her concentration power. It causes severe smoking habits that are difficult to quit, and prolonged consumption can also lead to cancer. There are few addiction treatments available for marijuana abusers, because it is not considered physically addictive. Continue reading ‘What are Drug Addictions?’ »

Getting involved in drugs is very easy. It might take just one or two tries to get hooked without even realizing it. However, escaping from the abyss of drug addiction can take much longer, usually several months or even years.

The process of rehabilitation can be very difficult, especially if you have been on drugs for quite a while. There will be several instances when you will feel the need to take whatever substance it is you have been feeding your body. During these times, it is important to be strong by turning away from those temptations.

Regardless of how long you have been using drugs, you can always stop and rebuild your life. Here are some of the things you can do to break away from drug addiction and restart your life.

(1). Find a hobby.

After finishing rehabilitation treatment, you will be released back into the world with a fresh lease on life. The type of life you will lead depends on the kinds of decisions you make. Many people have been in that same situation and with one wrong decision; they completely erased everything they had been working for during their months of recovery.

The best way to avoid the temptation of going back to your old lifestyle is to find yourself a hobby, or better yet, a job. What is it that you like to do? Find an activity that will occupy your mind. Continue reading ‘Escaping From the Clutches of Drug Addiction’ »

Drug addiction doesn’t just suddenly occur one day. Conditions predispose a person to addiction, and circumstances allow drug addiction to continue. For example, a person who is bored, stressed or depressed may look for solutions to alleviate that boredom, stress or depression. For them, if it’s accessible, marijuana may be the solution. Some say marijuana opens the door to other, more harmful drugs, and in that way marijuana itself is highly dangerous. Is marijuana in fact a ‘gateway’ to other drugs? Here are five answers to that question from experts in the field of drug addiction, substance abuse and treatment.

YES. According to a recent study by the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, there was a pronounced difference in future drug use between kids who used marijuana and those who did not. In fact, teens who smoke marijuana are 85 times more likely to use cocaine than those who do not.

YES. In a study of 311 young adult pairs in 2003, Michael T. Lynskey, Ph.D., found that “Individuals who used cannabis by age 17 years had odds of other drug use, alcohol dependence, and drug abuse/dependence that were 2.1 to 5.2 times higher than those of their co-twin, who did not use cannabis before age 17 years… In particular, early access to and use of cannabis may reduce perceived barriers against the use of other illegal drugs and provide access to these drugs.” Continue reading ‘Is Marijuana a Gateway Drug? 5 Answers’ »

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There are so many negative results of drug abuse that it is a wonder that the problem persists in society. Drug abuse can refer to any type of substance abuse. Some substances are legally obtainable, others are available only on prescription and many are completely illegal.

You may be worried that a friend or family member may be abusing drugs but you are not sure what to look for. Do not ignore your hunch. If you perceive changes in the person’s health or behavior that the person themselves is reluctant to explain then you have good enough reason to suspect drug abuse.

One of the first results of drug abuse is the appearance of drug paraphernalia in or around the person’s possession. Look out for needles, glasses and mirrors used for snorting, cigarette papers, blackened spoons used for heating substances, empty solvent canisters etc. These items can often be found in the trash.

Continue reading ‘The Negative Results of Drug Abuse’ »

There are many different types of addiction treatment or detox centers and each of them will

have a different function and role in the detox process. There will usually be a medical

doctor present for each detox procedure that takes place in the detox center. A medial

staff is there to assist the addict in rapidly detoxing from the substance of abuse and to

make the process as pain free as possible. When a person enters a detox center they are

usually doing so under the advice of their doctor. Most detox centers will only take a

patient that has been referred by a medical doctor.

Continue reading ‘Addiction Treatment Centers For Substance Abuse’ »

This article will give you information on the problems of using drugs and their effects on health and work. The amount of medicinal information available is inadequate. Most people understand that medicines are not good, but they do not always think about how the consequences of medicine uses can affect their work.

This is not a replacement for substance mistreatment. If a person is having problems related to the misuse of medicines, he or she should be referred to a qualified substance abuse expert. This guidance is only designed as an educational program for employment seekers. The medicines that will be discussed in this topic are alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, and illicit (marijuana, cocaine, heroine, LSD, etc.) medicines as complete group.

