(i) Introduction– Different substance affects the body in different ways, but all psychoactive drugs have chemical effects on the human body as well. The short-term effects that occur in drug users depend on the quantity they use and also whether it is mixed with any other mind-altering substances. Drugs have serious effects on the human body. It affects the thinking, mood, energy level, and also behavior of the person and sometimes also makes the human unconscious for several days and even further.
(ii) Physical harm from drug use:- Durg use can lead to risky and or out-of-character behavior. When affected by drug:
• One is more likely to have an accident wherever you are.
• One can commit sexual assault or other violent act.
• One may find unable to sleep, think, remember and solve the problem.
Drugs can also result in long-term health problems that include:
• harm to organs and systems of our body such as throat, stomach, lungs, liver, heart, brain, pancreas, and nervous system, etc.
• May cause cancer or other serious illness.
(iii) Addiction of drugs- All drugs cocaine, marijuana affects the brain. The brain reward circuit is a part of the limbic system. Drugs target this system causing a large amount of dopamine release, this flood of dopamine cause a high intoxication in the brain again and again and also from time to time. Although initial drug use may not be voluntary drugs. But continuous intoxication of the drugs makes the human body addicted to them which may affect the health of that particular person badly. And the addition can also become a cause of murder, robbery cases, etc.
Different drugs, different effects:- The three main types are depressants, hallucinogens, and stimulants.
• Depressants- It slowdowns or depress the functions of the nervous system. They slow down the massage going to and from the brain. In small quantities, depressants can cause a feel relaxed and less inhibited. In large quantities, it can cause vomiting, unconsciousness, or even death.
• hallucinogens- Distort one’s sense of reality. You can see or feel or hear things that are not real, or see things in a distorted way. Other effects include emotional and psychological euphoria, panic, upset, or nausea. Keta mine, LSD, PCP, magic mushrooms, and cannabis are some examples of hallucinogens.
• Stimulants- Stimulate the central nervous system. They speed up massaging to and from the brain, which makes one feel more alter and confident. This can cause an increase to heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature.
(iv) Conclusion:- Our body executes a natural cycle. And if we disturb this cycle, then it abruptly affects the working of the body. Taking drugs may sound cool for a while, but can cause serious illness for a lifetime. It can also lead to the death of an individual. Resisting these drugs at parties and celebrations is warned. Especially youth shouldn’t engage themselves in such activities which lead to the massive destruction of the one’s precious life.
Addiction is just a way of trying to get at something else. Something bigger. Call it transcendence if you want, but it’s a rat in a maze. We all want the same thing. We all have this hole. The thing you want offers relief, but it’s a trap.
“ DRUGS ” A five letter word that is destroying human race. A word that could get you to the cloud nine and than kick you from the top.
What do you think it is ?
Is it a pleasure or a pain ?
Some says ‘it gives you wings ‘, others says ‘it makes you insane ‘ . What would you do , if someone is taking drugs ? Well , I would fly (its a joke ).
Ok , Let’s just get over with the topic .
Introduction
All the suffering, stress, and addiction comes from not realizing you already are what you are looking for.
– Jon Kabat-Zinn
Drugs are substances that change a person’s mental or physical state. They can affect the way your brain works, how you feel and behave, your understanding and your senses. This makes them unpredictable and dangerous, especially for young people.
Drug addiction is a chronic brain disease. It causes a person to take drugs repeatedly, despite the harm they cause. Repeated drug use can change the brain and lead to addiction. That can destroy one’s life .
Signs that shows someone has a drug problem
Changing friends a lot .
Spending a lot of time alone.
Losing interest in favorite things.
Not taking care of themselves – for example, not taking showers, changing clothes, or brushing their teeth.
Being really tired and sad.
Eating more or eating less than usual.
Being very energetic, talking fast, or saying things that don’t make sense.
Being in a bad mood.
Quickly changing between feeling bad and feeling good.
Sleeping at strange hours.
Missing important appointments.
Having problems at work or at school.
Having problems in personal or family relationships.
If a person shows these signs than he / she is using drugs . But it’s not , it’s a probability . The person may or may not be using drugs . For the assurance you have to ask the person (well they can lie ) . Take them for the blood test . It will show if the person is taking drugs or not . It’s a simple procedure .
Why can’t people stop using drugs on their own?
Repeated drug use changes the brain, including parts of the brain that give a person self-control. These and other changes can be seen clearly in brain imaging studies of people with a drug addiction. These brain changes explain why quitting is so difficult, even when an addicted person feels ready.
