1 post tagged “addiction”

Since this is my first post I want to make the best possible use of it so I am dedicating it to those who are suffering from some or the other kind of addiction. I want to throw light on hazards and side effects of these life taking menaces to those who have no intention of giving it up and extend support, encouragement and motivation with others who are trying to stop using drugs, prescription drugs, alcohol, tobacco or other addictive substances. I will discuss the symptoms of addiction, addiction recovery, and ways to quit like tapering and cold turkey, and withdrawal symptoms.

I have gone through this traumatic journey myself and the part that haunts me till date is that I wasn't the only one suffering. But all along with me I tortured my family my friends, and all those who loved me dearly and couldn't bear to see, what I wasn't able to, me throwing my precious life away. However, I feel blessed because today I am sitting right here, I have been clean for over seven months (the longest I have ever been), I am at the peak of my professional life, my parents and sisters trust me again and my friends are smiling. My people never gave up on me. They believed in me inspire of all the horrible things I did and said.

The only good that came out of those wretched things was that I learned who my "real" friends were. The people who I thought would have kicked harder when I would be down where the only hands that came to my rescue, when it was dark and I couldn't find any familiar faces. So here I am trying my best to see if in anyway I can repay my dear lord for his grace and kindness that he bestowed upon me and make difference in at least one person's life.

Addiction - Either You Kill it Or It Kills You!!!

People abuse substances such as drugs, alcohol, and tobacco for varied and complicated reasons, but it is clear that our society pays a significant cost. The toll for this abuse can be seen in our hospitals and emergency departments through direct damage to health by substance abuse and its link to physical trauma. Jails and prisons tally daily the strong connection between crime and drug dependence and abuse. Although use of some drugs such as cocaine has declined, use of other drugs such as heroin and "club drugs" has increased. Finding effective treatment for and prevention of substance abuse has been difficult. Through research, we now have a better understanding of the behavior. Studies have made it clear that drug education and prevention aimed at children and adolescents offers the best chance to curb abuse nationally. Many substances can bring on withdrawal—an effect caused by cessation or reduction in the amount of the substance used. Withdrawal can range from mild anxiety to seizures and hallucinations. Drug overdose may also cause death. Nearly all these drugs also can produce a phenomenon known as tolerance where you must use a larger amount of the drug to produce the same level of intoxication.

Tobacco: People cite many reasons for using tobacco, including pleasure, improved performance and vigilance, relief of depression, curbing hunger, and weight control. The primary addicting substance in cigarettes is nicotine. But cigarette smoke contains thousands of other chemicals that also damage health. Hazards include heart disease, lung cancer and emphysema, peptic ulcer disease, and stroke. Withdrawal symptoms of smoking include anxiety, hunger, sleep disturbances, and depression. Smoking is responsible for nearly a half million deaths each year. Tobacco use costs the nation an estimated $100 billion a year, mainly in direct and indirect health care costs. Although many people have a drink as a "pick me up," alcohol actually depresses the brain.

Alcohol lessens your inhibitions, slurs speech, and decreases muscle control and coordination, and may lead to alcoholism. Withdrawal from alcohol can cause anxiety, irregular heartbeat, tremor, seizures, and hallucinations. In its severest form, withdrawal combined with malnutrition can lead to a life-threatening condition called delirium tremens (DTs). Alcohol is the most common cause of liver failure in the US. The drug can cause heart enlargement and cancer of the esophagus, pancreas, and stomach. In addition to its direct health effects, officials associate alcohol abuse with nearly half of all fatal motor vehicle accidents. In 1992, the total economic cost of alcohol abuse was estimated at $150 billion. Marijuana (also known as grass, pot, weed, and herb): Marijuana, which comes from the plant Cannabis saliva, is the most commonly used illegal drug in the United States. The plant produces delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient associated with intoxication.

Marijuana resin, called hashish, contains an even higher concentration of THC. The drug is usually smoked, but it can also be eaten. Its smoke irritates your lungs more and contains more cancer-causing chemicals than tobacco smoke. Common effects of marijuana use include pleasure, relaxation, and impaired coordination and memory. Derived from the coca plant of South America, cocaine can be smoked, injected, snorted, or swallowed. The intensity and duration of the drug's effects depend on how you take it. Desired effects include pleasure and increased alertness. Overdose may result in death from decreased breathing. Because heroin is usually injected, often with dirty needles, use of the drug can trigger other health complications including destruction of your heart valves, HIV/AIDS, infections, tetanus, and botulism.

Causes

Use and abuse of substances such as cigarettes, alcohol, and illegal drugs may begin in childhood or the teen years. Certain risk factors may increase someone's likelihood to abuse substances. Factors within a family that influence a child's early development have been shown to be related to increased risk of drug abuse:

• Inappropriately aggressive or shy behavior in the classroom
• Poor social coping skills
• Poor school performance
• Association with a deviant peer group
• Perception of approval of drug use behavior

Symptoms

Friends and family may be among the first to recognize the signs of substance abuse. Early recognition increases chances for successful treatment. Signs to watch for include the following:

• Giving up past activities such as sports, homework, or hanging out with new friends
• Declining grades
• Aggressiveness and irritability
• Forgetfulness
• Disappearing money or valuables
• Feeling rundown, hopeless, depressed, or even suicidal
• Sounding selfish and not caring about others
• Use of room deodorizers and incense
• Paraphernalia such as baggies, small boxes, pipes, and rolling paper
• Getting drunk or high on drugs on a regular basis
• Lying, particularly about how much alcohol or other drugs he or she is using
• Avoiding friends or family in order to get drunk or high
• Planning drinking in advance, hiding alcohol, drinking or using other drugs alone
• Having to drink more to get the same high
• Believing that in order to have fun you need to drink or use other drugs
• Frequent hangovers Pressuring others to drink or use other drugs
• Taking risks, including sexual risks
• Having "blackouts"—forgetting what he or she did the night before
• Constantly talking about drinking or using other drugs
• Getting in trouble with the law
• Drinking and driving
• Suspension from school or work for an alcohol or drug-related incident
  
  Once again I urge all of you to please consider your life over and above anything. Sometimes we want to stop we know we need help yet we feel afraid to talk thinking what the other person may feel. Trust me, if the other person loves you truly, he or she would be more than happy to help you and if they condemn you, then they were never yours to begin with and they don’t deserve you. Please feel free to mail me on kapur9@yahoo.com for more information or if you just want to talk. Family and Friends if you’ll have the slightest doubt that your dear one may be an addict confront him/her before it’s too late.

(Article courtesy: http://www.emedicinehealth.com/)

Be Blessed!!!

Warm Regards,

Aarti Kapoor!!