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Addiction : What Is It?

Source: Addiction : What Is It?

Addiction : What Is It?

 

Addiction is a complex and confusing diseases, these days experts worldwide are comparing alcohol and drug addiction to illness such as diabetes  cancer, HIV &Aids and cardiovascular disease.They found tendency to develop to disease may be inherited, however the lifestyle decisions people make and the messages society gives about the use of alcohol  and drugs affects whether or not people become addicted.

 

Alcoholism or addiction to alcohol is considered  as chronic, progressive  and fatal disease.Chronic means that the diseases are ongoing, and progressive  means that it gets worse over time, Fatal means that people can die from the disease.

 

 

What you need to know about Addiction

Addiction is disease and not a weakness, just like any other disease that needs to be treated such as  Asthma, diabetes.etc. It is also a disease which is characterized by obsession, loss of control and drug seeking behavior despite negative consequences to the user.

A disease has signs and symptoms which the individual suffering from an ailments complains similarly addiction has signs (visible what can be seen) and symptoms (what is reported).

What Drugs Do to Your Brain

When a person uses a drug for the first time or experiments it’s usually voluntarily, but as you progress to social use, habitual and compulsive stage, one start losing self control and the brain and is no longer able to make informed decisions because of the obsession the drug has already hijacked the brain and taken over its functions. This makes it difficult for addicted person to stop abusing mood altering drug.

Most common drugs of abuse whether legal or illegal when taken by human they target the brain and stop or increase the production of important brain chemical messenger called dopamine, which helps to induce the rewards pathway system. This reward system is responsible for controlling body ability to enjoy the pleasurable moment and to motivate a person to repeatedly want to indulge in an activity such as drinking alcohol. Long-term use of cocaine often makes one need to use more to feel normal. This view has been supported by (American Psychiatric Association.2000)

Human brain is genetically predisposed to remember certain life experience and repeat them in some instances immediately ‘euphoria recall” a feel good factor .Therefore as  a person continue to indulge in drugs, the brain adjusts to abnormal uptake craving for drug, which  leads to an increase consumption thus high tolerance. (Alcoholic Anonymous world service 2001).

There two types of addiction:

• Chemical/ drug dependency – this involves the use of all mood substance both legal and illegal drugs. For example ( Alcohol, bhang, cigarettes ,miraa/khat kuber heroin cocaine prescription drugs  designer drug and emerging drugs etc)

• Process addiction – any other addiction that does not involve use of drugs but, leads to dependency. i.e. (gambling, thinking, activity, sex, people, crime ,behavior)etc.

The addicted person is directly infected by drug of choice while his /her families are indirectly infected. The family and friends of an addict go through their own hell as they witness their loved one’s journey to self destruction. Without help, substance abuse and addiction can totally disrupt the whole family life and cause harmful effects that can last for a lifetime.

Once an individual gets hooked to their preferred drug of choice, denial sets in. This problem is aggravated by addicted person lacking insight (awareness of the existing problem).

TREATMENT / REHABILITATION

Treatment can either be self directed or mandated but it does not have to be voluntary for it to be effective, this means that they’re likely to benefit as those who choose to enter treatment on their own.     NB: When the addict/alcoholic recovers, everything else also changes.

Conclusion

Brain is the main organ that is mostly affected by drugs and it has been proven to be a chronic relapsing disease. Drugs damages or compromises the way the brain functions and individual develops dependency on them however,  critics to this notion argues that addiction  is treatable and also can be managed in a well structured rehabilitation programmes . Finally most of the people battling with substance abuse are in denial, this is due to lack of insight or the awareness of the existing problem.

Do not suffer in silence anymore, get in touch with us today and start your journey to recovery.0724 55 54 34/ 0713 31 37 30

 

 

 

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We are primarily provider of mental health services / psycho social support to vulnerable population( People at Risk). i.e Individuals, couples families, and groups.