Drug Addiction

Improperly using any drug, illegal or prescribed, on a regular basis — whether heroin, cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy or a prescription drug like tranquilizers or sleeping pills — is drug abuse. However, drug abuse and drug dependence are two different things. The former is a voluntary abuse of drugs, while the latter often occurs at a later stage, when a person is unable to control their use of drugs. People often begin substance abuse for a feel-good factor, but the danger lies in casual drug abuse becoming regular drug abuse — the foundation stone for dependency. This dependency is not voluntary. It is something they can't help; they are powerless in the face of drugs to reduce or stop.

People often use drugs to:

• Feel poised when socializing
• Circumvent withdrawal symptoms
• Put personal problems out of mind

Addicts usually use drugs in order to feel "better." The desire for a shot or a peg is such that the person becomes physically or mentally reliant to some degree on the substance of their choice. Attempts to cut down are often prone to failure, leading to bewilderment and dismay. Their substance use, being outside their control, takes on a destructive momentum of its own. Unless outside help in the form of addiction intervention and treatment is offered, this problem is hard to deal with.

Dependency on a drug can cause chaos for the person and their family: irresponsible financial behavior, and problems at the workplace or school. Deceit and broken promises lead to distrust of family and friends. Drugs may at first be taken to avoid facing reality; later, using them as a crutch against the harshness of life, the person finds himself abusing drugs, either for the good feelings it brings or simply to avoid withdrawal symptoms. Though he realizes this hurts himself as well as family and friends, he finds himself in the grip of subconscious conflict. What was casual has become necessary.

Drug abuse has no safe level. It also often increases the risk of a wide variety of other illnesses, brought on by poor living and health habits, not to mention the toxic effects of the drugs themselves. Whether a person has a drug or alcohol addiction, the point is to be considerate of the individual on their road to recovery, and to persuade them toward drug rehabilitation.