Tag Archives: Substance abuse

Polysubstance Abuse, You can fight Polysubstance Abuse

August 15, 2014

Fighting Polysubstance Abuse – Drug Addiction

Polysubstance abuse

Fighting polysubstance abuse- the war on drugs must be worn at all cost. Indulgence in polysubstance abuse is not helping fight the war.

We are living in a world where people want to explore all things even those things that are dangerous to their lives. Take for example drugs, there are substances which are not just harmful to one’s life but are life threatening and fatal. You would therefore wonder why someone would want to take this kind of adventure. I am not trying to confuse you here but I am talking about what is known as polysubstance abuse which is defined as the use of more than three groups of addictive substances over a period of one year. This normally happens when a person indulges in acts of abusing several substances within a short period of time, often in an attempt to enhance the effect of a single drug to create a more intense high. We can therefore conclude that polysubstance abuse is where no single substance is identified as the user’s drug of choice.

Some combination drug users have “patterned” use. These include:

  • Alcoholics who for example use will cocaine only after they’ve reached a certain state of intoxication meaning that they don’t overuse.
  • Addicts who speed ball that is to say that they are mixing cocaine and heroin for intravenous use and other combinations.
  • There is another polysubstance subgroup, consisting mostly of adults already addicted to alcohol. After an injury or surgery, they were placed on opiate medications and developed a pain syndrome over time. They then mixed substances or switched to opiates as their drug of choice.

Polysubstance Abuse among Different Populations

Adult polysubstance abuse, according to literature, is often associated with other mental health conditions. Homelessness, personality disorders, and psychiatric disorders such as major depression, psychosis, and bipolar disorder are common. The overlap of polysubstance dependence and psychiatric problems points to a lot of self-medication. Typically, among multiple substance users, individuals used alcohol or marijuana at an early age and then added other substances (or changed their drugs of choice) without quitting their original substances.

  • Among young people, polysubstance abuse is often the norm, and not the exception. The most commonly abused polysubstance by adolescents are marijuana, alcohol, and heroin. Other drugs used include MDMA (ecstasy), dextromethorphan, multiple forms of opiates, cocaine, hallucinogens, and inhalants.
  • A 2004 study of young people reported that one-half had used an illicit street drug by the end of their senior year. Two million young people need treatment for alcohol and drug addiction, but only 8 percent actually get it. Nearly one-third of young people addicted to psycho-stimulants also suffered from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and 20 percent said they gave their medications to others.
  • One treatment facility said that 33 percent of the adolescents currently in treatment had polysubstance addiction.
  • The elderly are another population that clearly has a problem with polysubstance abuse.
  • Older people have more medical conditions that often require prescriptions. Over time with debilitating illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease the tendency to over medicate (taking more of a drug, more often, forgetting when and if medication was already taken) increases the likelihood of polysubstance abuse. Combined with alcohol, the results can be devastating, even fatal.
  • Elderly women tend to keep their substance abuse and chemical dependency secret. Alcoholism occurs later in women’s lives, perhaps due to problems associated with divorce or separation. Women who are over 55 have less tolerance for alcohol and are therefore more prone to addiction. They are also less likely than men to seek treatment and also use prescribed psychoactive drugs.
  • Polysubstance abuse is increasingly prevalent among the street drug user population. Different substances abused include heroin, prescription opioids, benzodiazepines, cocaine, crack, alcohol, and marijuana.

Detoxification for Polysubstance Abuse and Addiction

Before treatment to address underlying causes of polysubstance addiction, detoxification must first be done. Detox is more complex and problematic with polysubstance addiction for several reasons. An accurate history of total substances abused must be obtained, and the patient may not be able or willing to provide complete details. Determination of the actual substance being used has to be made using screens for breath, urine, and/or blood.

