Alcohol

Alcohol

"Alcohol is the type of depressants. Alcohol is any beverage  containing ethyl alcohol, including beer, wine and liquor."
According to World Health Organization (WHO) 2 billion people worldwide consume alcohol. In United States every two third of all uses drinks which contain alcohol.

Binge drinking episode

"When people consume five or more than five drinks of alcohol on the single event it is known as binge drinking episode."

Ethyl Alcohol

All alcoholic drinks contain ethyl alcohol. Ethyl alcohol is a chemical that readily absorbed into the bloodstream through the lining of stomach and intestine. Blood stream carried it to the central nervous system.

 Effects of Ethyl Alcohol

Ethyl Alcohol effects directly and immediately to the addict's body and brain. There are some points to describe the effects of ethyl alcohol on our body and brain.

• It acts to depress and or slow down the functioning of brain by binding with various neurons. Ethyl alcohol normally binds with the group of neurons which receive the neurotransmitter GABA. When ethyl alcohol binds with neurons these neurons send inhibitory message to the GABA. Then GABA stop the neurons and help the body to relax. 
• Second effect of the ethyl alcohol is it depresses the areas of brain that control judgement. With the use of ethyl alcohol person looses control of his body and brain, become more talkative, and friendly. When alcohol is more absorbed in bloodstream it slowed down the more areas of central nervous system. Then they feel difficulty in judgement., he shows irrelevant speech, also shows some memory difficulties.
• Addicts also posses some motor difficulties. He loses control of his body. He may drop things, hit into the door or furniture, and he may also have some judgement difficulties. His vision become distorted and have hearing difficulties. That's why people who drink lot of alcohol  may have difficulty in driving and problem solving.

Concentration of Alcohol

 Effects of alcohol largely depends on the concentration of alcohol or it's amount in the bloodstream. It also depends on the age and the gender of the person. It has less effect on aged people than young ones. Women also posses more effects than men with the same amount of dose of alcohol.
Levels of impairment are closely related to concentration of alcohol in the bloodstream. When the alcohol concentration reaches to 0.06 percent of the blood volume, a person usually feel relaxed and comfortable. When it reaches to 0.09 percent, however, the addict crosses the line of intoxication. If the level goes to 0.55 percent death will almost expected result. 

Alcohol Abuse

 When a person reaches to the level of alcohol abuse he start drinking large amount of alcohol so that he can work otherwise he can not work effectively. He depends on alcohol and can not live without it. It interfere his personal, professional, social, and occupational life. MRI Scan shows that heavy drinks of alcohol effects some regions of brain that may cause impaired memory, thinking, attention, balance etc.
People differ in their pattern of alcohol abuse. Some people uses large amount of drinks until they reaches to intoxication while other uses alcohol once in months and weeks and never reaches to the level of intoxication.

Alcohol dependence/addiction

Some people crosses the level of alcohol abuse and reaches to the level of alcohol addiction. In this level they depends on alcohol. Their body develop tolerance for alcohol and they have to increase the dose of alcohol when their body develop tolerance to get pleasurable effect. Whenever they quit the use of alcohol or take low doses of alcohol they also experience withdrawal symptoms like irritability, restlessness, fatigue, increased heart beat and blood pressure, sweating, anxiety, depression, etc.

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Types of drug takers

Types of drug takers

"Drug takers are those people who take drugs."There are three types of drug takers.

• User
• Habitual
• Addict

• User

"A person who take and enjoy any drug occasionally is known as drug user like on eid, new year or marriage ceremony etc."

• Habitual

"A person who take drug as a habit in daily routine but do not physically depend on that drug is known as habitual. They can get rid of this habit."

 

• Addict

"Addict is a person who is addicted or dependent on any drug or activity. He physically and psychologically depends on the drug."

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Types of addiction

Types of addiction

There are two types of addiction.

• Chemical addiction
• Non-Chemical addiction

Chemical addiction

"In chemical addiction person inhale, swallow, or inject addictive chemical to get pleasurable effects." 

Non-Chemical addiction

"In non-chemical addiction person develop bad habits which become compulsion for him like gambling, over eating, over indulgence in sex and in these days internet addiction and pornography."

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Stages of Chemical addiction

Stages of Chemical addiction

Drug use is different for all people. Basically there are four main stages of chemical addiction.

