| Seeking Help For |
|
| Age Group | |
| Main Drug Abused |
|
Describe the general situation at the present with the addicted person.
Subscribe to Weekly Newsletter
Contact me by :
Google Bookmarks
— 
Share with a friend
Untitled Document
Definition for Drug Addiction
The definition for drug addiction is the compulsive seeking and use of an addictive substance, regardless of the potentially negative social, psychological, and physical consequences. While not everyone who uses drugs becomes addicted, many people do. As many as 19,000 people die of drug-related causes each year.
In the past, it was believed that drug addiction only applied to those who people that needed to use alcohol or drugs daily. It was also thought that only those who experienced withdrawal symptoms (vomiting, seizures, cramps, death) when they abruptly stopped using the substance were drug addicts. Another common belief is that drug addiction only happens to the poor, the unemployed, or to those from the inner city.
These are serious misconceptions of the definition for drug addiction. Many drug addicts do not use drugs or consume alcohol on a daily basis and do not necessarily experience physical withdrawal symptoms when they stop using. In fact, a majority of drug addicted individuals are employed and appear to be functioning normally to those around them.
The most recent scientific research speculates that some people may be more prone to drug addiction than others and that there may be genes that predispose certain people to addiction. Some consider drug addiction a "disease," an inherited condition that renders the individual ill genetically for the remainder of their life, even after many years of sobriety. However, an even more important factor in the cause of addiction may be social circumstances, which include:
- advertising or media influence
- easy access
- emotional distress
- low self-esteem
- patterns of use in the addict's family or subculture
- peer pressure
|
