rugs:D medicine or other substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body. Drugs can be used or applied in different ways depending on its form or nature. The following are the main ways in which drugs can be applied Inhaled, Smoked, Injected, Consumed and Absorbed. Drugs can have both positive and negative impacts in any organism body depending on the use or type.
Drug Abuse: Is when using legal or illegal drugs in a way you shouldn’t. Either over dosage, or using improper dosage. Drug abuse can be very dangerous to any organism body simply because drugs affect the body physiologically. This means it may even cause death.
Drug Addiction: is a disease that affects your brain and behavior. When you’re addicted to drugs, you can’t resist the urge to use them, no matter how much harm the drugs may cause. Drug addiction isn’t about just heroin, cocaine, or other illegal drugs. You can get addicted to alcohol, nicotine, Marijuana or inhaling Petrol. At first, you may choose to take a drug because you like the way it makes you feel. You may think you can control how much and how often you use it. But over time, drugs change how your brain works. These physical changes can last a long time. They make you lose self-control and can lead you to damaging behaviors.
Signs of Addiction:-
You may have one or more of these warning signs:
⧫An urge to use the drug every day, or many times a day.
⧫You take more drugs than you want to, and for longer than you thought you would.
⧫You always have the drug with you, and you buy it even if you can’t afford it.
⧫You keep using drugs even if it causes you trouble at work or makes you lash out at family and friends.
⧫You spend more time alone.
⧫You don’t take care of yourself or care how you look.
⧫You steal, lie, or do dangerous things like driving while high or have unsafe sex.
⧫You spend most of your time getting, using, or recovering from the effects of the drug.
⧫You feel sick when you try to quit.
Who’s most likely to Become Addicted?
Each person’s body and brain is different. People also react differently to drugs. Some love the feeling the first time they try it and want more. Others hate it and never try again. Not everyone who uses drugs becomes addicted. But it can happen to anyone and at any age. Some things may raise your chances of addiction, including:
⧫Family history. Your genes are responsible for about half of your odds. If your parents or siblings have problems with alcohol or drugs, you’re more likely as well. Women and men are equally likely to become addicted.
⧫Early drug use. Children’s brains are still growing, and drug use can change that. So taking drugs at an early age may make you more likely to get addicted when you get older.
⧫Mental disorders. If you’re depressed, have trouble paying attention, or worry constantly, you have a higher chance of addiction. You may turn to drugs as a way to try to feel better.
⧫Troubled relationships. If you grew up with family troubles and aren’t close to your parents or siblings, it may raise your chances of addiction.
Effects of drug addiction may include:
⧫A weakened immune system, increasing the risk of illness and infection
⧫Heart conditions ranging from abnormal heart rates to heart attacks and collapsed veins and blood vessel infections from injected drugs
⧫Nausea and abdominal pain, which can also lead to changes in appetite and weight loss
⧫Increased strain on the liver, which puts the person at risk of significant liver damage or liver failure
⧫Seizures, stroke, mental confusion and brain damage
⧫Lung disease
⧫Problems with memory, attention and decision-making, which make daily living more difficult
⧫Global effects of drugs on the body, such as breast development in men and increases in body temperature, which can lead to other health problems
⧫Anxiousness and lack of self-confident.
Ways to Stop/Fight with Drug Addiction:-
1. Learn to Deal with Life’s Pressures
The inability to deal with normal life pressures is one of the major reasons that drive people to drugs and alcohol. For many people, drug and alcohol consumption is a way to escape the harsh realities of life. Learning to cope with life’s pressures will go a long way when it comes to helping people stay away from drugs and alcohol.
2. Don’t Give in to Peer Pressure
Some people, particularly teenagers and young adults, experiment with drugs just to portray a cool image in front of others. They do it to fit in among their circle of friends. Some kids wrongly believe that doing drugs or consuming alcohol will make them more acceptable and popular with other kids. Not giving into peer pressure can and will prevent drug addiction.
3. Develop Close Family Ties
Research indicates that people who share a close relationship with their families are less likely to become drug addicts. The guidance and support provided by the family makes it easier for a person to deal with life pressures and stay away from all types of harmful substances. The same is true for having a close relationship with good friends that are responsible and trustworthy.
4. Develop Healthy Habits
Eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly is another way of preventing drug and alcohol addiction. Being healthy and active makes it easier for people to deal with life stresses. This in turn, reduces the temptation to rely on drugs and alcohol to deal with stress. A healthy diet and regular exercise promotes feel good chemicals in the brain.
While these are just a few ideas that can help prevent drug and alcohol addiction, it’s important for a person who has already developed an addiction to seek drug and alcohol treatment. There are many reliable treatment centres that may prove to be immensely useful in this regard.