Stages of Addiction Few people take their first dose of a drug-- legal or illegal-- with the hope of getting addicted. Yet for 2009, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reports that 23.5 million people sought some form of treatment for drug and alcohol problems. Of course, individual physiology and psychological makeup have much to do with how rapidly addiction can take hold and with the amount consumed prior to passing the unseen line from freedom to enslavement.
While each distinct case may vary in time frame and potency of dependency, some patterns are common within the entire pool of substance abusers. Out of the testimonies of addicts and the professionals who care for them, clinicians can recognize benchmarks for the phases of substance addiction.
Experimenting With Substances
Addiction does not have to start in adolescence. Even seniors may use alcohol or substances to soothe isolation. Without a honest self evaluation-- a truthful assessment of the symptoms of drug addiction-- an individual can pass unwittingly into the more distressing stages of drug addiction.
Regular Consumption
Using a drug or other substance regularly may not necessarily lead a person into addiction. Some can consume a drug continuously for a time span and then end its consumption with little or no discomfort. The likelihood of addiction is based upon the timeframe of the consumption and the strength of the doses. Should the timeframe extend indefinitely and the potency of the dose also increase, regular use might develop into substance addiction. Yet another cautionary signal is particular changes in conduct. If speech and conduct adjustment dramatically, especially a raised propensity toward aggressiveness and risky tendencies, it is necessary to cease taking the drug.
Unsafe Consumption
As the stages of drug addiction are travelled through, the individual's personal choices and behavior become progressively dangerous, both to himself or herself and other people. For example, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that 28.4 percent of young adults in between the ages of 21 and 25 drove a vehicle under the influence of illegal drugs in 2009. Close friends and loved ones are ideally suited to determine whether usual patterns are modifying. Indications of increasingly unsafe actions normally include:
• Driving a vehicle while under the influence of a sedative • Spending cash foolishly to acquire the drug • Defensive during verbal exchanges • Secretiveness • Changes in look. Changes in desire for food, memory failure and worsening coordination are also symptoms of drug abuse. The demarcation line in between hazardous consumption and addiction is thin and difficult to distinguish. Getting help for yourself or a person you love ought not be put off at this phase.
Dependency
Of all the stages of drug dependence, use and addiction are the hardest to separate. The devastating repercussions of drug abuse are clearly evident in dependency. Through all of this, though, the dependent differs from the addict by fulfilling enough responsibilities to maintain the basic structure of his/her life. Although the trajectory of drug abuse stages is still headed downward, the semblance of functionality lingers.
Addiction
If adjustments are not made-- and assistance is not sought-- the stages of drug addiction result in the most grievous stage: addiction itself. With this the person is psychologically and physically bonded to ongoing consumption of the drug or alcohol. The point of brain disorders is reached and the victim undergoes numerous destructive results of long-term substance abuse. The cardiovascular system and blood circulation process might be compromised, as can the respiratory tract. The immune system is compromised, permitting hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, and several types of cancer to ravage the addict. Brain damage and mental deterioration can also take place. Given that the addiction is of both body and mind, withdrawal signs and symptoms are best overseen and addressed by knowledgeable doctors. When the addicting substance has left the body, the drug abuser should work with psychotherapists to isolate the root causes and constitution of the addiction. sons of liberty
Without a sober self-assessment-- an sincere assessment of the signs of substance addiction-- a person could pass unknowingly into the more acute stages of drug addiction. Using a drug or other substance on a routine basis does not always entrap an individual into addiction. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that 28.4 percent of young adults in between the ages of 21 and 25 drove under the influence of illicit drugs in 2009. Of all the stages of drug addiction, use and dependence are the toughest to separate. If changes are not initiated-- and assistance is not gotten-- the stages of drug addiction draw a person to the most harmful stage: addiction itself.
Structure and Statistics from: http://www.samhsa.gov/