Drug Addiction

Drug Addiction

Drug addiction is a chronic disease characterised by drug seeking and a compulsive urge to use. It is impossible to control drug addiction because the urge to use is ingrained into the physical and psychological fabric of the person.

Addiction to drugs is not a modern problem. People have been getting addicted to opium for thousands of years. However, access to drugs is easier than ever, and the drugs that are available now are more addictive than ever as well.

What we have is a society that makes access to drugs easy, and drugs that are designed to get people hooked quickly. It makes no wonder addiction rates are so high when it’s easy to buy drugs and easier still to get addicted to them.

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The Neurochemistry of Drug Addiction

When a person uses drugs, a chemical change occurs in the brain.

Sometimes, this can be helpful, like the way paracetamol dulls a headache, or the way Xanax can ease anxiety.

However, overexposure to some drugs, like opiates or Xanax, is dangerous because the chemical makeup of your brain can be irreparably changed. This leads to a dependence on the drug and an intense urge to use it.

Your brain is responsible for coordinating your body’s functions. It does this with neurotransmitters. Drugs interfere with these neurotransmitters and they can also replace normal neurotransmitters with addictive neurotransmitters.

Basically, overexposure to a psychoactive drug interferes with the normal neurotransmitter state of your brain. This change causes dependence on a drug. 

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Drug Use, Drug Abuse & Drug Addiction. What’s the Difference?

Most of us will use paracetamol, ibuprofen or antihistamines now and again. This is normal drug use – using a drug because you have a medical need for it.

Drug abuse is different – drug abuse is when you habitually take drugs for recreational reasons, or overuse drugs because you have become dependent on them to feel normal.

Drug abuse often leads to addiction. Addiction is when you can’t stop taking a drug because you have a physical and psychological need for it.

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The Warning Signs of Drug Addiction

Here are some of the common warning signs of drug addiction: 

• You can’t stop taking drugs
• You are taking more drugs than you should
• You are doubling up your dosage
• You are mixing drugs with alcohol, to enhance the effects
• You reach for illegal drugs whenever you feel anxious or stressed
• You reach for illegal drugs to ease depression
• You don’t feel normal without taking drugs
• Drugs have started to interfere with your social life
• Drugs have started to interfere with your professional life
• Drugs have started to cause problems with family and friends

If you can identify with any of these symptoms, we would say you are probably in the earliest stages of addiction. It is crucial that you seek help as soon as possible, so you can  resolve your problem before it develops.

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The Stages of Drug Addiction

Experimentation

Addictions always start with experimentation, where you try drugs and use them infrequently, perhaps with friends or on your own.

Habit

A habit is when you start using drugs in certain situations. For example, whenever you meet with friends or before stressful situations like a job interview.

Dependence

Dependence is when you need to use drugs because you crave them. You look forward to their effects and you need them to feel normal.

The scariest part about all this is how quickly addiction can form. Some drugs, like opioids and synthetic stimulants like mephedrone, can create a dependence within days of use. This is the danger of drug abuse – becoming addicted before you know it.

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The Different Types of Drugs

The most commonly abused illegal drugs include:

• Cannabis
• Heroin
• Cocaine
• Crack cocaine
• MDMA (Ecstasy)
• Speed
• Synthetic cannabinoids
• Synthetic stimulants
• Hallucinogens (such as LSD or magic mushrooms)
• Ketamine

 There are also a wide variety of abused prescription drugs, including:

• Ritalin
• Vicodin
• Codeine
• Morphine
• Adderall
• Fentanyl
• Oxycodone

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The Different Types of Drug Addiction Treatment

There are several ways you can beat your addiction to drugs:

Detox

A detox is a supervised recovery programme that will resolve the physical aspect of your addiction, to get you clean and break your habit.

With a detox, you can stay in clinic accommodation or at home. You will be prescribed a drug substitute medication (if suitable) and medication to manage your withdrawal symptoms, so your detox is as comfortable as possible.

We specialise in medicated detoxes for drug addiction and can help you beat your addiction in a safe, manageable way.

Rehab

Rehab is when you enter into a comprehensive recovery programme. It will include a detox and a therapy programme, to resolve the physical and psychological sides of your addiction to help you achieve long-term abstinence.

With rehab, you can be an inpatient or an outpatient. The main difference is that as an inpatient, you will stay in residential accommodation and enjoy a break away from home. This is also the safest environment to detox in.

Our rehab clinics specialise in treating chronic drug addiction, including double diagnosis, and people with complex mental health problems. We can help you overcome your addiction, no matter your needs or personal circumstances.

If you or someone you love is addicted to drugs or is showing signs of a problem, please