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Describe the general situation at the present with the addicted person.
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Untitled Document
History of Drug Abuse
Having a history of drug abuse in your family can be very difficult and you may have wondered what it means for you. Are problems with drugs and alcohol a part of your future? Is your risk for becoming drug addict or alcoholic greater than for people who do not have a family history of drug abuse? If so, what can you do to lower your risk?
What is drug abuse?
Drug abuse is a serious health problem that includes four symptoms:
- Craving- A strong need, or urge, to use drugs.
- Loss of control- Not being able to stop using drugs once you have started.
- Physical dependence- Withdrawal symptoms, such as upset stomach, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety after stopping use.
- Tolerance- The need to use greater amounts of drugs to get "high".
Drug abuse is not determined only by the genes you inherit from your parents. In fact, when it comes to alcoholism, more than one–half of all children of alcoholics do not become alcoholics themselves. Research shows that many factors influence your risk of developing drug abuse problems. Some factors raise the risk while others lower it.
Genes are not the only things children inherit from their parents. How parents act and how they treat each other and their children has an influence on children growing up in the family. These aspects of family life also affect the risk for drug abuse. Researchers believe a person's risk increases if he or she is in a family with the following difficulties:
- an alcoholic or drug abusing parent is depressed or has other psychological problems
- both parents abuse alcohol and other drugs
- the parents drug and/or alcohol abuse is severe
- conflicts lead to aggression and violence in the family
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