Substance Addiction Notes

Abuse or Addiction? Difference is very little You can abuse a drug (or alcohol) without being addicted

ADDICTION A condition in which the body relies on a given drug to help it function A person has no control over whether he or she uses a drug or drinks The person HAS to have the drug Addiction is: PHYSICAL &/OR PSYCHOLOGICAL

PHYSICAL ADDICTION Body is dependent on a substance Person has TOLERANCE: PERSON NEEDS MORE TO GET THE SAME EFFECT Person experiences WITHDRAWAL: WHEN SUBSTANCE STOPS PERSON GETS FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS (DIARRHEA, SHAKING, NAUSIA ETC.)

PSYCHOLOGICAL ADDICTION CRAVING: is psychological &/or emotional DESIRE

When Abuse crosses to Addiction When a person depends on the substance His/her whole life centers around the need for the drug When addicted, the brain has changed Circuits in brain no longer work on their own THE PERSON NO LONGER HAS A CHOICE IN TAKING A SUBSTANCE

SIGNS OF ADDICTION Psychological Uses to forget problems or “relax” Withdrawal or keeping secrets Loss of interest in activities Problems with schoolwork Changes in friendships Stealing or selling belongings Failed attempts to stop using Anxiety, anger, or depression Mood swings

SIGNS OF ADDICTION Physical Changes in sleeping habits Feeling shaky or sick when trying to stop Needing to take more of the substance to get the same effect Changes in eating habits, including weight loss or gain

KEEP IN MIND Once a person becomes addicted, his of her top priority in life becomes obtaining drugs, taking drugs, getting high, and then getting more drugs. Everything else- family, friends, job, the future- loses importance. When a person first takes drugs, it is a voluntary decision. But there is a point when the person’s decision to take drugs may no longer be voluntary. It is as if a “switch” goes off in the user’s brain, and the person becomes addicted.