




Facts
Alcohol is a depressant of the central nervous system, which is made up of the brain and spinal cord. It produces different behaviors, emotions, and physical effects as it acts upon specific parts of the brain. First affected is the cerebrum, which controls such functions as recognition, vision, reasoning, and emotion. Low amounts of alcohol reduce inhibitions and affect judgment. For example, someone who is often quiet and reserved may become loud, outspoken, and more dramatic. Others may become depressed, withdrawn, even distressed and tearful. Later, as alcohol levels rise, vision, movement, and speech become impaired. When alcohol depresses the next brain area, the cerebellum, problems with coordination, reflexes, and balance occur. Synthetic opiate/opioid = a compound with some opioid receptor affinity, synthesised using no products extracted from opium. During the 1980s, increasing numbers of pregnant drug-dependent women went to medical facilities—some to receive ongoing prenatal care, but others only to deliver their babies without the benefit of any prenatal care. Such women fear the threat of confrontation with legal authorities. The general lack of women-oriented drug-treatment programs contributes to this major health problem—addiction in pregnancy. It has also contributed to increased medical and social maladies and mortality in such mothers and their infants. Tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana are considered gateway drugs because they are most often used before a person graduates to stronger drugs. They remain the most widely used drugs among teens, with alcohol taking the lead. Cigarette smoking among younger teens increased by as much as 50 percent between 1990 and 1997, with nearly one in three high school seniors identified as regular smokers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that one million teenagers start smoking each year and that a third of them will die of tobacco-related diseases if they don't quit. Now that the law forbids selling cigarettes to anyone under eighteen, authorities are hoping to see this number drop substantially. A study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reveals that young cigarette smokers are fourteen times more likely to abuse alcohol than nonsmokers. And since ten million teens drink regularly, the potential for future drug abuse has experts on the alert. |
Abstinence
Abstinence is the act or practice of refraining from indulging a desire. The type of abstinence we are referring to here is abstinence from drugs and alcohol. This term has two connotations when it comes to abstaining from drugs. The first refers to drug or alcohol treatment programs that aim to help an individual stop using drugs or alcohol for the rest of their lives. The time abstinence is also used in drug education and prevention. It refers to trying to stop children from ever using drugs.
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.
Addiction
Addiction is one of the many consequences of so-called 'casual' drug and alcohol abuse. A loss of control over drugs and alcohol can be driven by physical or psychological factors, or sometimes both. Physical addiction takes place when the body comes to need a drug to function normally. If it is not taken, unpleasant withdrawal symptoms occur. The only way to avoid this is to take more of the drug. Psychological addiction takes place when an individual comes to rely on a drug to supply good feelings, such as relaxation, self-confidence, self esteem, and freedom from anxiety. This is not just a casual desire, it's a powerful compulsion.
Detox
Detox is necessary when an individual through their chronic use of drugs or alcohol has developed an addiction. The objective of detox is to help the individual achieve a drug and alcohol free state. Detox is intended to relieve the physical symptoms of withdrawal and helps prepare the individual for entry into drug rehabilitation. Therefore, the ultimate goal of detox is preparation for long term recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.
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.
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