Drug addiction

From ArticleWorld

No person wants to be a drug addict or alcoholic, but this doesn't stop people from getting addicted. The first thing you must understand about addiction is that mind-altering drugs are basically painkillers. For drugs to be attractive to a person there must first be some underlying unhappiness, sense of hopelessness, or physical pain. A person has some problem, sense of unhappiness or hopelessness, or physical discomfort. It could be a teenager experiencing his first romantic rejection, or a grandmother with arthritis, or it could be a man in his prime, wondering why he keeps failing on the job. Drug addiction, substance dependence or chemical dependency is the compulsive use of psychoactive drugs, to the point where the user has no effective choice but to continue use. The phenomenon of drug addiction has occurred to some degree throughout recorded history (see "opium"), though modern agricultural practices, improvements in access to drugs, and advancements in biochemistry have exacerbated the problem significantly in the 20th century with the introduction of purified forms of active biological agents, and with the synthesis of hitherto unknown substances, such as methamphetamine. While "addiction" has been replaced by "dependency" as a clinical term, the terms are used interchangeably here.

The Drug addiction

is a state of periodic or chronic intoxication produced by the repeated consumption of a drug(natural or synthetic). Its characteristics include: (I) an overpowering desire or need (compulsion) to continue taking the drug and to obtain it by any means; (ii) a tendency to increase the dose; (iii) a psychic (psychological) and generally a physical dependence on the effects of the drug; and (iv) Detrimental effects on the individual and on society.Addictive nature of drugs varies from substance to substance, and from individual to individual. Drugs such as codeine or alcohol, for instance, typically require many more exposures to addict their users than drugs such as heroin or cocaine. Likewise, a person who is psychologically or genetically predisposed to addiction is much more likely to become dependent Drug addiction has two components: physical dependency, and psychological dependency. Physical dependency occurs when a drug has been used habitually and the body has become accustomed to its effects. The person must then continue to use the drug in order to feel normal, or its absence will trigger the symptoms of withdrawal. Psychological dependency occurs when a drug has been used habitually and the mind has become emotionally reliant of its effects, either to elicit pleasure or relieve pain, and does not feel capable of functioning without it. Its absence produces intense cravings, which are often brought on or magnified by stress. A dependent person may have either aspects of dependency, but often has both.

Chipping

is also a term used to describe a pattern of drug use in which the user is not physically dependent and sustains 'controlled use' of a drug. This is done by avoiding influences that reinforce dependence, such that the drug is used for relaxation and not for escape. The basis for addiction.Scientists have long accepted that there is a biological basis for drug addiction, though the exact mechanisms responsible are only now being identified. It is believed that addictive substances create dependence in the user by changing the brain's reward functions, located in the mesolimbic dopamine system—the part of the brain that reinforces certain behaviors such as eating, sexual intercourse, exercise, and social interaction. Addictive substances, through various means and to different degrees, cause the synapses of this system to flood with excessive amounts of dopamine, creating a brief rush of euphoria more commonly called a "high”. Although the high may last only a few minutes, it also produces more longer-lasting effects in the brain.The amygdala, hippocampus, and frontal cortex associate the use of the drug with intense pleasure and well-being; an association that is strengthened with each exposure, and which over time comes to dominate normal thoughts and desires. When cravings for the drug are no longer controllable, the user is considered addicted. Dr. Lonny Shavelson, in his book "Hooked," has reported that 70% of female heroin addicts were sexually abused as children. There also seems to be a genetic component to addiction. It is a little researched but well known secret in practicing medical circles that many addicts are self medicating for what we commonly call anxiety problems.Evolutionary psychology view of addiction.It is obvious that genes for addiction would not be directly selected. Since evolution theory claims that every physical and behavioral trait is a direct or side effect of selection, then the capacity to be addicted to drugs must be a side effect of something that was selected. A number of writers including Keith Henson [1] have suggested that the capacity to be addicted to drugs is a side effect of social attention rewards. It is easy to understand how sensitivity to social rewards would evolve in social primates. For example, Jane Goodall's observation those chimpanzees who hunt get additional mating opportunities. The proposed evolved mechanism for social rewards is that attention causes the release of endorphins and dopamine into the brain's reward circuits. It is proposed that addictive drugs activate brain reward circuits that are normally activated by attention, without the need to kill a large, dangerous animal and drag it back to camp

The chemicals responsible

The CREB protein, a transcription factor activated by cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) immediately after a high, triggers genes that produce proteins such as dynorphin, which cuts off dopamine release and temporarily inhibits the reward circuit. Another transcription factor, known as delta FosB, is thought to activate genes that, counter to the effects of CREB, actually increase the user's sensitivity to the effects of the substance. Delta FosB slowly builds up with each exposure to the drug and remains activated for weeks after the last exposure—long after the effects of CREB have faded.

Mechanisms of effect

The mechanisms by which different substances activate the reward system vary among drug classes. Depressants such as alcohol and benzodiazepines, and narcotics such as morphine and methadone, work by mimicking endorphins—chemicals produced naturally by the body which have effects similar to dopamine—or by disabling the neurons that normally inhibit the release of dopamine. These substances (sometimes called "downers") typically facilitate relaxation and pain-relief. The most common drug addictions are to legal substances such as: Alcohol, Nicotine in the form of tobacco, particularly cigarettes, Caffeine in the form of tea, coffee, and caffeinated sodas. Depending on the jurisdiction, these drugs may be legal only as part of a government sponsored study, illegal to use for any purpose, illegal to sell, or even illegal to merely possess.In 1972, United States President Richard Nixon declared a war on illegal drugs in an attempt to control the growing problem of drug addiction and drug-related crime. It is unclear, though, whether laws against drugs do anything to stem usage and dependency. In jurisdictions where addictive drugs are illegal, they are generally supplied by drug dealers, who are often involved with organized crime.

Recovery from drug addiction

Methods of recovery from addiction to drugs vary widely according to the types of drugs involved, amount of drugs used, duration of the drug addiction, medical complications and the social needs of the individual. One of many recovery methods is the 12 Step recovery program, with prominent examples including Alcoholics Anonymous and Anonymous. Substance (or "rehab") centers frequently offer a residential treatment program for the seriously addicted in order to isolate the patient from drugs and interactions with other users and dealers. Outpatient clinics usually offer a combination of individual counseling and group counseling. People interested in not using drugs to detoxify from drugs should consider acupuncture detoxification. Other forms of treatment involve replacement drugs such as methadone. Although methadone is itself addictive, opium dependency is often so strong that the gradual tapering of a less-addictive substance is the only way to reliably treat the user. Many different ideas circulate regarding what is considered a "successful" outcome in the recovery from addiction. It has widely been established that abstinence from addictive substances is the generally accepted.

Addiction and drug control legislation

Most countries have legislation which brings various drugs and drug-like substances under the control of licensing systems. Typically this legislation covers any or all of the opiates, canaboids, cocaine, barbiturates, hallucinogenics and a variety of more modern synthetic drugs, and unlicensed production, supply or possession is a criminal offence. Also, under legislation specifically about drugs, alcohol is not usually included. Although the legislation may be justifiable on moral or public health grounds, it can make addiction or dependency a much more serious issue for the individual: reliable supplies of a drug become difficult to secure, and the individual becomes vulnerable to both criminal abuse and legal punishment.