Addiction not only impacts the individual’s life adversely in terms of mental and emotional stability but also disrupts the life of the concerned individual’s family members.
Addiction was declared a disease by the W.H.O(World Health Organisation) in the year 1965, it states the repeated use of psychoactive substance or substances to the extent that the user(referred to as an addict) :
- Is periodically or chronically intoxicated
- Shows a compulsion to take the preferred substance
- Has great difficulty in modifying the substance(level of use)
- Showcases determination to obtain the substance by almost any means
In simple terms addiction is when a person’s dependency on a substance overpowers his will power, his substance use results in virtual exclusion of all other activities and responsibilities adhered by him/her.
Addiction not only impacts the individual’s life adversely in terms of mental and emotional stability but also disrupts the life of the concerned individual’s family members.
The continued impact of the addiction is remorselessly progressive on the individual’s life, where the fulfillment of the need of desired substance/alcohol becomes the most important objective of an addict’s life.
People try or experiment with drugs and alcohol because of a lot of reasons sometimes out of curiosity, to have a good time with friends, to deal with mental problems like anxiety, stress, depression etc and sometimes as a gateway for temporary relief to an emotional problem.
But use doesn’t automatically lead to abuse or addiction to the given substance, it depends from individual to individual. Drug addiction has less to do with the quantity or with the frequency the substance is used but more with the effects of the drug/alcohol on an individual’s life.
Some of the most commonly found signs of addiction are:-
- Abandon activities you used to enjoy- The first major sign of addiction is giving up the hobbies or activities you used to enjoy, it may be playing some sport, going out for movies, shopping, gym, or socialising in lieu of using drugs or consuming alcohol.
- Life revolves around addiction- You spend a vast majority of your day in thinking how to procure the substance, fantasising about the drug/alcohol use, how to recover from its effects on the body and how to avoid being caught by family members.
- Neglecting responsibilities- You start to skip college or office, give no time to family, start cutting down on basic things like food and clothes to financially support your addiction.
- Negative impact on relations- The continuous use of drugs/alcohol starts to negatively affect your relationship with family, friends and your partner.
- Behaviour imbalances- The behaviour of an addict consists of constant mood swings, irritability, depression, anxiety, paranoia etc.
- Building of tolerance- With time an addict builds a tolerance to a drug/alcohol, where he/she has to constantly increase the quantity consumed previously to experience the same high.
- Loss of control- An addict looses the control over his addiction and even after knowing the substance is adversely impacting his body, he is unable to stop or decrease the quantity, he in a way becomes a slave to his addiction.
- Physical signs- An addict shows some sudden physical changes like sudden change in appetite, sleeping cycle, sudden weight loss or gain, tremors, slurred speeches, glassy eyes etc.
FACTS ABOUT ADDICTION
Below are some facts about addiction that you may not have heard of and may clear some of your misconceptions about addiction.
- GENDER- It has been found that as compared to women, men have a 50% more chance to get addicted to drugs and alcohol.
- PRESSURE- Pressure from friends is a huge reason why many people start using drugs and alcohol. They often feel a false sense of self esteem and confidence after getting high.
- FAMILY- If one or multiple members of a family are addicts than a person is at a high risk of getting addicted to a substance
- EMOTIONAL PROBLEM- Unresolved and prolonged emotional issues in a person’s life, sometimes force a person to take up drugs or alcohol to attain temporary relief from these problems.
- OTHER PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS- Often a person struggling from psychological problems like depression, anxiety may self medicate him/herself as they think doing so will cure them and make them healthy.
MYTH’S ASSOCIATED WITH ADDICTION
It is important to understand that excess of anything to everything is bad for the body, whether it is alcohol, drugs, sex, food, internet, watching television etc. Every drug and alcohol has some addictive substance in them which the body takes a liking to. But it’s not completely the drug or alcohol that makes the person an addict. But addiction to any substance largely depends on a person’s mental health, emotional issues, surrounding environment and even genes. There are people who experiment with drugs and alcohol but never get addicted.
The long term use of substance or alcohol brings about structural and chemical changes in the brain as a result they cause intense craving if the substance intake has been stopped alongside impulsive control issues and compulsion to abuse the drug over and over again.
Due to these chemical changes it becomes close to impossible for an addict to quit on basis of determination and will power. He/she requires professional counselling, medications and a complete rehabilitation.
It is commonly believed by people that drug and alcohol addicts have a choice. This statement is misleading and completely false, no addict uses drugs or alcohol in the hope to get completely dependent and addicted to that substance. The chemical changes brought about by the substance makes it impossible for them to quit on their own.
Many people believe that addiction is a disease which can’t be cured and it is a hopeless condition. But this belief is wrong, An addict can successfully be cured and enjoy a happy life with support and love from people close to him, through professional counselling, by taking medications and help from doctors.
It is another common myth in our society that addicts are negative and anti-social creatures. This statement is highly offensive as addiction problem has been found in every section of the society. Only thing that differentiates among them is the type of substance abused