  • Some patients can be treated on an outpatient basis, but others, particularly those with alcohol, sedative, hypnotic, opioid, and anxiolytic abuse may require hospitalization or inpatient detox. Repeated abstinence failures or severe anxiety, depression, or psychotic symptoms lasting 1 to 3 days after abstinence may also require inpatient substance abuse treatment.
  • After patients admitted for detox for opioids began to show classic alcohol withdrawal symptoms, some treatment professionals opted to routinely treat their detox patients with thiamine until a determination could be made that there was no history of alcohol use.
  • Diagnosis and treatment of patients who have been on psychotropic medications while they were already addicted is more difficult.
  • If a patient doesn’t know, or is unable to discuss, use of opioid drugs and it’s been days since their last drug use, opiate withdrawal symptoms can lag. Urine screens my not be able to detect the drug.
  • Treatment for mixed addiction that also includes alcohol use may include benzodiazepines during the acute phase of alcohol withdrawal. Benzodiazepines can help decrease tremors and prevent or reduce increases in heart rate and blood pressure.
  • Medication to treat symptoms of diarrhea or muscle aches may also be prescribed. Folic acid, thiamine, and Vitamin B-12 may counteract vitamin deficiencies.

Evaluation Factors

The length of the treatment program is determined by how long and what type of substance dependence the patient has, whether or not organ damage exists, any underlying mental illness, the patient’s desire to change and willingness to undergo treatment, adequacy of the patient’s social support system, treatment choice, and plans for ongoing care.

Treatment after Detox

After drug use patterns and substances have been identified, a thorough psychological evaluation is necessary. There needs to be enough time for detox, history evaluation, and a thorough understanding of any psychiatric conditions that exist.

Although there are many different aspects of treatment, they generally include four phases.

The acute phase – this is where the focus is on alleviating symptoms or physiological withdrawal. This typically lasts 3 to 5 days, but is dependent on the number, type, and length of substances abused.

The abstinence period – this phase concentrates on changing the patient’s behavior which is usually about one month

The early remission phase – follows and can last up to 12 months. The sustained remission phase lasts as long as the patient refrains from alcohol or substance use and no longer exhibits any of the criteria for polysubstance abuse.

Treatment during early remission may involve education on the physical, emotional, and psychological aspects of addiction and recovery. The patient learns to identify stressors and triggers that cause drug use. They learn ways to manage those stressors and also build up coping skills. They can also undergo assertiveness training and relaxation techniques.

Polysubstance Addiction – Is There Hope?

Fighting polysubstance abuse is more difficult than abuse of a single substance, but it can be successful. The likelihood of success depends on the individual’s determination and discipline to follow through on the requirements to abstain completely from substance abuse. Such determination and discipline does not come easily, especially for hard-core or long-term abusers and addicts. There may be repeated relapses before stability becomes a part of the recovering addict’s life. After treatment, recovery from polysubstance abuse and addiction just like for any addiction requires ongoing diligence and participation in a support network. While understanding the difficulty involved in treatment and recovery of this nature doctor Dalal Akoury established AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center facility to help in the treatment of all kinds of addiction. Doctor Akoury cares for you and she is riding on more than two decades of experience. Calling on doctor Akoury will benefits you since she will attend to you in the most natural way by focusing on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE

Fighting Polysubstance Abuse – Drug Addiction

 

 

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Alcoholic Relapse

August 14, 2014

Alcoholic Relapse – Social and Emotional Causes

Alcohol

In treating drug addiction relapse will be a common occurrence. Alcoholic relapsing need not to give up as this is normal and will be over-come with time.

Relapse is a common occurrence in management of various addictions. When a recovering patient relapses several times they may get discouraged but this is generally not an indication of treatment failure but just a confirmation that some progress is being made and more needs to be done in the same line. The truth is over 80% of people treated for alcoholism relapse not just during treatment but even after years of abstinence. Patients and their caregivers should understand that relapses of alcoholism are analogous to recurrent flare-ups of chronic physical diseases. Factors that place a person at high risk for relapse include:

  • Frustration and anger
  • Social pressure
  • Internal temptation

Mental and Emotional Stress – Alcohol blocks out emotional pain and is often perceived as a loyal friend when human relationships fail. It is also associated with freedom and with a loss of inhibition that offsets the tedium of daily routines. When the alcoholic tries to quit drinking, the brain seeks to restore what it perceives to be its equilibrium. The brain responds with depression, anxiety, and stress (the emotional equivalents of physical pain), which are produced by brain chemical imbalances. These negative moods continue to tempt alcoholics to return to drinking long after physical withdrawal symptoms have abated.

