Drugs & Addiction Drugs are a external solution for an internal problem

Almost everybody is addicted to something:
food (chocolate, nutella, cheese, marmite etc.)
drugs (coffee, skunk, alcohol, coke, crack etc.)
fear (of losing power /control /approval)
living in past
material possesions
money
sex
etc,
The solution is not through laws or by preaching idelogy. Preaching at people doesn't work. If you approach a prostitute and you lecture her she will reject your words and ideology.

Drug addiction, or drug dependence, is the uncontrollable craving for a drug. Such craving may occur periodically or continuously and is usually accompanied by an overwhelming compulsion to obtain the drug. The addict becomes preoccupied with thoughts about the anticipated effects of the drug.

The uncontrollable craving for a drug may be of physical origin, psychological origin, or both, and with some drugs the craving may develop in as short a time as 24 hours. In a person who is physically addicted to a drug, the body's chemical processes are altered so that the drug becomes essential for some of the normal metabolic functions. Psychological dependence on a drug does not involve a modification of the body's chemistry, but the addicted person believes that the drug is necessary to function normally.

Q:   Why do people take drugs for nonmedical reasons?

A:   Some people with difficult problems, such as unemployment or large debts, become anxious, frustrated, and depressed. They feel trapped by problems that seem to have no solution and seek a release from reality in the effects of drugs. Other people may take drugs out of boredom or curiosity, and some because their friends do and they feel the need to conform. This need to conform with friends is, perhaps, strongest among teenagers.

Q:   Are some people more likely than others to become dependent on drugs?

A:   Yes. In general, the likelihood of a person becoming dependent on a drug involves three interrelated factors: an individual's personality; the social environment; and the type of drug involved. People from all socioeconomic groups are susceptible to becoming addicted if they try addictive substances.

Some people are more sensitive than others to the effects of drugs and may feel euphoric states more intensely. This may result in a relatively rapid attraction to and dependence on drugs. In others, feelings of tension or depression may be more acute, and the relief provided by drugs correspondingly greater, and so the dependence more probable. There is a genetic factor in drug dependence; addiction tends to run in families. There is evidence to suggest father-to-son transmission of alcoholism, but female addiction tends to be more environmentally related.

A person's environment affects the likelihood of drug dependence in many ways. For example, poor housing and unemployment are known to cause depression and anxiety, two states that are common causes of drug addiction.

In some cases, the nature of the drug taken affects the likelihood of dependency. For example, a person taking heroin is more likely to become drug dependent than a person taking barbiturates.

Q:   Which drugs may cause dependency?

A:   There are many drugs on which people can become dependent. These drugs can be categorized as those that depress the central nervous system; those that stimulate the central nervous system; and those that produce hallucinations and also affect the central nervous system. The main group of drugs that depress the central nervous system are the narcotics, such as codeine, heroin, meperidine, methadone, morphine, and paregoric. Other drugs in this category include alcohol, barbiturates, nicotine, tranquilizers, and some sleeping pills.

Drugs that stimulate the central nervous system include cocaine and the amphetamines, such as Benzedrine, Dexedrine, and Methedrine.

Drugs that produce hallucinations are known as hallucinogens, or psychedelics. Some of the more common hallucinogens are LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, and THC.

Marijuana is classified as a mild hallucinogen, but it is much less powerful than other drugs in this category.

Q:   What effects do depressants produce?

A:   Depressants slow down the activities of the central nervous system. If this system slows down too much, the body's vital functions may stop, which could be fatal. Dependence on depressants usually takes the form of both physical and psychological dependence. The narcotic depressants can cause dependence much more quickly than other depressants.

The short-term effects of depressants include euphoria, relief of pain, and prevention of withdrawal symptoms. The long-term effects include depression, malnutrition, and constipation. The addict may also become infected with AIDS, hepatitis, or tetanus by using unsterile needles. If the drug is stopped, the addict will suffer withdrawal symptoms.

