Stages of Addiction Few people take their first dose of a drug– illegal or legal– with the hope of getting addicted. Yet for 2009, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reports that 23.5 million people sought some form of treatment for drug and alcohol problems. Of course, individual physiology and psychological makeup have much to do with how quickly addiction can take hold and with the quantity ingested before passing the unseen line from freedom to enslavement.
While each distinct instance may vary in time frame and potency of dependency, some patterns are widespread within the complete pool of substance abusers. Out of the statements of addicted people and the professionals who treat them, clinicians can uncover benchmarks for the phases of substance addiction.
Experimenting With Drugs
Experimentation can certainly have manifold different motivations. Among young people, peer pressure is a top factor in taking their initial drag, drink or snort. That being said, addiction does not have to begin in adolescence. A middle-aged or older individual might try out prescribed pain relievers to manage persistent discomforts and aches. Even seniors might take alcohol consumption or substances to alleviate loneliness. These represent strategic moments in a person’s life when a substance is taken to force a bodily, emotional or social condition a little more bearable. Disconnected instances of use might or might not be followed up with increased frequentness or amounts. Without a realistic self evaluation an honest analysis of the indicators of drug addiction an individual can move unknowingly into the more acute stages of drug addiction.
Consistent Use
Taking a drug or other substance on a regular basis does not always lead a person into addiction. Some people are able to consume a substance regularly for a time span and after that end its consumption with little or no distress. The likelihood of dependence is based upon the timeframe of the use period and the potency of the dosages. Should the timeframe extend indefinitely and the potency of the dose also increase, routine use could develop into prescription addiction. An additional cautionary sign is certain adjustments in tendencies. If speech and conduct change substantially, especially a raised inclination toward aggressiveness and risky tendencies, it is necessary to end using the substance.
Dangerous Use
As the stages of drug addiction are gone through, the individual’s personal choices and conduct become progressively more dangerous, both to herself or himself and others. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that 28.4 percent of young adults between the ages of 21 and 25 drove a vehicle under the influence of illegal drugs in 2009. Good friends and family members are best fit to identify whether ordinary patterns are modifying. Indications of progressively hazardous actions include things like:
• Driving while under the influence of a sedative drug • Spending money irresponsibly to obtain the substance • Defensiveness in verbal exchanges • Secretiveness • Adjustments in look. Adjustments in desire for food, memory failure and worsening coordination are also symptoms of substance abuse. The line of demarcation in between hazardous use and dependence is difficult and thin to differentiate. Finding aid for oneself or a person you love ought not be postponed at this stage.
Dependence
Of all the stages of drug addiction, use and dependence are the hardest to demarcate. The disastrous consequences of substance abuse are already noticeable in dependence. Through it all, though, the dependent differs from the addict by meeting sufficient obligations to maintain the essential structure of their life. The direction of substance abuse stages remains headed downward, the appearance of normalcy lingers.
Addiction
If changes are not initiated– and aid is not looked for– the stages of substance addiction provoke the most severe phase: addiction itself. With this the individual is mentally and physically bonded to continual usage of the substance or alcohol. The point of brain disorders is reached and the person goes through a number of harmful results of long-term drug abuse. The cardiovascular system and circulatory system may be endangered, as can the respiratory system. Immunity is diminished, permitting hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, and several forms of cancer to ravage the addict. Brain damage and dementia can also occur. Given that the addiction is of both body and mind, withdrawal signs and symptoms are best overseen and cared for by experienced doctors. When the addictive drug has exited the physical body, the drug abuser can work with mental health professionals to determine the root causes and nature of the addiction. sons of liberty
Without a realistic self-assessment– an honest analysis of the signs of substance addiction– an individual can pass unwittingly into the more acute stages of drug addiction. Taking a drug or other chemical substance on a regular basis does not automatically lead a person into addiction. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health declared that 28.4 percent of young adults between the ages of 21 and 25 drove a vehicle under the influence of illegal drugs in 2009. Of all the stages of drug use, addiction and dependence are the hardest to demarcate. If adjustments are not initiated– and counsel is not looked for– the stages of drug addiction draw a person to the most grievous stage: addiction itself.
Structure and Statistics from: http://www.projectknow.com/research/stages-of-drug-addiction/
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