Codependency – Many aspects of the ex-drinker’s relationships change when drinking stops, making it difficult to remain abstinent:

  • One of the most difficult problems that occur is being around other people who are able to drink socially without danger of addiction. A sense of isolation, a loss of enjoyment, and the ex-drinker’s belief that pity, not respect, is guiding a friend’s attitude can lead to loneliness, low self-esteem, and a strong desire to drink again.
  • Friends may not easily accept the sober, perhaps more subdued, ex-drinker. Close friends and even intimate partners may have difficulty in changing their responses to this newly sober person and, even worse, may encourage a return to drinking.
  • To preserve marriages, spouses of alcoholics often build their own self-images on surviving or handling their mates’ difficult behavior and then discover that they find it difficult to adjust to new roles and behaviors.

In order to maintain abstinence, the ex-drinker may need to separate from these enablers. Close friends and family members can find help in understanding and dealing with these issues through social groups.

Social and Cultural Pressures – The media has become a powerful communication tool for the pleasures of drinking in advertising and programming. The medical benefits of light-to-moderate drinking are frequently publicized, giving ex-drinkers the false excuse of returning to alcohol for their health.

Risk Factors

It is amazing that even with obvious health risk of alcohol people are still very much into drinking. It has become a global problem with the west taking the lead in alcohol abuse. America for example is struggling with this problem of alcohol abuse with most under age getting into drinking habit. Most American adults drink at levels that put them at risk for alcohol dependence and alcohol-related problems. Let us therefore look at some of the risk factors for alcohol dependence may include:

Age

Drinking in Adolescence – we all know that alcohol consumption is very unhealthy in all dimensions, the risks of alcohol use gets more complicated depending on when one begins taking alcohol and the duration of usage. For instance anyone who begins drinking in adolescence is at risk for developing alcoholism. The earlier a person begins drinking, the greater the risk and so young people at highest risk for early drinking are those with a history of abuse, family violence, depression, and stressful life events. People with a family history of alcoholism are also more likely to begin drinking before the age of 20 and to become alcoholic. Such adolescent drinkers are also more apt to underestimate the effects of drinking and to make judgment errors, such as going on binges or driving after drinking, than young drinkers without a family history of alcoholism.

Drinking in the Elderly Population – Although alcoholism usually develops in early adulthood the elderly are not safe either. They are also affected though in a different way for example those who maintain the same drinking patterns as they age can easily develop alcohol dependency without realizing it. It will take a fewer drinks to become intoxicated, and older organs can be damaged by smaller amounts of alcohol than those of younger people. Besides all these, many medications prescribed for older people interact adversely with alcohol.

Gender

Majority of alcohol users are men though the women population drinking is also rising by the day. Studies suggest that women are more vulnerable than men to many of the long-term consequences of alcoholism. For example, women are more likely than men to develop alcoholic hepatitis and to die from cirrhosis, and again they are more vulnerable to the brain cell damage caused by alcohol.

History of Abuse

The load of individuals past life style will have great significance in the present. Those brought up by alcoholic parents have a higher risk for substance abuse later in life. In one study, 72% of women and 27% of men with substance abuse disorders reported physical or sexual abuse or both. They also had worse response to treatment than those without such a history.

Psychiatric and Behavioral Disorders

Psychiatric Disorders – Severely depressed or anxious people are at high risk for alcoholism, smoking, and other forms of addiction. Likewise, a large proportion of alcohol-dependent people suffer from an accompanying psychiatric or substance abuse disorder. Either anxiety or depression may increase the risk for self-medication with alcohol. Depression is the most common psychiatric problem in people with alcoholism or substance abuse. Alcohol abuse is very common in patients with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Long-term alcoholism itself may cause chemical changes that produce anxiety and depression. It is not always clear, then, whether people with emotional disorders are self-medicating with alcohol, or whether alcohol itself is producing mood swings.

In conclusion, I believe you’re up to date with the social aspects of alcohol use. In our introduction we illustrated how relapse is a common happening addiction treatment and probably this is your area of concern and I want to offer you an opportunity to get over it. This is not something you can go through on your own, you will need the opinion of experts in this line and Dr. Dalal Akoury who is also the founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center is the person you need right now. She is offering her exclusive NER Recovery Treatment to every addicted patients in the most natural and professional way. Choosing to call doctor Akoury is the best thing you can do to help you overcome your addiction problems and get your life back in real time.

