Many people make the assumption that addiction to drugs or alcohol is nothing more than a lack of self-discipline and control. This widely-held concept is common not only among people who have never been addicted, but also among alcoholics and drug addicts who blame themselves for not being strong enough to quit. The truth is that addiction is a powerful condition, one that is by its very nature difficult or even nearly impossible to overcome. It is not merely that the addict is weak-minded or doesn’t want to quit. Addiction is a trap into which a person can fall and in many cases will never find his or her way back out of. The first thing to understand about addiction is that it has two primary aspects: physiological and emotional. Attempting to address the problem from only one of these sides is all but guaranteed to end in failure. No matter how effectively you tackle the physiological component of a person’s addiction, you still must rehabilitate the person and put an end to the emotional dependence, and vice versa. Without doing so, you leave the person at risk of suffering a relapse and losing everything that he or she has worked so hard to achieve on the path to sobriety.
The high that a person feels after taking drugs or consuming alcohol is a result of the fact that the substance throws the naturally occurring chemical processes in the person’s body out of balance. For example, cocaine causes the brain to suddenly release enormous quantities of dopamine, a neurotransmitter chemical that is associated with sensations of pleasure, well-being and euphoria. Heroin and other drugs, on the other hand, mimic the action of dopamine. In either case, the person experiences a rush of pleasurable sensation. A similar effect is experienced with alcohol, which causes a major increase in the levels of endorphins in the brain. The reward mechanism takes over at this point and makes it all but certain that the person will become addicted. Whatever caused such a pleasurable sensation must, in the primitive “thinking” of the physiological reward mechanism, be beneficial to survival. Consequently, the person will feel compelled to get more of the drug. This function of the carrot being dangled in front of the horse to entice it to move forward is not the full picture in terms of physiological addiction. There is also a whip. In order to avoid damage caused by overload, the brain will adjust itself back towards the normal levels of balance in terms of neurotransmitter chemistry. For example, a heroin addict’s brain will typically start producing significantly less dopamine, on the basis that it does not need to since it is getting the chemical from an outside source. If the person suddenly stops taking the drug, he or she will suffer withdrawal symptoms which can be agonizing, due to the fact that the brain is now no longer receiving the chemicals that it needs to operate normally.
The emotional aspect of drug addiction is a trap in which the very thing that leads the person in is also the thing that keeps him or her there. Most people
who become addicted to drugs of alcohol get their start in substance abuse when they begin using chemical substances as a way to find relief. They are looking for a way to escape from the pressures and stress of life, and drugs or drinking offers them an escape. This refuge is only temporary, however, since the person is likely to build up a tolerance and start to experience less and less of a high. Further, the consequences of drug use will tend to make life less and less tolerable, with the result that the person increasingly seeks refuge in getting high or drunk. Before long, the time spent under the influence of the drug or alcohol is the only time when the person is “happy” or relaxed. In this way, the person becomes emotionally addicted. The chemical substance assumes the role of a substitute for actual skills of coping with life, and the person feels that without the drugs he or she would simply not be able to get by. Anyone hoping to fully overcome addiction must find a rehab program that effectively addresses both sides of the issue in order to pull the problem out from its roots.
Source: http://www.ehow.com/about_5407503_drugs-addictive_.html
Why Drugs and Alcohol Are Physically Addictive
Drug Addiction Is Also Emotional
The emotional aspect of drug addiction is a trap in which the very thing that leads the person in is also the thing that keeps him or her there. Most people who become addicted to drugs of alcohol get their start in substance abuse when they begin using chemical substances as a way to find relief. They are looking for a way to escape from the pressures and stress of life, and drugs or drinking offers them an escape. This refuge is only temporary, however, since the person is likely to build up a tolerance and start to experience less and less of a high. Further, the consequences of drug use will tend to make life less and less tolerable, with the result that the person increasingly seeks refuge in getting high or drunk. Before long, the time spent under the influence of the drug or alcohol is the only time when the person is “happy” or relaxed. In this way, the person becomes emotionally addicted. The chemical substance assumes the role of a substitute for actual skills of coping with life, and the person feels that without the drugs he or she would simply not be able to get by. Anyone hoping to fully overcome addiction must find a rehab program that effectively addresses both sides of the issue in order to pull the problem out from its roots.
Source: http://www.ehow.com/about_5407503_drugs-addictive_.html
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