• Experimentation
• Regular use
• Drug Abuse
• Drug Addiction

Experimentation

Experimentation is a stage in which the person start taking any chemical/drug voluntary without any negative effects on his body or brain. Some people may also take it as a prescribed medicine by the physician to over come any physical or psychological illness without his desire. At this stage chemical do not produce any problem until it reaches to the next stage regular use.

Regular use

Some people may enter into the next stage of chemical addiction that is regular use. In this stage some negative symptoms are appeared and risk of the drug abuse increases by the passage of time. Users can stop taking drugs at this stage.

Drug Abuse

There is a slight difference between drug use and drug abuse. At this stage people use drugs regularly that's why it become more risky and more negative symptoms are appeared. At this stage user can not easily stop himself from taking drug.

Drug Addiction

Some people enter into the last stage of addiction in which addict depends on the drug and can not live without it. His body develop tolerance as time passes and he has to increase the dose of drug. Whenever he try to stop himself from taking drug or take low dosses of drug his body shows some withdrawal symptoms. His personal, professional and social life is effected badly.

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Chemical addiction

Chemical Addiction

We all use lot of drugs or chemicals in our every day life in the form of prescribed medicine like aspirin, pain killer, antibiotics to fight with infections, for both medical and pleasure outcomes. These all chemicals have some side effects on our physical and psychological health.

Drug

"A drug is a chemical that effects our physical and psychological health. Drugs are also known as substance."

Drugs may cause some temporary changes in our body like restlessness, irritability, fatigue etc.

Some drugs also develop some long-term problems.

Drug Abuse

"People who regularly use these chemicals or drugs may develop some maladaptive pattern of behaviours. These patterns are called chemical or drug abuse."

As time passes thus drug abuse becomes drug addiction.

Drug or Chemical Addiction

"In drug or chemical addiction person inhale, swallow, or inject addictive object to get pleareable effect. Drug addiction is also known as substance abuse."

Tolerance

"As time passes body and the brain of addict adjust with the dose of drug. At that time addict have to increase the dose of drug in order to keep getting the desired effect. This adjustment is known as tolerance."

When an addict suddenly try to stop taking drug his body shows some withdrawal symptoms.

Withdrawal 

"Withdrawal consists of unpleasant or even dangerous symptoms like nausea, anxiety, restlessness

Types of drugs or Chemicals

There are three main kinds of Chemicals.

• Depressants
• Stimulants
• Hallucinogens

Depressants

Depressants are those chemicals which interfere the activity of central nervous system and slowed it down. By effecting the neurons of central nervous system depressants produces some symptoms like drowsiness, relaxation, decreased inhibition, nausea, sleep, coma and even death.

Types of depressants

There are three main types of depressants.

• Alcohol
• Sedative-hypnotic drugs
• Opioids

Alcohol

"Alcohol is the type of depressant. Alcohol is any beverage containing ethyl alcohol including beer, wine and liquor."

According to World Health Organization 2 billion people worldwide consume alcohol. In United States every two third of all uses drinks which contain alcohol.

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Non-Chemical addiction

Non-Chemical addiction

"In non-chemical addiction person develop bad habits which become compulsion for him like gambling, over eating, over indulgence in sex and in these days internet addiction and pornography."

Types of non-chemical addiction

There are some types of non-chemical addiction.

• Gambling addiction
• Over eating
• Over indulgence in sex
• Internet addiction
• Pornography

Gambling

People start gambling for fun but as time passes it become compulsive behaviour for some people. They can not stop themselves from gambling and it become gambling addiction at this stage. Gambling not only destroy the health of an addict but also badly effect the person's financial, social, recreational, educational or occupational functioning. Addict spend their most of time in gambling and do not care about their family, friends and profession. They also show some anti-social behaviours like stealing, telling a lie etc.
Gambling addiction, is much like some forms of chemical addiction, is associated with the release of dopamine  in the brain as much as 10 times more than what is normal. This increased amount of dopamine  send message to the neurotransmitters to relax the body.  At certain stage addicts's body develop tolerance and he has to increase the time and money of gambling. If a person try to stop himself from gambling or decreases the time of gambling his body show some withdrawal symptoms.
Some psychological disorders are also associated with gambling addiction like depression, anxiety, stress, substance abuse, bipolar disorder, Un managed  ADHD.

Sings and Symptoms

According to DSM-5 there are some signs and symptoms of gambling that are described below.