Alcoholic Relapse – Social and Emotional Causes

 

 

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Drug Addiction and Suicide

August 11, 2014

Drug Addiction and Suicide – Addiction’s Hidden Risks

Addiction

Drug addiction is an indicator to suicide. It brings depression and painful stress that can only result in suicide, seek for help before it is too late

I love life and I strongly believe that you do too. Each person has his or her own peculiar reasons of being a live and there are so many set objectives that we want to accomplish while still alive. These objectives are either set to us by people around us or our own desired goals but the bottom line is that we have them. We may not be able to achieve these objectives if we are not sober in our minds. To be sober we must all desire to stay away from all kind of drugs and drug related activities or influences. We must make all efforts to ensure that our neighborhood is safe and free from any kind of substance abuse. Our children must be brought up morally sound and any element of depression avoided by all means. Doing this should be a collective responsibility to everyone because the consequences of drugs are fatal and suicidal. Therefore anyone who cares about an addict will have several concerns. For instance:

  • The fear of getting serious accident and other body injuries
  • The fear of losing a loved one
  • The fear of drug overdose
  • The fear of committing suicide

These are weighty concerns but for the purpose of this article we will dwell more on the suicide as a consequence emanating from drug abuse. To start us off suicide is a well-known risk for those suffering from mental health problems requiring special medical attention in the assessment and treatment of addiction. You must take keen attention on depression and other mood disorders because these are the primary indicators of risk factors for suicide. Besides this alcohol and general drug abuse are also influential in triggering suicide. As a matter of fact studies have established that alcoholism is a strong indicator even without being depressed and those suffering from drug use disorders are said to be about six times likely to commit suicide than the population not using drugs.

Drug abuse does not only increase the likelihood that a person will take his or her own life, but it is also used as a means for committing suicide. Statistics indicate that for every three people dying from suicide one will be as a result of drug influence and specifically opiates such as oxycodone or heroin, or alcohol. Poisoning is another leading method used in suicide deaths again drugs make up to 75 percent of suicide deaths due to poisoning.

Drug Addiction and Suicide –When Hope Runs Out

Have you ever wondered why suicide is the tragic fate of so many people struggling with addiction? There are a few possible explanations which may include the following:

  • When under the influence of drugs or alcohol, people may lose inhibitions and take risks they would not do when sober.
  • Many people abuse drugs or alcohol in an attempt to relieve the symptoms of depression, anxiety or other mental health conditions.
  • The rate of major depression is two to four times higher among addicts than the general population.

Although drugs may seem to help in the short term, they exacerbate problems over time. When attempting to stop using drugs, people may feel overwhelmed by the return of painful emotions that they had been medicating with drugs. They may also be clear-headed enough to carry out suicidal thoughts and plans. Transitions, such as entering or leaving treatment, relapse, and death, divorce or other major life changes, can be especially vulnerable times.

Abusing drugs, especially depressants such as alcohol or sedatives, can also trigger symptoms of depression, increasing the risk of suicide. As the consequences of addiction pile up, from legal problems and damaged relationships to financial ruin and job loss, individuals may lose all hope that things can get better and for some the feeling of impossibilities may take center stage where victims only see two possible ways of relief i.e. getting back into drugs use or death.

Drug Addiction and Suicide – Treatment and Prevention

The best way of solving the problem of suicide is to prevent it from taking place however treatment will be very fundamental if you are already deep into drugs. It is estimated that about 45% of suicide patients are those suffering from untreated drug abuse disorders. This great number is due to several factors like stigma. Many people often fail to seek for help because of the stigma besides luck of proper training in suicide prevention. It is important that individuals suffering from drug addiction owns up early and seek for immediate recovery process. This will go a long way in containing the situation and suicide can be prevented as a result of treatment.

There are very few primary care physicians trained to help identify and prevent suicide nonetheless the few in administering treatment must not shy away from establishing the genesis of the problem by asking turf questions that would not otherwise be asked. Such questions will be helpful is addressing suicidal ideation even when the patient is struggling or has in the past struggled with addiction, depression or other mental health disorders. It is important that someone ask the difficult question like;

  • Whether the patient has ever considered or attempted suicide
  • Whether they are currently think about or intend to commit suicide.

The patients need to be shown love and let them know that they are not alone and that they are cared for. Impacting the spirit of hope in them is very vital this can be a collaborative effort between them and their loved ones to help create a lasting recovery plan that guarantees their safety and then addressing the underlying issues in trust by a trusted health provider.