Q:   What symptoms may be caused by withdrawal from a depressant?

A:   The symptoms of depressant withdrawal vary according to the drug involved, but are often extremely severe and may be fatal. For example, within about 18 hours of the sudden withdrawal of alcohol from an alcoholic there may be convulsions and delirium (delirium tremens). Delirium tremens (d.t.'s) may also occur when an addict stops taking sleeping pills.

Other symptoms of depressant withdrawal include weakness; high blood pressure and pulse rate; profuse sweating; gooseflesh; diarrhea; vomiting; severe abdominal cramps; and sometimes, cardiovascular collapse. The diarrhea and vomiting may cause dehydration.

Q:   What effects do stimulants produce?

A:   The short-term effects of stimulants include excitation, sleeplessness, hyperactivity, and euphoria. In the long-term, some heavy users of stimulants may also experience hallucinations, delusions, and toxic psychosis.

Dependence on stimulants is both psychological and physical. Amphetamines are perhaps the most dangerous of the stimulant drugs, and many amphetamine addicts develop a high tolerance as part of their dependence on the drug. Tolerance usually occurs rapidly, and the addict has to take large dosages to achieve the desired effects. The larger amounts may cause the stimulant addict to stay awake for several days, during which the addict may hallucinate, become disoriented, and suffer from paranoia. Following this ordeal the stimulant addict may sleep for a day or more. On waking, the addict usually feels severely depressed and often takes another dose of the drug to relieve the depression, which begins the cycle all over again.

Q:   What symptoms may be caused by withdrawal from a stimulant?

A:   The symptoms of stimulant withdrawal include severe depression, hypersomnia, mood swings, headaches, muscle pain, apathy, and a strong desire to take more stimulants. Milder but more chronic symptoms of depression, decreased energy levels, mood swings, and drug cravings may last from eight months to one year. These symptoms are felt most keenly by cocaine addicts. Generally, however, the symptoms of stimulant withdrawal are milder because stimulants are less physically addictive than depressants.

Q:   What effects do hallucinogens produce?

A:   The effects vary widely, both between individuals and even in the same individual on different occasions. The main effects include exhilaration, sensory distortion, and illusions. But in some cases there may be feelings of paranoia and panic. Occasionally, "flashbacks" may occur. These are brief recurrences of a previous hallucinatory state that may occur weeks or months later without the person having taken a hallucinogen.

Hallucinogens do not seem to produce physical dependence, but may produce psychological dependence. The long-term effects are not known. But scientists are trying to determine whether long-term usage of hallucinogens can cause chromosome damage or genetic aberration.

Q:   Are babies of drug-dependent women born drug dependent?

A:   Yes, although the symptoms of drug dependence in babies vary according to the drug involved. For example, the newborn child of a heroin-addicted mother may be of small size and generally poor health. The baby may display withdrawal symptoms in the form of irritability, high-pitched crying, trembling, sweating, vomiting, and diarrhea. The withdrawal symptoms usually occur within about three days of birth, but withdrawal from barbiturate dependence usually takes longer. Cocaine-addicted babies are usually small at birth, irritable, and may have physical defects. They do not readily bond with their mothers and may have learning disabilities.

Q:   What is the clinical treatment for drug dependence?

A:   The first stage of treatment is withdrawal of the drug (detoxification). In cases of physical dependence this usually involves a gradual reduction of the addict's intake over a period of about 10 days. Sometimes a less harmful substitute with similar effects is administered. The treatment of alcoholism may also include vitamin supplements and the administration of a deterrent drug, such as Antabuse. This drug produces nausea whenever alcohol is drunk.

In addition to withdrawal, treatment may also include a program of mental and social rehabilitation. Pharmacologic treatment can be helpful, particularly, in treating concomitant psychiatric problems. The rehabilitation programs, such as therapeutic communities, Alcoholics Anonymous, and Narcotics Anonymous, greatly increase the chances of success.