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Drug abuse and addiction, now both grouped as substance or drug use
disorder, is a condition characterized by a self-destructive pattern of
using a substance that leads to significant problems and distress, which
may include tolerance to or withdrawal from the substance.
Drug addiction disorder is unfortunately quite common, affecting more
than 8% of people.Dual diagnosis refers to the presence of both a drug-
use issue addition to a serious mental health condition in an individual.
While the specific physical and psychological effects of drug use
disorder tend to vary based on the particular substance involved, the
general effects of a substance use disorder involving any drug can be
devstating. Symptoms of a drug problem include recurrent drug use
that results in legal problems, occurs in potentially dangerous
situations, interfere with important obligations, results in social or
relationship problems, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, using a lot of
the drug or for a long period of time, persistent desire to use the drug,
unsuccessful efforts to stop using the drug, neglecting other aspects of
life use of their drug use, and spending inordinate amounts of time or
energy getting, using, or recovering from the effects of the drug. Drugs
particularly affect the brain’s ability to inhibit actions that the person
would otherwise delay or prevent.The treatment of dual diagnosis is
more effective when treatment of the sufferer’s mental illness occurs in
tandem with the treatment of the individual’s chemical dependency.
Drug addiction increases the risk of a number of negative life stressors
and conditions, particularly if left untreated.
GOAL 2: Develop new and improved strategies to prevent drug use and
its consequences.
Caffeine: While many people consume coffee, tea, and soda, when
consumed in excess, this substance can be habit-forming, insomnia,
tremors, and significant anxiety.
• Alcohol
• Opiates
• Barbiturates
Stimulants
Also known as “uppers,” the primary use of Stimulants is to increase
energy, concentration, and wakefulness. Stimulants are said to provide
a “rush.” In the short term, Stimulants are believed to increase
productivity and performance while producing an excited high of
pleasure. In the long term, Stimulants are incredibly addictive and have
a very high potential for abuse. Examples of Stimulants include:
• Adderall
• Cocaine
• Meth
Hallucinogens
Hallucinogens alter the user’s perception of reality. Often this results in
auditory and visual hallucinations, a process known as “tripping.”
Although Hallucinogens are generally less addictive than other drug
classifications, their immediate impacts are generally more severe and
dangerous. Examples of Hallucinogens include:
• LSD
• Psilocybin Mushrooms
• PCP
Inhalants
Inhalants are a vast range of chemicals that are ingested primarily by
breathing them in, or huffing. Most inhalants are commonly used
materials that are in no way designed to be ingested by humans. While
there is incredible variety between inhalants, most produce feelings of a
high. Inhalants are less studied than most other drugs. While they tend
to be less addictive than many other substances, the use of Inhalants is
incredibly dangerous and causes many serious health effects. Examples
of commonly abused Inhalants include:
• Paint thinner
• Nail polish remover
• Gasolinees with sexual performance .
Schedule V
Schedule V drugs have the fewest regulations and lowest penalties of
any federal drug classification. Schedule V drugs have a legitimate
accepted medical purpose, have a lower potential for abuse than
Schedule IV drugs, and have a lower potential for addiction than
Schedule IV drugs. Examples include:
• Lomotil
• Motofen
• Lyrica
Schedule IV
Schedule IV drugs have regulations and penalties in between those of
Schedule V and Schedule III drugs. Schedule IV drugs have a legitimate
accepted medical purpose, have a low potential for abuse, and have a
low potential for addiction. Examples include:
• Ambien
• Darvocet
• Tramadol
Schedule III
Schedule III drugs have more regulations and harsher penalties than
Schedule IV drugs and fewer regulations and less severe penalties than
Schedule II drugs. Schedule III drugs have a legitimate acceptable
medical purpose, have a lower abuse potential than Schedule I and II
drugs, and have a moderate or low potential for addiction. Examples of
Schedule III drugs include:
• Anabolic steroids
• Ketamine
• Vicodin
Schedule II
Schedule II drugs have more regulations and harsher penalties than any
drug classification other than Schedule I drugs. Schedule II drugs have a
legitimate accepted medical use, a high potential for abuse, and a
severe dependence risk. Examples of Schedule II drugs include:
• Codeine
• Methadone
• Ritalin
Schedule I
drugs have the most regulations and harshest penalties of any drugs.
Schedule I drugs have no legitimate accepted medical use and a high
potential for abuse. Examples of Schedule I drugs include:
• Ecstasy
• Quaaludes
• GHB
Genetics
Addiction isn’t a matter of weak willpower or lack of morals. The
chemical reactions that happen in your brain when you have an
addiction are quite different than those that happen in someone
without one. That explains why one person may be able to smoke
cigarettes every so often for pleasure, while another needs them on a
daily basis to function.
Heredity is a major risk factor for addiction. According to the National
Institute on Drug AbuseTrusted Source, up to half of your risk of
addiction to alcohol, nicotine, or other drugs is based on genetics. If you
have family members who’ve experienced addiction, you’re more likely
to experience it too.
Environment
Environmental factors can also raise your risk of addiction. For children
and teens, lack of parental involvement can lead to greater risk-taking
or experimentation with alcohol and other drugs. Young people who
experience abuse or neglect from parents may also use drugs or alcohol
to cope with their emotions.
PREVENTION TERMINOLOGY
• Prevention programs can be designed to intervene as early as pre-
school to address risk factors for drug abuse, such as aggressive
behavior, poor social skills, and academic difficulties.
• Parental monitoring and supervision are critical for drug abuse
prevention. These skills can be enhanced with training on rule-
setting; techniques for monitoring activities; praise for appropriate
behavior; and moderate, consistent discipline that enforces
defined family rules.
