Drug Addictions
by Jimmy Sturo
Addiction is any kind of physical or psychological dependency on any kind of substance. Addiction is the urge or compulsion to repeat a particular habit under all circumstances. One of the most common forms of addiction is drug addiction.
Drug addiction can be defined as the compulsive use of addictive material (e.g., alcohol, narcotics, nicotine) despite being aware of the fact that these substance causes harm. This can continue to the point where the user has no effective choice but to continue use. The most common forms of drug addictions involve alcohol, barbiturates, tranquilizers, and amphetamines - as well as to the stimulants nicotine and caffeine.
The addictive nature of drugs varies from substance to substance, and from person to person. Drugs such as codeine or alcohol, for instance, typically require many more exposures to addict their users, as compared to drugs like heroin or cocaine. Likewise, a person who is psychologically or genetically predisposed to addiction is much more likely to become dependent than a normal person with no prior exposure to addictive substances.
Drug addiction can be divided into two components. In physical dependency, the body becomes accustomed to the drug's use. The discontinuation of use then causes the symptoms of withdrawal and makes the person feel abnormal. Psychological dependency occurs when the mind become emotionally reliant on the use of drugs, either to elicit pleasure or to relive pain. It is generally seen in cases of psychological dependency that the mind doesn't feel capable of working in case of non-availability of the drugs.
Methods vary according to the drugs involved and the needs of the individual. The 12-step recovery program, substance-abuse rehabilitation programs, counseling, and so on are highly effective for the rehabilitation of addicts. They can free them from the shackles of dangerous addictions.
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