Substance Abuse

Substance abuse, or drug abuse, is defined as a pattern of use of psychoactive substances in amounts or manners that are harmful to the user and/or others. A prolonged period of drug abuse of can cause dependence and addiction, which is associated with a variety of cognitive, behavioral, and physiological changes. These changes include strong drug cravings as well as a desire to continue using the drug despite any negative consequences. If a person does become addicted, the drug usage slowly becomes a higher priority than almost any other activity or obligation.

It can be hard to understand why some people become addicted to drugs.  It’s often erroneously assumed that people who abuse drugs lack the willpower to stop. The truth is that drug addiction is a complex brain disorder that requires lifelong treatment, not simply a strong desire to quit. Drug use changes the brain in manners that promote compulsive drug use, which makes quitting a challenge, even for people who really want to stop using. Recent advances have led to the understanding that drug addiction is a chronic, yet treatable condition that can successfully be overcome through appropriate support and management.

There are a wide variety of drugs that are commonly abused. These categories of drugs cause different effects and are often abused in different ways. The most common categories of drugs of abuse include:

Marijuana (“grass,” “pot,” and “weed”) is the most commonly abused drug in the United States. Pot can be smoked or swallowed and causes feelings of euphoria, impairs memory, impedes coordination, and distorts reality.

Narcotics and opiates, including heroin, prescription painkillers, and opium, can be injected, smoked, snorted, or swallowed. These drugs lead to feelings of euphoria and relaxation as well as a sense of well-being.

Stimulants, including cocaine (“coke”), amphetamine (“uppers”), and methamphetamine (“meth”), can be snorted, injected, smoked, and swallowed to produce feelings of increased energy and mental acuity.

Hallucinogens and dissociative drugs, also known as psychedelics, include PCP, LSD, peyote, ecstasy, ketamine, and psilocybin. These drugs cause changes in sensory and thought perceptions and can be swallowed, absorbed through oral mucosa, and smoked.

Inhalants, which includes solvents (such as gasoline and glues), aerosols (spray paint), gasses (propane, butane), nitrous oxide, and nitrates (“poppers”), are chemicals that cause intoxication when sniffed or inhaled (a process known as “huffing”).

CNS depressants and downers are drugs that slow down the central nervous system and include tranquilizers, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, GHB, and Rohypnol. These drugs cause relaxation and sedation.

Drug addiction statistics

Worldwide, at least 15.3 million people struggle with drug abuse. IV drug abuse (easily the most dangerous way to use illegal drugs) has been reported in 148 countries, of which 120 countries report increased amounts of HIV/AIDS infection among this population.

In the United States, illegal drug use is on the rise. In 2009, about 23.5 million people ages 12 and older in the U.S. (or 9.3% of the population) needed inpatient treatment for substance abuse or alcoholism. Of these, only about 2.6 million (or 11.2% of that population) people who needed inpatient treatment received it at a specialized treatment center.

Causes and risk factors for drug addiction

There is not one single factor identified that can determine whether or not a person will become addicted to drugs. The causes for addiction involve the influence of a combination of factors working together. The more risk factors an individual has, the greater the chance they will develop an addiction.

Genetic: Our inborn genes combined with environmental influences account for approximately half of the vulnerability to addiction. Addiction tends to run in families; people who have a first-degree relative who has struggled with addiction are more likely to develop an addiction.

Physical: Drugs contain certain chemicals that act on the body’s communication system and disturb the ways in which nerve cells normally send, receive, and process information. The longer a person abuses drugs, the more likely that the drugs will cause lasting damage to this system and lead to the body reducing the naturally occurring communication signals of the brain (neurotransmitters), leading to a physical dependence upon drugs.

Environmental: People who begin to experiment with drugs at an earlier age are at an increased risk for developing an addiction to drugs later in life. Additionally, belonging to a peer group in which drug use is prevalent can lead an individual to experimentation with drugs, which may eventually lead to abuse and addiction. Others will find that effects from certain substances temporarily alleviate some of the unpleasant stresses associated with life and will become dependent on these substances as a way to cope with negative life events.

Risk Factors:

• Lack of parental supervision and involvement
• Lower socioeconomic status
• Poor social and life skills
• Availability of drugs
• History of aggressive behaviors
• History of physical or sexual abuse

Signs and symptoms of drug addiction

The symptoms of drug abuse will vary depending upon the substance abused, frequency of use, individual makeup, length of use, and presence of physical dependence. The symptoms of use of common drugs of abuse follow:

Effects of drug addiction

The long-term effects and complications of substance abuse will vary depending upon the type of substance abused, presence of other health-related conditions, frequency of use, individual genetic makeup, and length of drug abuse.

The most common effects of drugs of abuse are grouped by substance of abuse:

Effects of drug overdose & withdrawal

Each different substance can lead to the presence of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms if a person abruptly stops using or reduces the amount abused. Withdrawal symptoms range from mild to very severe depending on the type of drug; if not properly monitored, it can end in death.

Types of drug addiction treatment 

We will work toward gaining a greater understanding of all you struggle with so that we can successfully form a plan of care based on your needs. You’ll undergo psychiatric examination to help us understand the severity of your addiction and allow us to determine if you are struggling with co-occurring mental health disorders, as we treat both disorders at the same time. We’ll sit down with the results of these evaluations and work with you to create a plan of care for you.

Individual therapy is used to provide you with some one-on-one time with a therapist in order to best understand the roots of your addiction and work toward developing more appropriate ways to handle life stressors. 

Group therapy is one of the most important, scientifically-proven methods of helping those struggling to recover from addiction as it allows you the chance to work with other people who are similarly struggling. It will allow you all to grow, learn, and heal in a supportive, compassionate environment.

Family involvement is highly crucial to the recovery process as family can help to support you during your recovery. We’ll work on mending any bridges that have been strained due to your drug addiction. Also, we’ll allow your loved ones the chance to express their feelings about your addiction so that you’re all able to work toward recovery as a family.

Helping a loved one get treatment for drug addiction

Watching your loved one spiral into drug abuse and addiction is exhausting, stressful, and painful. You want to help your loved one into treatment but you may fear making the problem worse by bringing it up. Your emotions are all over the map – you’re happy on the good days and on the bad, you can’t describe the emotional turmoil. You live in a constant state of fear, worried that the next phone call will bring the news that your loved one has succumbed to his or her addiction to drugs once and for all. Here are some ways you can proactively guide your loved one into inpatient rehab for drug addiction:

Deal with your feelings: The emotions you face are tumultuous – anger, fear, sadness, guilt, shame – and you may not know how to come to grips with the idea that your loved one is, in fact, an addict. Take some time to share your feelings with a trusted friend or find a local therapist who can help you better understand addiction. Try attending a Nar-Anon (or Al-Anon) meeting, which can help you connect with others who love an addict.

Learn about addiction: Through your therapist and support group sessions, you’ll begin to form a picture of addiction and the effects it has on an addict. There are so many misconceptions about addiction and it’s time that you educate yourself about this complex brain disease, the way it makes an addict feel, and the position it puts you, the loved one, in. Attend an N.A. or A.A. meeting so that you can see what life is like for those in recovery.

Support, don’t judge: Sit down with your loved one and gently broach the topic of treatment. Reassure your loved one that you aren’t there to judge them and that you’ll stand by them through every step of the journey. Present options for treatment centers that specialize in addiction management so that you can ensure your loved one is provided the best care available.