• A need to spend more and more money in order to get the gambling rush that a person seeks from experience. 
• Restlessness, anxiety or irritability when a person try to decreases the amount spent on gambling or to stop gambling altogether.
• Many attempts have been made to give up gambling, but have been unsuccessful.
• Constant thoughts of gambling including when the next tour, or continuous reminiscing  about previous gambling excrusions.
• A person is triggered more habitually when experiencing negative mental and emotional states.
• A person must gamble the next day loss, either in the hopes of recovering losses or to break even with the system.
• A person lies about where he is going and how much he have spent in gambling.   
• Relationship with friends and family have been damaged, or educational and professional statuses have been negatively impacted by gambling.
• A person constantly requests money from others in order to pay bills that have been ignored so that he could gamble again.                                                      

Treatment

Gambling can treated through some therapeutic techniques. There are some techniques that are used for the treatment of gambling.

• Medication
• Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Self help group

Medication

 Naltrexone, is an opioid that is used for the treatment of gambling. It balance the level of dopamine and inhibit the excessive secretion of dopamine that is directly associated with gambling behaviour.

Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy

Gambling can also be treated through Cognitive-Behavioural therapy in which counselor find out underlying issues of addict that are the main cause of gambling and try to resolve that issues. In CBT counselor changes the irrational obsessive thoughts that leads to irrational compulsive behaviour of gambling. It ultimately reduces the craving of gambling.

Self help group

Gambling can also be treated by self help group in which person find out coping strategies or communicate with other people  about their problem is also very helpful technique.

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Negative effects of addiction

Negative effects of addiction

Addiction have some negative effects on person's life. It can effect his personal, professional and educational life. There are two main categories of negative effects of addiction.

• Psychological effects
• physical effects

Psychological effects

Initially addict uses any kind of addiction to decrease the level of stress or for pleasure. With the passage of time it becomes addiction that have some negative effects on our psychological health. There are some negative psychological effects of drugs.

• Craving
• Mood Swings
• Mental illness
• Hallucinations
• Confusion
• Tolerance
• Paranoia
• Aggressive Behaviour
• Impaired Judgement
• Loss of self-control

• Craving 

When a person becomes addict he feel craving for the addictive object. When a person see or even thinking about an addictive object he may feel craving.

• Mood Swings

Addiction directly leads to mood swings. Addict suddenly show bad mood and suddenly show good mood.

• Mental illness

Chemical and non-chemical addiction can cause some psychological disorders in addict.

• Hallucinations

Some types of drugs cause hallucinations in which addict perceives the objects that do not have physical appearance. For example, person may report that he has seen a person who is dead.

• Confusions

Addict may also cause confusions. Addict always remain confused about their acts. They do not know what to do and what to say.

• Tolerance

At the specific time addict's body develop tolerance and he has to increase the dose of addictive object otherwise he experiences some withdrawal symptoms. It effects badly both physical and psychological health of addict.

• Paranoia

Addict may have the feelings of paranoia in which he always mistrust, misjudge, blame, jealous and try to harm other people.

• Aggressive Behaviour

Addiction may cause the aggressive behaviour in addict. Addict may show aggressive behaviour on little things. If other people try to stop him from addiction or other anti-social behaviour addict will show aggressive behaviour. Aggression also develop as a withdrawal symptom.

• Impaired Judgement

Addiction may also effect the judgement of person. Addict can not differentiate between good and bad. He can do any thing to get addictive object.

• Loss of self-control

Addiction causes the loss of self-control. Addict has no control on his feelings, emotions, cognition and action.

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Causes of addiction

Causes of addiction

In addiction a person become an addict or dependent on the drug/chemical or on any behaviour. A person do not start using chemical or non-chemical object to become an addict. There are some causes of addiction that are described below.

• Psychological disorder

One cause of addiction is psychological disorder. When a person is suffering from any psychological disorder he needs any medicine for the cure of disorder. The drugs that are used for the treatment of psychological disorders can also cause addiction. person depends on medicine and can not live without it. 

• Physical illness

Some drugs are also used to cure the physical illness that are prescribed by any physician. These medicines not only only cure the physical illness but also become the cause of addiction. These medicines like pain killers, aspirin etc are initially used to cure the physical illness but with the passage of time person depends on these medicines and can not live without it.

• Environmental Causes

Environment can also cause addiction. A person who always see addict people in his surrounding like his family and friends than the probability of a person to become increased.

• Irrational thoughts

Our thoughts and beliefs leads to our behaviour. Person who have irrational thoughts and do not consider addiction as a bad habit. It is easy for him to become an addict because his irrational thoughts about addiction leads to his irrational baheviour of becoming an addict.