Drug Addiction and Suicide – Threats

We worry about the addicts in our lives for good reason. They are at high risk of death by a number of causes including:

  • Diseases
  • Accident
  • Suicide

Suicide prevention requires a multifaceted approach, but it all hinges on the person reaching out for help and effective treatment being available when they take that brave step of turning away from their behaviors. Finally a decision to seek for help is the best thing you can do for yourself. You may want to seek for expert opinion at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care. Doctor Akoury is a medical professional with several decades of experience and together with her team of experienced experts they will focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE

Drug Addiction and Suicide – Addiction’s Hidden Risks

 

 

 

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Manage Addiction: Drug Addiction Withdrawal Diet

August 10, 2014

Drug Addiction Withdrawal Diet

What is a withdrawal diet?

A withdrawal diet refers to a program of food(s) which have been devised to counter the effects caused by the addictive drugs in the addict’s body. The nutritional values of the foods form the basis on which the diets are chosen from. These foods provide the body with ingredients which it requires to fight the effects of the drug such as craving for the drug and side effects during the period of recovering from addiction. Another important role of the diet should be to help heal the damaged parts of the body or organs.

Before a diet is devised to help in recovery from addiction, there is need to first understand the substance which is causing the addiction. This will help to assess the harm it is likely to cause in the body and the various organs likely to be affected. The most affected body organ by almost all the addictive substances is the brain. Brain controls the functioning of all the other body organs and if it is affected by the drug, the functioning of the other body parts may change. A good recovery diet should focus on the affected areas and restore them to their functional states.

How do I understand the effects of a drug addiction?

Before choosing a diet, it is important to first understand the effects that the addictive substance has to our bodies. Most of the addictive substances have two major effects on our bodies. These are:-

  • The substance itself may affect the body, due to its chemical compounds.
  • The substance addiction may cause negative lifestyle changes, such as irregular eating, poor dieting, uncontrolled consumption of the addictive substance despite negative effects it has, among other effects.

What should my diet include to help me in recovery?

In the process of recovery, you may not be able to reverse all the damage caused by the drug. The good thing though is that a good nutrition can go a long way towards rebuilding a body that is stronger, healthier and even more attractive. There are key nutrients that these foods should have, in order to be able to offer the recovering power needed. In this guide, we will look at the general important nutrients which can help you recovery from varieties of addiction from different drugs. The following are some of these nutrients:-

  • Take foods rich in protein- proteins are the building blocks for our brains. Any recovering brain should therefore be supplied with sufficient amount of proteins. In the cases when the drug has affected the liver, if not too badly damaged, quality protein can help make it work efficiently. The choice of these proteins is equally important, as you should choose proteins that are easy to digest. Such sources of easily digestible proteins are fish, poultry and beans. Apart from the easy to digest proteins, the withdraw diet must include abundant potassium. For the potassium eat lots of easiest protein to digest and
    also if you’re a vegan take a few spoons of amino acid powder with your meals. What I recommend is cooking tasty chicken vegetable soup with lots of ginger etc.
  • Take foods rich in fiber – most of the addictive substances, especially alcohol interferes with your digestive system, fiber intake is vital during recovery. Try to gradually start replacing your floor foods with whole grain foods. Foods such as brown rice, black beans, peas, artichokes and whole grain pasta will provide your body with valuable roughages for restoration of your digestive system functioning.
  • Try going decaf – it is a fact that the caffeine which is found in drinks such as sodas, tea and some other drinks is stimulating. While you are trying to recover from a stimulant addiction, it may trigger hard to resist cravings due to moods fluctuations. This makes it difficult to avoid taking the drug. It is also important to note that the stimulant found in such drugs can also be a habit forming and addictive. Avoid them!

Withdrawal Diet

  • As much as possible, avoid sugary foods and refined carbohydrates – in the same way as caffeine, sugar and refined carbohydrates can cause mood fluctuations hence causing harder to resist cravings for the substance. They also have another disadvantage in that they give your body empty calories hence making you less likely to eat nutrients that your body desperately needs.
  • Eat foods rich in antioxidants – these nutrients play a big role in restoring your immune system. They do this by protecting cells from free radical damage that can lead to cancer. Foods rich in these nutrients are fruits and vegetables. Consider including some of the following fruits in your diet:- apples, strawberries, blueberries etc, or vegetables like; broccoli, peppers, carrots etc in every daily meals.
  • If your addiction had something to do with the diet you were taking, consider a diet do-over: look back and see the damage that the addiction has caused to your body and see whether it was triggered by your diet. If the diet played a role, consider completely doing and overhaul and begin eating healthy. Ensure that you are supplying your body with the correct nutrients that it requires.