Many people are compelled to enter treatment by the pressure of their family, friends, or a court system. People of all ages with substance use disorders live in fear of what will happen if their drugs are taken away.
Due to the addiction , they experience a variety of physical and emotional withdrawal symptoms, including depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders; restlessness, and sleeplessness . It may lead you to the death bed .
Treatment :
Counseling and other behavioral therapies are the most commonly used forms of treatment. Medications are often an important part of treatment, especially when combined with behavioral therapies. Treatment plans must be reviewed often and modified to fit the patient’s changing needs.
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Detoxification.
Treatment with Medication.
12-Step Facilitation.
One of the hardest things was learning that I was worth recovery.
You must have heard about the word addiction. According to its etymology , the root of the word addict comes from the Latin word addictus which means “to devote, sacrifice, sell out, betray or abandon.”
Tess Callahan , a recovered drug addict defined addiction as , “ Addiction is just a way of trying to get at something else. Something bigger. Call it transcendence if you want, but it’s a rat in a maze. We all want the same thing. We all have this hole. The thing you want offers relief, but it’s a trap.”
Addiction is a trap , a disorder. One can refer to addiction as , Substance use disorder (SUD) . Drugs , alcohol , smoking and many others are some common types of addiction .
It’s nerve racking to think something so pernicious is something so common for the world we live in .
What is a drug addiction ?
WHO defines drug addiction as _”, a state of periodic or chronic intoxication detrimental to the individual and to society produced by the repeated consumption of drugs , natural or synthetic …”
Drug abuse , drug addiction ,drug trafficking have been the tragedies of the 20tj century and have been passed on with no less vigour to the 21st century .
International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
26th June ,has been celebrated as the United Nation International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking since 1989 .
The International conference in Vienna during 17-26 June ,1987 on Drug abuse and Illicit Trafficking, two important texts , Comprehensive Multidisciplinary Outline of Future Activities in Drug Abuse Control & Declaration of the International Conference on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking were adopted and 26th June was declared as United Nation International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in 1989.
Every year , The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) releases a World Drug Report . The report provides data and facts about the intensity of drug problems around the world. The data is completely key statistics and factual data obtained through official sources. UNODC also provides practical solutions to get to grips with these problems and abiding to be committed to attaining a vision of good health .
The World Drug Report provides a global overview of the supply and demand of drugs (such as opiates, cocaine, cannabis, amphetamine-type stimulants and new psychoactive substances ) , as well as their evil effects on health .
World Drug Report — 2021 , focuses not only on drug addiction potential effects but also on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, assisting Member States in addressing challenges that may arise in the near future.
The 2021 report , consisting of five separate booklets, providing an in-depth analysis of the global drug markets and giving a comprehensive picture of the measurable effects and potential impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the world drug problem. Covid -19 has already made the heedless public aware about the importance of health on a global level.
World Drug Day is a day to spread awareness , put the kibosh on use of drugs , to research and share life saving facts , help people recover , to do their part by taking a firm stance against misinformation , while being staunch supporter against drug abuse and illicit trafficking and sharing only the real help facts on drugs and save lives.
Theme 2021 :-
This year, the theme of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is ‘Share Facts On Drugs, Save Lives”
Information sharing makes a profound impact on individuals’ lives. It ensures that an individual receives the right information at the right time. . Facts about health risks posed by drug abuse and solutions to tackle the problem will help us move towards a society free of drug abuse.It’s like an imperative guard which promotes welfare .
The theme of the 2021 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking aims at restraining misinformation and promoting sharing real facts on drugs and their evil effects on health and solutions to tackle the world drug problem.
Causes of Addiction :-
Dr Lawrence Kolb, the first medical director of the Public Health Service Narcotic Hospital in Lexington shared THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ADDICTION according to him ” addicts are thrill seekers; they are modest people who use drugs to overcome feelings of inferiority. Drugs allowed them to feel “grandiose” in life. They use their DRUG to escape their problems and feel like they can deal with any problem that they are subjected to. Each drug seeking episode is another opportunity to outsmart anyone, feel the thrill of the hunt and come back alive to feel the ‘high’ again.”
According to his research , for an individual to become an addict, factors like, biological, social, cultural and environmental factors have a big contribution. “Peer pressure” is a common cause for any addict to begin their journey of addiction.