• Drug education and information for parents or caregivers
reinforces what children are learning about the harmful effects of
drugs and opens opportunities for family discussions about the
abuse of legal and illegal substances.
RECOVERY PROGRAMMES
Recovery-oriented systems of care: These programs embrace a chronic
care management model for severe substance use disorders, which
includes longer-term, outpatient care; recovery housing; and recovery
coaching and management checkups.
Recovery support services: These services refer to the collection of
community services that can provide emotional and practical support
for continued remission. Components include mutual aid groups (e.g.,
12-step groups), recovery coaching, recovery housing, recovery
management (checkups and telephone case monitoring), recovery
community centers, and recovery-based education (high schools and
colleges).
Social and recreational recovery infrastructures and social media: These
programs make it easier for people in recovery to enjoy activities and
social interaction that do not involve alcohol or drugs (e.g., recovery-
specific cafes and clubhouses, sports leagues, and creative arts
programs).
Inpatient Recovery Programs
Inpatient or residential recovery programs are able to offer a relatively
intensive, immersive treatment experience for those seeking to recover
from addiction. The nature of an inpatient setting allows treatment
team member personnel to provide round-the-clock supervision of
program residents.
Individuals at hospital-based facilities stay overnight and have access to
physicians, nurses, or other healthcare professionals 24 hours a day, 7
days a week.Other residential facilities situated outside of a hospital
should be able to arrange for quick access to medical services, when
needed, should a healthcare professional not be on-site at the time.
Inpatient programs strive to provide a safe, supportive environment for
patients while giving them the tools they need to achieve long-term
abstinence. The length of stay in any inpatient or residential recovery
program will be influenced by the nature and severity of the SUD.
RESEARCH
For much of the past century, scientists studying drugs and drug use
labored in the shadows of powerful myths and misconceptions about
the nature of addiction. When scientists began to study addictive
behavior in the 1930s, people with an addiction were thought to be
morally flawed and lacking in willpower. Those views shaped society’s
responses to drug use, treating it as a moral failing rather than a health
problem, which led to an emphasis on punishment rather than
prevention and treatment.
Today, thanks to science, our views and our responses to addiction and
the broader spectrum of substance use disorders have changed
dramatically. Groundbreaking discoveries about the brain have
revolutionized our understanding of compulsive drug use, enabling us
to respond effectively to the problem.
As a result of scientific research, we know that addiction is a medical
disorder that affects the brain and changes behavior. We have
identified many of the biological and environmental risk factors and are
beginning to search for the genetic variations that contribute to the
development and progression of the disorder. Scientists use this
knowledge to develop effective prevention and treatment approaches
that reduce the toll drug use takes on individuals, families, and
communities.
At the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), we believe that
increased understanding of the basics of addiction will empower people
to make informed choices in their own lives, adopt science-based
policies and programs that reduce drug use and addiction in their
communities, and support scientific research that improves the Nation’s
well-being.
CONCLUSION
By adopting an evidence-based public health approach, take genuinely
effective steps to prevent and treat substance-related issues. Such an
approach can prevent substance initiation or escalation from use to a
disorder, and thus reduce the number of people suffering with
addiction; it can shorten the duration of illness for sufferers; and it can
reduce the number of substance-related deaths. A public health
approach will also reduce collateral damage created by substance
misuse, such as infectious disease transmission and motor vehicle
crashes. Thus, promoting much wider adoption of appropriate
evidence-based prevention, treatment, and recovery strategies needs to
be a top public health priority.
REFRENCES
The following references have been selected as either summaries of the
literature of the past several years or as the latest findings on specific
aspects of prevention research, which have been cited in this
publication.
1. Aos, S.; Phipps, P.; Barnoski, R.; and Lieb, R. The Comparative Costs
and Benefits of Programs to Reduce Crime. Volume 4 (1-05-1201).
Olympia, WA: Washington State Institute for Public Policy, May
2001.
2. Ashery, R.S.; Robertson, E.B.; and Kumpfer K.L., eds. Drug Abuse
Prevention Through Family Interventions. NIDA Research
Monograph No. 177. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing
Office, 1998.
3. Battistich, V.; Solomon, D.; Watson, M.; and Schaps, E. Caring
school communities. Educational Psychologist 32(3):137–151,
1997.
4. Bauman, K.E.; Foshee, V.A.; Ennett, S.T.; Pemberton, M.; Hicks,
K.A.; King, T.S.; and Koch, G.G. The influence of a family program
on adolescent tobacco and alcohol. American Journal of Public
Health 91(4):604–610, 2001.
5. Beauvais, F.; Chavez, E.; Oetting, E.; Deffenbacher, J.; and Cornell,
G. Drug use, violence, and victimization among White American,
Mexican American, and American Indian dropouts, students with
academic problems, and students in good academic standing.
Journal of Counseling Psychology 43:292–299, 1996.
6. Botvin, G.; Baker, E.; Dusenbury, L.; Botvin, E.; and Diaz, T. Long-
term follow-up results of a randomized drug-abuse prevention trial
in a white middle class population. Journal of the American
Medical Association 273:1106–1112, 1995.
7. Chou, C.; Montgomery, S.; Pentz, M.; Rohrbach, L.; Johnson, C.;
Flay, B.; and Mackinnon, D. Effects of a community-based
prevention program in decreasing drug use in high-risk
adolescents. American Journal of Public Health 88:944–948, 1998.
8. Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group. Predictor variables
associated with positive Fast Track outcomes at the end of third
grade. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 30(1):37–52, 2002.
9. Dishion, T.; McCord, J.; and Poulin, F. When interventions harm:
Peer groups and problem behavior. American Psychologist
54:755–764, 1999.