Are you struggling with recovery from addiction? Or are you an addict and you feel it’s time to seek your help? All you need to do is to call or visit: Awaremed wellness and resource center (www.awaremednetwork.com)

Drug Addiction Withdrawal Diet

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The Neurobiology Of Abuse, Addiction And Chemical Dependency

July 27, 2014

What is neurobiology?

Neurobiology is the study of nervous system cells and their organization into the functional circuits that process information and mediate behavior. Neurobiology is different from neuroscience, since neuroscience is much broader and looks at the study of the nervous system generally. Neurobiology focuses on the study of neurons, which are cells that are specialized to receive, propagate and transmit electrochemical impulses. Scientist have identified that in the human brain alone, there are over hundred billion neurons.

Is there any relationship between Abuse, Addiction and Dependency?

There can actually be argued that all these are related in one way or the other. In this case, the main condition which can be triggered by all the others is addiction. For instance, when a person develops a chemical dependency, it becomes impossible for the person to survive without taking the drug. This makes the person to make the drug part of his/her life. The prolonged usage of this drug will eventually result into addiction of the person by the drug.

On the other hand, looking at what abuse is, it is the usage of drug for a purpose other than the intended use of the substance. It can also be defined as the improper usage of a drug, whereby if it was a prescription drug, the patient uses it the wrong way and not the way the doctor recommended. This may result to drug resistance and thus the person will be required to use higher amount of the same drug if in future it is to produce the equivalent effects as before. This with time results to addiction to the drug and consequently the person will not be able to live without the drug.

How do drugs work in the human brain?

Most addictive drugs work by altering the way the brain works. The effect of the drugs that addicts look for (especially stimulants) occurs by alterations in the brain to trigger pleasure. One drugs get into the brain, they tap into the brain’s communication system. Once they are inside the brain’s communication system, they disrupt the way nerve cells normally send, receive and process information. The following are the ways through which the drugs work in the brain;

  • Imitation of the natural transmitters – natural transmitters are the chemical messengers in the brain. Due to the similarity in the chemical structure between drugs and these neurotransmitters, the drugs are able to false fully activate the nerve systems and hence make them send abnormal messages through their network.
  • Overstimulation of the reward system – this occurs by flooding the circuit with dopamine., which is a neurotransmitter present in regions of the brain that regulate movement, emotion, motivation and general feelings of pleasure in the body. Almost all the drugs abused are able to activate this system, especially the stimulants. This is why the users of such drugs frequently want to use them due to the pleasure they get from the drugs’ use.

How does the process of addiction entail?

Drug addiction is not something that happens overnight. It is a process that relatively takes a long period before a person becomes an addict. This period will though vary from person to the other. The common changes that will occur in the human brain before addiction occurs are discussed below.

  • Brain adaptation – with time, the brain adjusts to the surges in dopamine by decreasing the number of dopamine receptors available. This will reduce the functioning of the reward system circuit. This results to the drug user having now to take higher amounts of the drug substance in order to attain the effect they could easily attain before after just taking a little of the drug substance. This effect is the one termed a tolerance, and the drug user at this stage is said to be tolerant to the drug.
  • Other than the dopamine, there will be other changes in the brain – the prolonged abuse of drug substances lead to damage in the brain chemical system, including glutamate and the neurotransmitter that influences the reward system circuits and also the ability to learn. Impairment in the brain can occur sometimes, especially when the optimal concentration of glutamate is altered by the drug abuse.
  • Trigger of conscious memory systems- the abuse of drugs can trigger the conscious memory systems. From psychology, conditioning is a way of learning. In this case, the environmental cues such as certain people and places may become associated with the drug and hence trigger uncontrollable cravings if the individual is exposed to these cues, even when the drug itself is not available.
  • Addiction – this is actually the step in which almost all the other alterations in the brain leads to. The brain imaging studies of drug addicted persons have indicated that changes in the areas of brain that are critical to judgment, decision making , learning and memory and also behavior control. This seeks to explain why addiction occurs, since these changes are likely what drive the drug abusers to seek out and take drugs compulsively, even when they have negative effects on their bodies.

Finally, I wish to remind you that addiction is curable and you just need to seek the qualified professional to help you out in the recovery process.

Is there any relationship between Abuse, Addiction and Dependency?

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