According to Ram Ahuja , a known sociologist , causes of drug abuse can be classified as follows :- • Psychological Causes • Physiological Causes. • Social Causes • Miscellaneous Causes.
Some special causes include :-
• Using drugs for ” kicks “or “thrill “. • Peer Group Influence . • Feeling of Alienation and lack of motivation • To Escape from the Pressure and Conflicts of Life .
Recovery from drug addiction :-
James Lee Curtis on addiction recovery said , “Recovery is an acceptance that your life is in shambles, and you have to change it.”
An addiction to drugs isn’t a character flaw or a sign of weakness, but it’s a trap like Johann Hari said , ” Addiction is an adaptation. It’s not you–it’s the cage you live in.”
To recover from drug addiction takes much more willpower than it actually seems. Abusing illegal drugs can create changes in the brain, causing powerful cravings and a compulsion to use it over and over again and being sober feels like an untouchable goal .
But , ” If you chased your recovery like you chased your high, you would never relapse again.” – By Unknown with words of encouragement for those in drug addiction recovery
No matter how hopeless the situation seems or how many times any individual fails . With the right treatment and support, change is always possible.
Control of Drug Abuse :-
There are many ways to control drug addiction :-
Educational Approach :-
As 2021 , theme of UN international Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is ” ‘Share Facts On Drugs, Save Lives”, It’s important to have education about the evil effects of drug consumption .
Cannabis, heroin, opium , marijuana, morphine , cocaine , codeine and many such drugs are recorded to be the most commonly used . There has also been evidence of an increasing prevalence of methamphetamine as well. There are different types of drugs which are consumed and get addicted by the public with zero awareness about its harmful effects . Methamphetamine Addiction, Cannabis Addiction, alcoholism etc are different types of addiction. It is important to have information from credible sources and restrain others from spreading misinformation.
Behaviour therapy :–
Therapy and counseling may be done with an individual, a family or a group can be as helpful as medical treatment . Therapists suggest strategies to individuals to cope with drug craving , help in medication during relapse , can suggest alternative activities which help in preventing drug abuse etc.
There are basic three types of behavioural therapy :-
1: Cognitive-behavioral therapy, which seeks to help patients to recognize, avoid and cope with situations in which they are most likely to relapse . 2: Multidimensional family therapy, which is designed to support the recovery of the patient by improving family functioning.
3:Motivational interviewing, which is designed to increase patient motivation to change behavior and enter treatment.
Community Approach ( Institutions & Self Help groups ) :-
Many communities , such as Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous help people with their addiction .A 12-step recovery support group, like Narcotics Anonymous (NA), is one the best help for an addict.
The community supports a vision that addiction is a chronic disorder with a danger of relapse.
Institution like , NIDA, The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is one of the institutes under the National Institutes of Health , and is responsible for funding more research on drug abuse and addiction than any other agency in the world. Many NIDA-funded studies focus on achieving a deep and essential understanding of substance abuse of drugs . NIDA seeks to educate the public and keep them updated on their new findings and how these findings may indicate the need for changes in legislation, medical care, or prevention efforts.
Treatment Centers :-
Treatment centres offer help for people who have an addiction problem. A rehabilitation centre would offer individual, group or family therapy sessions. Such centers focus on understanding the nature of addiction, finding solutions and helping individuals to be drug-free and preventing relapse.
Such treatment center perform “Detoxification”
The goal of detoxification, also called “detox” or withdrawal therapy, is to enable you to stop taking the addicting drug as quickly and safely as possible .
These treatment centers provide medication like methadone and buprenorphine that can be used to treat addiction to prescription opiates, and behavioral therapies can be used to treat addiction to prescription stimulants, benzodiazepines, and other drugs.
Self -help :-
Overcoming an addiction and staying drug-free require a persistent effort. But as Vince Lombard said , ” Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit.”
Committing to sobriety is a big one step towards controlling addiction . Recovery requires time, motivation, and support, but by making a commitment to change, you can overcome your addiction and regain control of your life.
Kurt Cobain on the futility of substance abuse ( drug abuse ) says ,
“Drugs are a waste of time. They destroy your memory and your self-respect and everything that goes along with your self-esteem.”
Every year on 26th June , one can help others to regain their self esteem and overcome addiction which seems impossible.
Many people struggle with addiction, the first step toward recovery is the toughest .
” One of the hardest things was learning that I was worth recovery.” – Demi Lovato. One can help addicts restructure their life and replace destructive habits and behaviour with healthy ones ,let them know their worth and help them lead a positive and healthy life.
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