Begin the lesson by discussing medicine tests at work. Inform trainees that employers have the right to test for illegal medicine use. More than 70 per cent of illegal medicine users are employed. Of people who called a drugs help line, 70 per cent indicated they used cocaine while working, 60 per cent reported that medicines unfavorably affected their job performance, and 15-18 per cent had stolen from employers to support their medicine habit. Medicine using employees at General Motors average 30-40 sick days per year compared to 4-5 sick days for non users. Researches found that substance abuse is the number one health problem in the country.

Continue reading ‘Effects Of Drugs And Alcohol In Your Career’ »

A drug and alcohol intervention is a process of overcoming the barriers, getting across to the addicts and making them realize where they stand and what can be done to come out of the spell of substance addiction.

Intervention for drug abuse is a wake up call for someone who is going off the deep end. It is an attempt to put a safety net under the person whose life is spiraling downwards out of control. Successful interventions are behavioral interrupters. They address the problem, set boundaries, and offer solutions. They penetrate the addict’s denial system and are a turning point their life and ideally result in the individual going into a drug and alcohol rehab program.

A drug and alcohol intervention is an honest, heartfelt, communication. Intervention is an opportunity for family, friends and co-workers to say, “Hey, we’re watching you die, Man. It’s tearing our hearts out. What you do effects us too! We want you to get some help!” An intervention of truth, piercing the protective armor of denial, is an incredible gift of love. It is opportunity of hope for a new life, for both the addict and his family.

Continue reading ‘Drug And Alcohol Interventions – A Life Changing Wake Up Call’ »

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Substance abuse or drug abuse is one of the worst cases of injury that one could inflict on his or her own body. The reasons for getting afflicted with this disease are many. It could be that the person was under some kind of pressure. It could also be that the person just wanted to prove himself to his peers and others so self proclaimed mandarins.

Whatever the reason might be, the end result is that the individual finds himself getting caught up in a bottomless pit that only becomes more and more painful and taxing as the time progresses. People who realize that they are in trouble in the early stages are the luckiest as that is the first step towards recovery. The very acknowledgement of the fact that the person is suffering from a symptom that is taking a lot of toll on his body and life is the first most positive step on the path to recovery.

The second step would be to hold the hands of the people who are the most experienced in dealing with such situations. There are many drugs detox centers that offer the most comprehensive and the most well researched drug detox programs that can help the people suffering from this malaise.

Continue reading ‘This Body is a Sublime Gift, Do Not Abuse It’ »

Drug and substance abuse among teenagers, is substantial. According to a national survey, amongst youth age 12 to 17, about 1.1 million meet the diagnostic criteria for dependence on drugs in the United States. Different substances/drugs lend themselves to different groups of symptoms. The most glaring symptom in all cases is a change, sometimes a radical one, in behavior.

10 Things:

1. If you wish to identify a potential drug abuser in your home, the first area that you should look for is sudden personality change that includes abrupt changes in work or school attendance, quality of work, work output, grades, discipline etc.
2. Unusual flare-ups or outbreaks of temper, sudden jitteriness, nervousness, or aggression are a major denotation of drug addiction or abuse.
3. Persistent drug abuse may also lead to withdrawal from responsibility & loss of interest in what were once favorite hobbies and pursuits. This may come packaged with an unusual laziness.
4. Changes in friends and reluctance to have friends visit or talk about them and/or association with known substance abusers should also be taken seriously.
Continue reading ‘Prescription Drug Abuse: Signs you Should Look for in your Home’ »

A disturbing fact sheet…

Pain relievers are medicines that reduce or relieve headaches, sore muscles, arthritis or related aches and pains. There are many different pain reliever drugs. While some of them are prescription drugs, yet many of these are available over-the-counter (OTC) e.g. aspirin, naproxen (Aleve) & ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) etc. Many such non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs are available only at prescribed doses. Some of the most powerful pain relievers come under the category of narcotics.

In the United States, data generated by some recent surveys on drug abuse is quite disturbing. Data from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse found that almost 3 million adolescents and about 7 million young adults from ages 18 to 25 had used prescription drugs for non-medical purposes at least once in their lives.

Today teenagers are not using as much cocaine, crack, LSD, and ecstasy as the teenagers of the 1960’s. Nowadays, kids have found other ways and means to get that high; painkillers & other prescription drugs are being abused at record levels as is aptly indicated in NSDUH data. This up coming generation of prescription drug abusers has been given the name “Generation Rx!”

Continue reading ‘10 Things to Know About Pain Reliever Drugs Abuse’ »