How Does Addiction Happen?

From Recreational Use to Addiction

Is the “recreational user” any different from the “chronic user”? When does drug abuse escalate into dependence and addiction? How does addiction happen? These are all good questions. They are highly applicable when trying to piece together how you or someone you know became addicted. Knowledge about addiction is vital for effective treatment of addiction. The cliché “Knowledge is Power” rings true ever so sharply.

There are certainly varying degrees of drug use and some drugs are more dangerous and addictive than others. “I am a recreational drug user” is code for “I use drugs because I find life too uncomfortable or unbearable without them.” Any use can lead to increased tolerance and chronic use. And it doesn’t take too long for the lines to blur between chronic use, abuse, dependence, and addiction.

Can I Quit? Will I Quit?

A question a user can always ask is “Can I quit?” or “Will I quit?” If a person can’t or won’t quit, they are in the stranglehold of drugs to a greater or lesser degree. If this is not entirely clear, consider that a person can be physically dependent, psychologically addicted, or both. So even if they are not using a drug that causes severe physical dependence, their experiences when they attempt to quit are so uncomfortable or unbearable that they keep using. How does addiction happen?

Problem = Solution = Problem

Those who venture down the road of drug use often begin with some life problem for which they seek a solution. They look around and see others, including their friends, using drugs as a solution. They perceive drug use as cool and want to be accepted. So they try drugs which offer a temporary escape from their troubles. They keep this up and sooner or later the drugs become the problem. They may end up addicted.

Prescriptions

One easy way to get addicted is to be prescribed drugs for medical or psychological reasons. The list of addictive prescription drugs is very long and includes opioids (painkillers) such as oxycodone (OxyContin) and hydrocodone (Vicodin), depressants and tranquilizers (Ambien, Xanax, Zyprexa), stimulants (Ritalin, Concerta), antidepressants (Paxil, Zoloft), and many other types of drugs.

A person can get addicted rather easily to painkillers and psychotropic drugs. OxyContin got the nickname “Hillbilly Heroin” and Ritalin became known as “Kiddie Coke” as their abuse became widespread. Drugs by their very nature can be addictive and cause all manners of dangerous and deadly side effects.

Use of painkillers for medical purposes should be closely supervised. Psychotropic drugs, while they may provide a perceived temporary relief, cause harmful effects such as confusion, dizziness, depression, weight gain, insomnia, heart failure, hostility, paranoia, aggression, suicide, and death – to name a few. Prescription drugs have been found to cause more deaths from overdose than all street drugs combined. One study found that 45% of overdose deaths were from prescription drugs while 39% were from amphetamines, cocaine, meth, and heroin.

Drug Use in the Environment

More people are exposed to drugs in the home than you may realize. This can take many forms, such as parents or siblings who drink heavily, smoke dope, abuse prescription drugs, or are addicts. It is difficult or impossible to hide this from children. Kids are very astute. They see what is going on and try to emulate the behavior of adults or peers. They are also exposed to drugs in school, in the neighborhood, at friends’ houses, etc.

A vital step for an adult would be to get clean and set a positive example. Youth must also be educated in the facts about drug and alcohol abuse. One primary reason people get into drugs and subsequently get addicted is that they simply didn’t know what the drugs would do to their body and mind. When educated and armed with the truth, young people are far more prone to making rational decisions.

Alcohol Dependence

Alcoholism, also called alcohol dependence, is a slow and painful process. It doesn’t happen overnight. Rather it is a gradual progression from heavy use and binge drinking into acute physical dependence. Over time, the alcoholic cannot easily quit due to severe reactions. It is even deadly for the long-term alcoholic to abruptly quit without proper medical supervision. Seizures, DTs (delirium tremens), and temporary psychosis can occur unless detoxification is professionally administered.

Is Marijuana OK?

Kids should be educated about all drugs. These include prescription drugs, inhalants, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, meth, heroin, etc. Marijuana is much more potent today than years or decades past due to sophisticated growing techniques. The content of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is considerably higher. Media and magazines are heavily promoting the “safety and efficacy” of marijuana. The two Super Bowl teams this year are from Washington and Colorado – the two states that have legalized pot.

Kids need to understand the nature of drugs and that pot is a drug that affects brain chemistry like any drug. Is it as bad as meth or PCP or heroin? No – unless it is laced with those drugs. Marijuana users develop tolerance and often graduate to harder drugs in order to get high. They can easily become addicted.

Self-Esteem & Identity Issues

People who use drugs often have self-esteem issues they are attempting to rectify through “chemical escape” which can put them squarely on the road to addiction. These very issues then contribute to keeping the addiction going. A personal lack of identity is replaced by “doing what others do” or “being accepted”. They feel they wouldn’t have any decent friends if they didn’t join in the drug use. Some addicts on the other hand habitually use drugs when they are alone.

Dopamine & Brain Chemistry

It is widely known that drugs affect brain chemistry in various ways. Opiates act upon receptors (cell structures) in the brain. Cocaine and meth for example flood the brain’s receptors with dopamine. But dopamine is just one neurotransmitter that is affected by drug intake. The brain uses an estimated 100 different neurotransmitters, although that figure could be considerably more. There is quite a bit about the brain that is not even known.

The brain (or mind) could be likened to a computer server for a large corporation. If you overload it with a stream of false information or too much current, it will spit out false answers, overload, and cease to function properly – or cease to function at all.

Just like one must properly care for a computer server and only enter correct data, the body and brain use food and nutrients to achieve the delicate and natural balance of glandular (hormonal) and chemical interaction. The addict or alcoholic has “tricked” the body into thinking it needs dopamine through artificial means, much to its detriment. Drugs also drain the body of vital nutrients. Replenishing the B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and other vitamins and minerals is a vital part of holistic and medical detoxification.

Biochemical Reactions

A drug user can spill over into addiction and trigger biochemical reactions that have a profound influence upon the very personality of the individual. Apathy, lethargy, depression, anxiety, paranoia, and a “nothing really matters” attitude are very often biochemical in nature, meaning they are brought to prominence and fueled by continued drug use. This very mindset makes it even more difficult to deal with addiction. Only through a combination of detoxification, communication, education, cooperation, and understanding can these negative mental attitudes be successfully dealt with.

Propensity for Addiction

Some people have inclinations and a propensity for addiction. There are many contributing factors to this such as the person’s environment, stress levels, physical or sexual abuse, as well as personality characteristics. Researchers keep looking for the “addiction gene” or the “addict brain” but I have found that simply addressing each person as an individual has been an extremely workable approach.

But it is true that some people are more prone to addiction than others. Some became addicted when they had nothing else upon which to focus their attention. Youth that have no goals or who have been led to believe they have no prospects for the future are examples of this. Harmless as it may seem, even boredom can be a culprit when tracing back how someone got in heavy drug use.

Lies & Lack of Knowledge

A lot of drug abuse and addiction boils down to the LIES people are told by their “friends” and drug dealers. They are told “this drug is pure and safe” or “one hit won’t get you hooked” or “this will solve your problems” and they believe what they are told. Education in the truth about drugs really is the solution to prevention, while effective treatment must include detoxification.

Knowledge of the body, knowledge of the mind, knowledge of self – these are all part of dealing effectively and emphatically with the insidious nature of substance abuse and addiction.