



Facts
The full extent of the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on a child is not completely known, but many scientific studies have documented that babies born to mothers who abuse cocaine during pregnancy are often prematurely delivered, have low birth weights and smaller head circumferences, and are often shorter in length. Estimating the full extent of the consequences of maternal cocaine abuse is difficult, and determining the specific hazard of cocaine use to the unborn child is even more problematic, given that, typically, other substance's are abused with the cocaine use. Such factors as the amount and number of all drugs abused; inadequate prenatal care; abuse and neglect of the children, due to the mother's lifestyle; socio-economic status; poor maternal nutrition; other health problems; and exposure to sexually transmitted diseases, are just some examples of the difficulty in determining the direct impact of perinatal cocaine use, for example, on maternal and fetal outcome. Using sophisticated technologies, scientists are now finding that exposure to cocaine during fetal development may lead to subtle, but significant, deficits later, especially with behaviors that are crucial to success in the classroom, such as blocking out distractions and concentrating for long periods of time. What ECSTASY DOES To Your BRAIN: 1 Ecstasy locks onto the millions of nerve cells in your brain that produce serotonin, one of many brain chemicals that help regulate mood. The nerve cells originate deep in the base of your brain in a region called the raphe nucleus. They sprout long, stringy fibers called axons that connect to more distant parts of the brain. Scientists believe serotonin released by these nerve cells causes feelings of well-being. 2. Finer than a strand of hair, axons can stretch to as long as 30 centimeters (1 foot). Axons help nerve cells communicate by carrying electrical signals. The signals trigger the release of serotonin from knobs called vesicles on the end of each axon. Serotonin is then secreted into the synaptic gap, a tiny space in between two nerve cells. 3. Serotonin molecules migrate across the synaptic gap and lock onto receptors located on neighboring nerve cells. In less than a millisecond, serotonin triggers the nerve cells to relay an electrical signal to other nerve cells. 4. Ecstasy causes vesicles to release too much serotonin. The chemical floods the synaptic gap and overstimulates neighboring receptors. Ecstasy also keeps serotonin from being reabsorbed, further increasing its concentration in the brain. Extreme serotonin levels cause temporary feelings of euphoria, or bliss. 5. New research shows that Ecstasy may cause nerve cell endings to initially swell, and then wither and die. Although they attempt to grow back, the new neurons function abnormally, resulting in a slew of behavioral problems, including depression and sleep disorders. Although the U.S. government has maintained a policy of strong opposition to marijuana use, the drug has found an appeal across generations. People attending high school in the early part of the twenty-first century are more likely to have parents who tried marijuana than people who attended high school in the 1950s or 1960s. This translates to a more tolerant attitude among some parents toward marijuana use in their children. Nevertheless, the 2003 NSDUH survey did find that lifetime use of marijuana is declining among teens. Youths who reported illicit drugs were fairly or very easy to obtain were more likely to use drugs. For example, almost 12 percent of youths aged 12 to 17 who reported that marijuana was fairly or very easy to obtain also reported using marijuana/hashish during the past month compared to 1 percent of those reporting that marijuana was difficult to obtain. Approximately 7 percent of those reporting that marijuana was fairly or very easy to obtain also reported using other illicit drugs compared to 2 percent of those reporting that marijuana was difficult to obtain. "In the United States, approximately three-fourths of all deaths among persons aged 10--24 years result from only four causes: motor-vehicle crashes, other unintentional injuries, homicide, and suicide. Results from the 1999 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey demonstrate that numerous high school students engage in behaviors that increase their likelihood of death from these four causes...[including alcohol and illicit drug use]" |
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 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.
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.
Tolerance
Tolerance to a drug takes place when an individual is exposed to the same drug repeatedly and begins to build up an resistance to the drugs effects. The body then adapts and develops a tolerance for the drug. The addiction that is produced is so powerful that it creates cravings in the user. These cravings for the drug are the result of its impact on the individual's memory with feelings of pleasantness and euphoria which the individual has come to associate with the taking of the drug.
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".
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