Drug Addictions, Tolerance and the Neutral Mechanism of Addiction

Table of Contents

Introduction2

Discussion5

Reasons of Drug Addiction8

Curiosity8

Acquaintances or Friends8

Relief Complaints9

Effects of Drug Addiction13

Biological Factors14

Psychological Factors15

Environmental Factors16

Drug Addiction Remedy and Drug Treatment18

Family Intervention19

Clinical Intervention19

Rehabilitation20

Stages of Recovery21

Methods22

Conclusion22

References24

Appendices25

Appendix A25

Appendix B32

Drug Addictions, Tolerance and the Neutral Mechanism of Addiction

Introduction

Addiction is a word that many are scared of. It is a word that many hope never to encounter because of its powerful capability to control a human's life. According to the APA, (the American Psychological Association), “addiction is a condition in which the body must have a drug to avoid physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms” (Addictions,2003). Many will begin to use drugs for numerous reasons such as trying to fit in, peer pressure, or as a method to relieve stress or get away from problems occurring at home or at work. An individual will try the drug and see it as an experiment to see what will happen. Over time if the person likes the effects of the drug, he or she will continue to consume the drug more and more, eventually, as the APA says, build a dependence on the drug which is “addiction's first stage” (Addictions, 2003). During this stage is when the drug dictates the person's life (Addictions, 2003). As the individual gets attached to the drug he or she will eventually start to consume more of it because the dosage they started off using the drug, isn't giving them the same effect. This, according to the APA, is the second stage of addiction which is tolerance.

Once an individual has an addiction it can be either physical, psychological or both (Dealing, 2007). The two stages of addiction that the APA described as being dependence and tolerance fall in the physical addiction. An individual's body that is physically addicted relies on the drug to keep it going and ultimately begins to need more of the drug to keep his or her body happy. If the person decides to stop using the substance he or she will experience withdrawal (Dealing, 2007). Some symptoms that the addict may experience are “diarrhea, shaking, and generally feeling awful” (Dealing, 2007). Some signs that one may have a physical addiction are changes in sleeping and eating habits, the increase of dosage to fulfill the same effect and withdrawal symptoms (Dealing, 2007).The other type of addiction is psychological. In this type of addiction the addict's life is the drug. “They feel overcome by the desire to have a drug and no longer feel like there is no longer a choice in taking a substance”(Dealing, 2007). It seems as if the psychological addiction is like the person is resigning their will to one day be clean. They may feel like maybe there will never be any hope for them so they give up and accept their defeat to the drug. Some signs that a person may have a psychological addiction are lost of interest in activities, using drugs as a way of relaxation, change of friends, stealing or selling to buy drugs, depression, and ...