



Facts
The National Center for Health Statistics has found that an average of fourteen teenagers kill themselves in America every day. The number of teens who attempt suicide but don't succeed is much higher at 8.3 percent of high school students nationwide. According to the CDC, 70 percent of suicidal teenagers are substance abusers, and half of them had drugs in their bodies when they died. Since drug and alcohol abuse appears so often in teenagers who have attempted suicide, sociologists now list substance abuse as one of the major warning signs of a potential suicide attempt. Experts have determined that substance abuse in combination with severe, clinical depression almost always leads to thoughts of suicide. Young people who are severely depressed don't have the same perspective on difficult events as adults, who have lived longer. The teens live more in the moment and don't have the experience to realize that things can get better. As you have learned in previous activities, on a short-term basis, drugs of abuse alter the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine. But what happens when a person takes drugs over a period of time? Does the body respond to them in the same way it did when the person tried the drugs for the first time? Often, the individual doesn't get as intense of a response after taking drugs repeatedly. This is called "tolerance." The brain has adapted to having a certain amount of the drug present and doesn't respond the same way it did initially. The body may become more efficient at metabolizing or breaking down the drug. This reduces the amount of drug in the bloodstream. Or, the cells of the body, and the brain can become more resistant to the effect of the drug by causing changes in the activity of the receptors. Tolerance explains why drug abusers and addicts take increasingly higher doses of drugs over time. Heroin addicts are at risk for contracting HIV, hepatitis C, and other infectious diseases. Drug abusers may become infected with HIV, hepatitis C, and other blood-borne pathogens through sharing and reuse of syringes and injection paraphernalia that have been used by infected individuals. Prescription drugs that can cause dependency are subject to restrictions dictated by United States government regulations. All prescription drugs regulated under the Controlled Substances Act are assigned a schedule or class number that determines how they may be prescribed. Schedule I drugs are considered to have a high abuse potential, no accepted medical use, and no acceptable safety data. Schedule II drugs have a high abuse potential but have some appropriate medical uses. Schedule III drugs have less abuse potential; schedule IV and V drugs have the least abuse potential. |
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 Overdose
A drug overdose occurs when you consume more drugs than your body can tolerate. Drug users are constantly flirting with the risk of a drug overdose. There is a
fine line between the high they're seeking and serious injury or death. While many victims of drug overdose recover without long term effects, there
can be serious consequences. Some drug overdoses cause the failure of major
organs like the kidneys or liver, or failure of whole systems like the
respiratory or circulatory systems. Patients who survive drug overdose may need
kidney dialysis, kidney or liver transplant, or ongoing care as a result of
heart failure, stroke, or coma. Death can occur in almost any drug overdose
situation, particularly if treatment is not started immediately.
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".
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.
Sobriety
Sobriety means the moderation in or abstinence from consumption of alcoholic liquor or use of drugs. When an individual with an addiction problem enters drug rehabilitation, their main goal is to attain long term sobriety. Unfortunately, sometimes drug addicts and alcoholics find they are able to sustain short periods of sobriety followed by a drug or alcohol relapse. This is why attending a drug or alcohol rehab will help the individual maintain their focus on sobriety. Often, it is only by getting help that individuals with severe drug addiction problems are able to achieve lasting sobriety.
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