Is my loved one addicted or using socially?
Drug abuse can easily lead to drug addiction. Because of the highly addictive properties in street drugs there is a huge risk of physical and psychological addiction to the drug.
The term addiction is used to describe a recurring compulsion by an individual to engage in some specific activity, despite harmful consequences to the individual's health, mental state or social life.
Physical dependence on a substance is defined by the appearance of characteristic withdrawal symptoms when the substance is suddenly discontinued. Psychological dependency is a dependency of the mind, and leads to psychological withdrawal symptoms. Addiction can in theory be derived from any rewarding behaviour, and is believed to be strongly associated with the dopamine system of the brain’s reward system.
“The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) has categorized three stages of addiction:-
Preoccupation/anticipation, binge/intoxication, and withdrawal/negative affect. These stages are characterized, respectively, everywhere by constant cravings and preoccupation with obtaining the substance; using more of the substance than necessary to experience the intoxicating effects; and experiencing tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, and decreased motivation for normal life activities.”
Substance abuse refers to the overindulgence in a drug or other chemical leading to effects that are detrimental to the individual's physical and mental health, or the welfare of others.
What often starts as drug or substance abuse can easily result in a compulsive and uncontrollable addiction.
Your loved one may be abusing substances and because they say that they can stop whenever they want to, you may be reluctant to seek help for them or yourself. Families are generally not qualified to diagnose or effectively treat their loved ones. Abuse of substances has major physical, mental and psychological side effects whether the person is addicted or not.
The term addiction is used to describe a recurring compulsion by an individual to engage in some specific activity, despite harmful consequences to the individual's health, mental state or social life.
Physical dependence on a substance is defined by the appearance of characteristic withdrawal symptoms when the substance is suddenly discontinued. Psychological dependency is a dependency of the mind, and leads to psychological withdrawal symptoms. Addiction can in theory be derived from any rewarding behaviour, and is believed to be strongly associated with the dopamine system of the brain’s reward system.
“The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) has categorized three stages of addiction:-
Preoccupation/anticipation, binge/intoxication, and withdrawal/negative affect. These stages are characterized, respectively, everywhere by constant cravings and preoccupation with obtaining the substance; using more of the substance than necessary to experience the intoxicating effects; and experiencing tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, and decreased motivation for normal life activities.”
Substance abuse refers to the overindulgence in a drug or other chemical leading to effects that are detrimental to the individual's physical and mental health, or the welfare of others.
What often starts as drug or substance abuse can easily result in a compulsive and uncontrollable addiction.
Your loved one may be abusing substances and because they say that they can stop whenever they want to, you may be reluctant to seek help for them or yourself. Families are generally not qualified to diagnose or effectively treat their loved ones. Abuse of substances has major physical, mental and psychological side effects whether the person is addicted or not.