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Substance Abuse Psychology

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The Psychology of Substance Related Disorders Substance use has always been prevalent in society ever since recorded history in one way or another someone somewhere indulged. Scripture the wine flow like water Greeks and Romans drank as well, Chinese opium dens, and the American Indians even passed the peace pipe in sweat lodge rituals. Along with substance use another thing that hasn't changed are the different views and opinions surrounding these things? The United States wages war on drugs spending billions a year meanwhile manufacturing tobacco and alcohol as if they aren't harmful or addictive. Portugal on the other hand legalized all use and possession of all substances giving the power of free will and lowering the population of their …show more content…

It begins with euphoria. The smokers stress relief and light head, the stimulant user who gets the rush from their drug, heart pounding feeling like they can do anything. With each use the user is chasing that first feeling of euphoria building a tolerance, meaning that when the substance of choice is used it takes a little more and a little more to reach the desired feeling. With almost every substance no high or euphoria is ever as intense as the first one. Drug Addicts who keep using call it "chasing the Dragon" looking for that same feeling as the first high. As tolerance builds withdrawal symptoms begin to appear withdrawals vary with different types of substances. An alcoholic tends to get the shakes in vomits excessively. The cocaine addict suffers severe depression sometimes bordering suicidal. The body becomes used to these things being taken in, and adapts to it. When these substances are not used, the body reacts negatively. Withdrawal symptoms can be deadly especially in alcoholics. A person suffering from substance use disorder and experiencing withdrawal will do things out of character sometimes lashing out becoming violent, stealing or lying to use again. Once a person effected by this disorder for whatever reason decides they have had enough they can begin to recover. Recovery is when the individual uses one of many methods to become abstinent from one or more substances. Some will switch from one substance to another thinking it will be different more than not, becoming dependent again. With recovery comes the risk of relapse. A relapse is extremely common throughout history in those that have decided to recover for whatever reason the person decides to use again and repeat the cycle, or stops themselves before things get out of hand. (Stages of

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