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Drug Addiction

By ACS Distance Education on December 7, 2015 in | comments

The types of substances which people may become dependent upon include illicit drugs (cannabis, heroin, cocaine, etc.) and legal drugs (alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, over-the-counter medications and prescription medications). There are also behaviours which induce similar highs to substances which can also become addictive, which we'll come to later.  


Drugs of Addiction

There are many different substances which people can become dependent upon. Anyone who develops a use disorder to a substance will use that substance in excess. Currently, those substances for which there are recognised mental health disorders include:

  • Cannabis
  • Hallucinogens
  • Inhalants
  • Opioids (synthetic medications similar to opiates)
  • Sedatives, Hypnotics & Anxiolytics
  • Stimulants
  • Alcohol
  • Tobacco
  • Caffeine
  • Other, unknown substances

Whilst many people often use more than one substance, a diagnosis is usually made on the basis of the substance which is considered the most important one to the person. The DSM-IV used the term 'poly-substance related disorder' to refer to those who have more than one prevalent substance use disorder or who use indiscriminately, but the most recent DSM suggests to record each diagnosis of a substance use disorder separately.

Hallucinogens include psychedelic drugs like LSD (lysergic acid dyethylemide) and mescaline. Inhalants are drugs which are sniffed. They can include drugs such as amyl nitrate which is volatile at room temperature when exposed to air, as well as aerosol and glue vapours which are often sniffed from polythene bags.

Opioids are synthetic medications which are used to treat pain. Examples include oxycodone, hydrocodone and hydromorphone. They are very similar to opiates like morphine and heroin in their action on the nervous system but they are not derived from opium.

Sedatives, hypnotics and anxiolytics are depressants - they are said to produce a 'downer'. Sedatives are tranquilisers intended to reduce over activity or irritability. Benzodiazepines are an example. Alcohol produces similar effects.  Hypnotics are intended to induce sleep and are also known as sleeping pills. Anxiolytics are intended to reduce anxiety symptoms.  

Stimulants include many drugs which produce an 'upper' or stimulating effect on the central nervous system. Effects include wakefulness, alertness and increased heart rate. Many drugs like caffeine for instance can induce these effects but from a substance use disorder perspective this group includes the likes of amphetamines and cocaine.    

 

Why People Take Drugs

When we look at addictions to substances one of the first questions which springs to mind is "Why do people take drugs?" As we have already seen, one of the reasons is because they can get "high" but is that why all people take drugs? The answer, of course, is no. In fact, the first time of taking a substance such as nicotine, opiates or alcohol can be dysphoric and even cause nausea yet people often take it again.

People may take drugs to overcome psychological or physical pain. They may take them to treat diseases, or to try and gain insight into the human condition through altered states of consciousness. Sometimes people want to move from a depressed state of mind to a less depressed one or a negative state of mind to a less negative one. The effects of any given drug for each person can be quite different.

Another reason people may take drugs is because they are available. Some like alcohol and nicotine are freely and legally available. Others have developed dependence to prescribed medications. In particular many people became addicted to opioids and barbiturates prescribed by doctors in the early part of the twentieth century, and later to benzodiazepines. Prescription medications such as pain relievers, depressants and stimulants are effective in the treatment of many health conditions.  The most commonly abused medications are:

  •     Opioids – treat pain.
  •     CNS depressants – treat anxiety and sleep disorders.
  •     Stimulants – treat narcolepsy and ADHD.

Although most people use them responsibly a small minority abuse them i.e. they are taken by another person other than for who they were prescribed, or they are taken in a manner or dosage other than what was described. They can lead to severe health effects and sometimes addiction.

Illicit drugs may be available on the black market and relatively easy to obtain depending on an individual's location and social network. More recently, some illicit drugs have been obtained by people with few contacts or living in remote regions using the 'dark net' - a hidden part of the internet only accessible using specific software.