Cocaine Addiction Effects

Effects of Cocaine Addiction and How Drug Addiction Treatment Can Help

by  • June 14, 2013 • 0 Comments

imrragesCocaine is a drug that we all know of. Not only is it publicized by it’s use by celebrities, but everyday people are also users. In fact, recent studies have shown that around 14% of all adults in the U.S. have tried cocaine at least once. The use of cocaine is a serious problem and can lead to a lifetime addiction. If you are trying to learn more about the addiction because someone you know is addicted, or even if you are addicted yourself – here are some things that you should know. Including why drug addiction treatment might be the best choice.

The draw to cocaine comes from the immense high that users feel. When the drug is used, certain brain chemicals – called neurotransmitters – are blocked from reabsorbing into the brain. This causes chemicals to build up and cause the sensation of feeling ‘high’. The high can be described as a huge burst of energy and focused attention. Users have reported feeling very supreme and important while on the drug – untouchable. But, the use of the drug has heavy, heavy risks. Even people who only intend to use the drug once run the risk of developing a serious addiction to it.

But, the positives are outweighed by the negative effects of the drug. Irritability, restlessness and major anxiety result from its use. There are also damaging physical effects of the drug. The heart rate can increase to dangerous levels, making the heart over-work and increasing the chance of heart attack. Snorting the drug can cause permanent damage to the nasal passages and users can lose their sense of smell. While smoking the drug irritates and damages the lung, which can lead to major respiratory infections.

After prolonged use, addicts can become manically depressed and extremely anxious. They can even lose their ability to feel pleasure, these symptoms can eventually lead to suicidal thoughts. Drug addiction treatment is the best choice for someone who is experiencing these symptoms. If the addict is not treated and left to be the victim of their addiction, their addiction can easily spiral out of control until they commit suicide or die from the harmful effects of the drug.

Substance Abuse

How to Stop Substance Abuse and Drug Addiction

by  • June 14, 2013 • 0 Comments

imhhagesMost people associate dangerous addiction with the use of illegal drugs, but substance abuse consists of any dangerous dependence, including alcoholism and reliance on prescription drugs. For centuries, substance abuse was regarded by society as a personal failing or moral fault, and addicts were shunned and forced to the fringes of the community. Substance abuse today is recognized as a disease, typified by the brain becoming reliant on certain substances to deliver neurotransmitters like dopamine or serotonin. Street drugs like marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamines react with the brain in a similar way to legal addictives, such as alcohol, tobacco, and inhalants.

These substances all increase the production of certain neurotransmitters in the brain, resulting in various “highs,” drunkenness, or relaxation of the nerves and it is this rise in dopamine levels which is the root of substance abuse. As drug abusers, alcoholics, pill poppers or cigarette smokers continue to engage in substance abuse, their brains eventually lose the ability to produce critical neurotransmitters on their own. Because dopamine and similar neurotransmitters are responsible for feelings like pleasure, the drug user becomes dependent on the substance being abused which causes the intense cravings and feelings of addiction.

Fortunately for the victims of chemical dependency, societal attitudes towards addiction have softened and treatment programs for drug, alcohol, prescription pills or tobacco use are commonplace. Rehabilitation clinics strive to assist those suffering from substance abuse, helping them to cope with their cravings incrementally, and providing personal, psychological, and spiritual guidance through the recovery process. There are national substance abuse programs, such as the 12-step Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), psychiatric help, medicinal options and even loving support from friends and family can help addicts rid themselves of their dependencies.

People afflicted with substance addictions can rely on an extremely accessible network of meetings, found in almost every city or town in the country, which serve as a coping mechanism, a therapy session, and a confessional at the same time. Drug testing kits are now readily and cheaply available for home use to help stop the addictions privately. Substance abuse is worth the efforts being made to combat it, because the damage caused by addiction is extensive and far reaching. Almost every aspect of society, from the legal system and the medical field to families and schools, is touched in some way by the destructive power of substance abuse, and the battle to prevent dangerous addictions will always be one worth fighting.

Help put a stop to substance abuse and chemical dependency by interfering and impeding at the first signs of addiction. Openly talking to the individual about your concerns and the effects of their addiction is the first stride towards acceptance and recovery. Do not be afraid to drug test at the first signs of misuse. This is especially true of prescription pills abuse as many individuals do not view Oxycontin or Vicodin as habit forming because of a prescription.

Anxiety Disorder Drugs

Anxiety Disorder Drugs – Addictive and Life Altering

by  • June 14, 2013 • 0 Comments

fotolia_558906_XSImagine a moment in your life where you were the most anxious you have ever felt. Your stomach was in knots, your heart was racing and your palms were sweating. You felt like you would shake right out of your skin. It was almost an out of body experience as you felt this enormous sense of doom come over you. At that moment in time you probably would’ve taken any anxiety disorder drugs you could have found.

Unfortunately, this is exactly the problem with these types of drugs. People become completely dependent on these medications to mask their anxiety disorder symptoms. The sad part about that is that it doesn’t have to be that way.

Anyone who suffers from anxiety or panic attacks knows that relief is their greatest wish. There are so many different drugs that are available on the market today that it is staggering. If you go to your doctor and tell them that you’re anxious, they are likely to prescribe any one of a variety of anxiety disorder drugs.

The chemicals in these drugs have a calming effect on the brain. While that sounds like a very inviting substance to have in your cupboard, it can become an addictive spiral that the patient has a hard time escaping from in the end.

One problem is that most anxiety patients find that they need more and more of the drug for it to be effective. So while they might start on a lower dose of the medication, they often end up ramping upward until they are at the maximum dosage.

It’s very sad to think that some people are simply not functional without these types of medications. They may be put on an anti-anxiety medication such as Xanax or Ativan, or they might be put on a serotonin specific reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) such as Prozac.

While these drugs might have their place in society, it seems that they might be getting over-prescribed. Many times, anxiety disorders can be easily treated using a variety of natural methods including exercise and a change in eating habits.

Anxiety disorder drugs can be useful in situations where the patient is being sidelined in their life due to the overwhelming panic attacks they are having. However, they should be a short-term solution while the patient attempts to find a long-term fix for the problem.

Instead, many people are becoming addicted to these drugs which forever changes their life.

I know obsessive compulsive anxiety disorders, social phobias or any generalized anxiety disorders can be masked with a simple prescription and the swallow of a pill.