Chemical Dependency

Besides the obvious appeal of the "high" or elation, which occurs subsequent to drug administration, a greater influence leading to an increased dosage and necessitated use, would seem the acquisition of tolerance. There are three subtypes, pharmacokinetic/dispositional tolerance, pharmacodynamic tolerance, and behavioral tolerance which all prove relevant in the drugs of abuse, with the exception of the stimulants (cocaine, methylphenidate, etc). Pharmacokinetic tolerance refers to the changes in substance distribution due to the bodies metabolism of the drug, while pharmacodynamic tolerance addresses the adaptive changes which have taken place within the system thereby reducing the efficacy of the drug. The final, behavioral tolerance, seems perhaps at once the most confusing and most compelling. Behavioral tolerance has to do with the learned tolerance in relation to a specific situation and it's environmental cues by which the body adapts and prepares itself thus minimizing the drugs effect ( 6). Thus the physiological dependence, or the need to administer the drug in order to maintain even a state of normalcy, is a direct result of these developed tolerances. It is the re-setting of the bodies homeostatic mechanisms in order to adapt for the effect of

One of the most powerful factors for relapse is stress, since it triggers the sense of drug seeking and craving behavior mostly during the abstinence period. This feeling of stress at the time is predictive of the rehabilitation period. Addicted individuals comparably show increased susceptibility to stressors than others who are not addicted. Examples of relapse inducing stressors include fear, anger, or sadness. Relapse and substance abuse costs and affects the individual, the community, and family in significant ways; it is also measurable through common aspects that include un-employability, loss of productivity, and mental health issues for the user. It also reduces their quality of life as shown through the increased rate of crimes, neglect of children, increase in violence, and dependency on non-familial support systems for

There are many models and theories which attempt to explain the causes of substance misuse and dependence. They range from those which highlight the importance of genetic and biological factors to those which stress social and psychological factors and those which may consider the ‘blame’ to be that of the dependent individual (Rassool 2009).

Addiction to drugs and alcohol has taken epidemic scale in the recent decades, the number of people affected by this disease has been increasing steadily and the age of drug and alcohol use initiation has sadly been decreasing, children as young as 12 years old are reported as addicts. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) estimated that 22.5 million Americans aged 12 and older self-reported needing treatment for alcohol or illicit drug use in 2014. Drug abuse and mental health disorders are commonly seen as coexisting conditions. They are among the top conditions that cause disability and carry a high burden in society.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) describes addiction as a, “chronic disease characterized by drug seeking and use that is compulsive, or difficult to control, despite harmful consequences” (“Understanding Drug Use and Addiction,” 2016). Long-term use can effect and change a person’s ability to learn, judge, and make decisions. Stress, memory issues, and behavior problems are also common side effects of extended drug use. There is not one single factor that can determine if a person will become addicted drugs. However, certain risk factors have been identified as predicting higher probabilities of addiction because of a person’s biology, environment, and development. Adolescents who abuse

Substance abuse involves the usage of psychoactive substances like drugs and alcohol for various reasons like excessive stress, low self-esteem, loneliness and much more. However,

Tolerance plays perhaps the most important role in promoting addiction. When we use a medication to treat an illness, a specific dose should produce the same response dose after dose. However, that is not true for opioids. With repeat use, opioids become less effective both at relieving pain and producing pleasure. We call this phenomenon tolerance.

Many people in the world are addicted to drugs and any kind of high they get is good for them. They get addicted and without help they will only get worse. The use of drugs makes one depend on them and you can slowly lose family, a job and your entire life. This dependency leads to addiction whether it be drinking or drugs. Substance use disorder refers exactly to its' name, it is substance use or substance dependency. Substance use also known as drug use disorder is a condition in which the use of one or more substances leads to clinically significant impairment or distress. You can miuse and abuse a drug, and although it sounds the same, they are two different scenarios. A drug misuse is using a drug for purposes it is not intended for.

Substance abuse disorders is easily defined when an “individual continues to use the substance despite experiencing negative consequences from their use. These negative consequences can include health problems; difficulties in their family, work, and social life; and financial and legal problems. They are said to be dependent on the substance when,” in addition to theses negative consequences, they build tolerance and experience withdrawal if they stop using the drug” (Martin, 2007, p. 265). Substance abuse dates back to the early Americans colonies with beer that was brought over by the pilgrims and more popularly the ratification of the Constitution to prohibit the use of alcohol

According to the Urban dictionary, a stimulant can refer to any drug the affect the activity in the central nervous system (CNS) or sympathetic nervous system (SNS). The most common recreational stimulants are called ?uppers? and include ADHD medications (Adderall, Ritalin, etc.), amphetamines, cocaine, and ecstasy. The more addictive stimulants can give you a sense of euphoria and an overall sense of well-being.?(D., 2004)

It is dopamine that is involved in the pleasure centers of the brain where motivation, reward, the experience of pleasure, and motor function take place. Methamphetamine’s ability to release dopamine rapidly in reward regions of the brain produces the euphoric “rush” or “flash” that many users experience. Repeated methamphetamine use can easily lead to addiction—a chronic, relapsing disease characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use.

Mind Chemistry: Repeated medication utilization changes the route in which your cerebrum feels joy and may likewise cause physical changes to nerve cells in the mind. These nerve cells use neurons to convey, and when an individual is dependent on a substance, for example, heroin it disturbs correspondence in the mind. This causes a single person to utilize a greater amount of the medication to compensate for the absence of neurotransmitters.

Drugs, withdrawals, poor medical, and psychological health are the most common stereotypes associated with substance dependence, but there is more to this psychological disorder than these mere stereotypes. Unlike substance abuse, substance dependence is a physical and psychological disorder when the user’s body is dependent on a substance or substances.

There are many experiments done which concluded the fact the addictive medication stimulate DA-comprising neurons and these neurons target the areas n brain that give boost to the addiction. Brain has a passageway in brain that links the individual to the sentiment of reward this is known as mesolimbic dopamine system. This circuit (VTA-NAc) basically exhilarate the reward system, manages humans response to rewards.

Drugs are substances other than food that affect the way your mind and body works (Al Robertson et al).