
Facts
Researchers are only beginning to understand how Methamphetamine acts in the brain and body. When they learn more about how Methamphetamine causes its effects, they may be able to develop treatments that prevent or reverse the damage this drug can cause. Regardless of how they are consumed, once in the bloodstream, amphetamines travel to the brain in just a few seconds. In the brain tissue, they dramatically increase nerve cell activity, which in turn decreases appetite and causes feelings of energy and excitement. Amphetamines also stimulate the reward center of the brain, delivering strong feelings of pleasure. With these effects in mind, drug companies enthusiastically marketed amphetamine and its derivatives as treatments for depression and as dieting aids. People in every walk of life found a use for the drugs and a reason to purchase them: Truck drivers who needed to stay awake on long trips, athletes who wanted extra energy, housewives yearning to lose a few pounds, and students cramming for exams sought out the drugs. During each year of the 1950s, manufacturers in the United States produced enough amphetamines to supply each man, woman, and child with fifty doses. Most people used them under the recommendation of their physicians. By 1965 physicians were seeing undeniable signs of addiction in some amphetamine users. Doctors reported these adverse effects to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the organization in charge of assuring the safety of foods and drugs used by Americans. As a result, amphetamines were soon placed under federal restrictions to protect consumers. In 1994 the Drug Enforcement Administration seized 63 meth labs. That figure climbed to 879 in 1996 and 1,627 in 1998. According to a report published by the General Accounting Office in March 1996, Drug Control—Long-Standing Problems Hinder U.S. International Efforts , a DEA administrator testified: "Drug trafficking organizations in Mexico have become so wealthy and so powerful over the years transporting opium and cocaine that they can rival legitimate governments for influence and control. They utilize their vast financial wealth to undermine government and commercial institutions. We have witnessed Colombia's struggle with this problem, and it [is] not unexpected that the same problems could very well develop in Mexico." Just as Asia's production of opium has posed a major threat to America, the DEA anticipates that Mexico's production will increase the tonnage of opium annually smuggled into the United States in cars and trucks passing through dozens of border checkpoints. |
Addict
An addict is an individual who has a compulsive urge to use drugs, to the point where they feel they have no effective choice but to continue use. An addict will continue their self destructive behaviors in order to feel good or to avoid
feeling bad. It can dominate their mind, and keep them coming back for more. The addiction can be
different for each addict, depending on their vice and the kind of person they
are.
Alcoholism
Alcoholism, also known as "alcohol dependence," is a condition that includes craving and continued alcohol abuse despite repeated drinking-related problems, such as losing a job or getting into trouble with the law. It includes four major areas: Craving: - A strong need, or compulsion, to drink. Impaired control: -The inability to limit one's drinking on any given occasion. Physical dependence: -Withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety, when alcohol use is stopped after a period of heavy drinking. Tolerance: - The need for increasing amounts of alcohol in order to feel its effects.
Drug Abuse
Drug abuse is defined as the chronic or habitual use of any chemical substance to alter states of body or mind for other than medically warranted purposes. Drug abuse is a problem which has an effect on people of all income levels,
ages, and stations in life. Quite often the last person to see that there is a
problem is the drug abuser them self. Every year, more and more people become
drug addicts in their pursuit to get "high".
Addiction Treatment
Addiction treatment is needed when an individual finds that they have developed a drug or alcohol addiction which they are not able to successful end on their own. With the help of addiction treatment, addicted individual can get help to control their drug taking behavior and live happy and successful lives. There are several addiction treatment options available for drug and alcohol addiction. Some of these options include self-help groups, counseling, drug rehabilitation programs (in and out-patient), and residential treatment facilities. Each of these differ
in their aims and outcomes and elements of these addiction treatment options are often
combined.
Relapse
Relapse is a term used to describe when an individual who has quit using drugs starts using once again. A relapse can mean just a one time use, a long term continues period of using or anything in between after a period of sobriety has taken place. An individual begins to experience a psychological relapse long before their first use after
quitting. Some things that can lead to relapse both physically or psychologically include: 1. Being in the presence of drugs or alcohol, drug or alcohol users, or places where you used or bought chemicals. 2. Feelings we perceive as negative, particularly anger; also sadness, loneliness, guilt, fear, and anxiety. 3. Positive feelings that make you want to celebrate by using. 4. Listening to others past drug use stories and just dwelling on getting high. 5. Believing that you no longer have to worry (complacent). That is, that you are no longer stimulated to crave drugs/alcohol by any of the above situations or by anything else – and therefore maybe it’s safe for you to use occasionally.
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