DRUG Addiction Defined

Drug Addiction is quantitatively and qualitatively definable repeated administration of a consumable chemical substance that produces a feeling of pleasure that has been abused for some time. When the abuser willfully or subconsciously begins to utilize the substance for other purposes than originally intended, drug abuse becomes drug addiction. Addiction borders with dependency and overlaps, but the need for using the substance is purely psychological. If the addict is given an opportunity to change his or her environment or engage in a different behavior, the addict would not miss the substance. The addict basically is saying: "I like this; I will use it; it is solving my problem" -- which it's not. Showing the addict something better always breaks an addiction, however, many addicts set a very high benchmark.

Addictions don't need to be a drug, addictive behavior can refer to food, a job, gambling. Something is addictive when it becomes harmful. For example, eating cake will make a person gain weight and that is unhealthy. Cost doesn't matter to an addict. Gambling can result in a million dollar debt for someone earning less than $20,000 a year.

QUANTIFIABLE FORM OF DRUG ADMINISTRATION

Drug dependency and drug addiction depend on dose and time as well as the chemical substance itself. However, for psysiological changes to occur in the body, abuse must be present. A psychological addiction can occur because the effect of the drug gives such pleasure such that the drug is misused. For example, a person may say they want to use a drug for sex and wind up using the drug every day. That's misusing the drug because they want that feeling all the time. With dependency, the act of abusing the drug may first enter a stage of addiction and then develop into a dependency. Some experts don't see the difference, but there is. It is not always possible for a dependency to be controlled.

Drug Dependency is related to:

substance dependency
chemical substance dependency
substance use disorder (SUD)

Drug Dependency is not to be confused with other forms of drug administration:

drug use
drug abuse
drug addiction
drug misuse
anti-drug disorder
fatal overdose (suicide)
drug misuse (qualitative disorder)

Drug Dependent individuals will typically appear normal when they are using the drug and will seem confused or "high" wehn they are recovering or abusing the drug. It is virtually impossible for someone to develop a dependency without abusing a drug, and not all drugs can lead to dependency, however, this is debatable when it pertains to psycho-active substances. Most cases of repeated drug abuse only cause a psychological dependency, better known as addiction, where the best medication is another activity, such as a job, that occupies the time.

drug dependency is the reliance on a single psycho-active drug, regimen, or chemical substance(s) to avert the uncomfortable psychological and sometimes physiological side effects associated with discontinuation once tolerance develops. It is an intermediate stage that follows repeated drug abuse and is caused primarily by lack of proper administration education and the inability to obtain adequate treatment from physicians with restrictive medical training.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR SOMEONE TO BECOME DEPENDENT ON A DRUG?

For an abuser to become dependent on a drug, it generally takes a great deal of time, however, situations have been reported that it could take as little as a few months. Crystal meth critics have said that a person can develop a dependency after just one administration which is impossible. For dependency to develop, the body must have to adapt and compensate by introducing physical changes. It is impossible to say however there is definately a correlation between frequency and dose. As the dose increases and/or frequency increases, it will take less time for a patient to become dependent.

drug dependency is often incorrectly classified as an addiction. Addiction is purely psychological and sociological. Dependency may be psychological but there is a physiological component involved that is critical to consider. When a drug dependent person stops using drugs, they inevitably increase the probability of physical and psychological illness. It is especially harmful when a recovering drug dependent individual returns to using the same drug, because the rate of tolerance for various organs of the body differs.

Recovery needs to involve replenishing the brain using cognitive enhancing drugs, nootropics that stimulate the brain's dopamine and serotonin. Without this, there can never be full recovery, however, the American Medical Association (AMA) and US medical bodies believe that the administration of nootropics will only cause the drug dependent individual to return to using the drug. This is less likely to happen if a substitute for the drug is provided. Methadone, for example, is usually given to those dependent on heroin. However, methadone is also likely to result in dependency. Sometimes the substitute may be a physical activity or exercise. For the hardcore drug dependent, who generally tend to be over 40, this might not be a viable option. Cigarette smokers as old as 90 have terminated their habits with frequently deadly results since the body cannot adjust to dramatic changes. This is not well understood because, until recently, there have been few geriatric studies particularly with octogenarians.

DRUG ADDICTION AT WORK... AND HOME

TREATMENTS

Faith-based treatment does not work for anyone but martyrs. Sooner or later, the craving will outweigh an individual's dedication. The stronger the dedication, the more dangerous this approach can present. Quite often faith-based treatment results in serious relapses that could last for only a few minutes or days, but often carry on for weeks, months, and years. There are many who are convinced that this is not a valid treatment. It is painful and leads to self-degradation, crime, family dishonor, and fear of sobriety. The idea behind faith-based treatments like the 12-step program is to have an individual keep reliving the dependency which is like wearing a chastity belt and forcing one to look at it everyday and dwell on it as the punishment for sexual behavior. Most of those who have been down this road have suffered severely.

There are few chemical-based treatments. Called vaccines, these treatments are new. Their long-term side effects are virtually unknown. They can be lethal and more dangerous than the drugs. It is a criminal offense for a physician to administer such vaccines without the knowledge of the patient. In the US, this is often overlooked and today we see students who are almost zombies after a course of treatment.

PATIENT (SELF)

The most common form of drug dependency is addiction or psychological dependency. It often results in young adults and teenagers and it is a societal flaw. Movies, television, radio, Internet, and advertising create a climate of permissiveness and lay the foundation for drug abuse. Friends are often the ones who compel the curious and once abuse results, a pattern becomes established, often whether or not the patient really likes the drug. Cigarettes, for example, are often rejected by the smoker's body. To "fit in with the crowd" a youth will tolerate his or her displeasure until it becomes pleasurable. Since cigarettes are "dosed" (one cigarette is equal to the standard maximum dose) it is the frequency of use that causes dependency. There are people who smoke one or two cigarettes a week who never develop a dependency. Some can even smoke one or two cigarettes per day and not become dependent upon them. It's because the majority smoke more than 5 cigarettes a day that they develop a physiological as well as a psychological propensity to use them often.

PARENT OR GUARDIAN

It is very common for a parent's dependency to influence children. Parents who have used drugs before pregnancy, are likely to produce a child who will crave drugs at an early age.

PHYSICIANS

The WOD is brutal on physicians who prescribe medication to patients, even though that it is their job. Physicians must be chosen carefully because there are many hostile physicians practicing medicine today.