• Stress or Anxiety

Every person have some underlying conflicts that can produce anxiety or stress in a person. A person uses a defense mechanism to reduce the level of stress or anxiety. Some people uses healthy defense mechanisms but some people can not find any healthy defense mechanism and they may use addiction as a defense mechanism to reduce the level of anxiety or stress produced by underlying conflicts.

• Pampered Children

Pampered children may also become addict. Pampered children are those children who got extreme protection, care and kindness from their parents. Their parents give them all facilities and always fulfill their wishes whether they are right or wrong and never punish them for undesirable behaviour. This life style may leave  bad impact on these children any they may choose the wrong path of addiction.

• Broken families

Broken families may also become the cause of addiction. Children whose parents are divorced or separated do not get love of both parents. Some times they do not get love even from both of them. It will result the anxiety, stress, hostility and loneliness in them and they may become addict.

• Genetic Causes

Genes can also cause addiction. Addiction may be transferred from parents to children through genes.

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Signs and symptoms

Sign

"Any objective evidence of disease or disorder which is reported by other person like physician or family members of patient."

Symptom

"Any feeling of illness (physical or mental) which indicates that disease or disorder is present."

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Prevention From Addiction

Prevention from addiction

Addiction can be developed at any stage of life due to any reason. You can prevent yourself from addiction by using some prevention techniques. Only addiction that can not be prevented is genetic addiction because it is transferred through genes that can not be inhibited. There are some techniques that are used for the prevention of addiction either chemical or non chemical.

Find out the source of addiction

You can prevent yourself by finding the source of addiction because if you remove the source of addiction you can prevent yourself from addiction. These sources may be prescribed medicine, drug abuse or any pleasurable behaviour.

Get help

If you start using any chemical or non-chemical object as a user or habitual and you think that you will  become addict of that chemical or non-chemical object you should get help from your friends, family or counselor to get rid of that addiction use or habit.

Avoid addict's company

As you have heard that person is known with the reference of his friends. If  your friends are good then you are also considered as a good person. If your friends are addict then you are also considered as bad person either you are addict or not. In the company of addict friend your chances to become addict increases. So, if you want to prevent any kind of addiction you have to avoid the company of bad friends and choose your friends carefully.

Set goals of your life

One preventive technique to get rid of addiction is that you have to set goals of your life and stick to them to become successful. Researches have shown that people who have no goals in their life and they are living an aimless life are more prone of addiction.

Develop healthy coping strategies

Every one feel stress and anxiety in his life at any stage. Try to develop healthy coping strategies to overcome this stress and anxiety of your life.

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Relapse

Relapse

"Relapse refer to the recurrence of any disease,disorder or behaviour after the compete recovery from that disease,disorder or behaviour and that condition is more worse than earlier condition."

Relapse of addiction

"Relapse of addiction refers to the recurrence of chemical or non-chemical addiction after a complete recovery from that addiction"

Reasons of Relapse

There are some reasons that leads to addiction relapse that are described below:

• Stress 

The most important factor contributing to addiction relapse is stress.  "Stress is a state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in your life,work etc." By facing stressful environment the probability of relapse increases. The person can reuse the drug to reduce the stress as a coping technique and it leads to relapse. To avoid relapse person should adopt some healthy coping strategies.

• Negative environment and company

After compete recovery from addiction when a person come back to the same environment and company of friends that was responsible for his earlier drug addiction the probability of relapse increases. His friends (addicts) may forces him to reuse the drug again and he could not stop himself to take a drug. In this way chances of relapse increases. To avoid the relapse a person should change his environment.

• Unawareness about Triggers

If the person did not know about the triggers after recovery the probability of relapse increases. Every person have different triggers. For some people even a slight sight of an addictive object can lead to relapse while for other person it does not matter. Some people feel craving in addict's company that can lead to relapse. To avoid a relapse person should know about the triggers.

• Negative Emotions

After recovery person may have some negative emotions due to some unpleasant situations in his life like argument with friends, health problems, financial issues etc. When they feel helpless, hopeless, anger etc the probability of relapse increases.

• Lost or Unstable Support System

After recovery a person need support of his family and friends to adjust in the environment. When a person did not get any support or little amount of support the probability of relapse increases.

• Lack of enough sleep

The probability of relapse when a person do not get enough rest or sleep. He will get exhausted and it will effect to his mood badly. Lack of enough sleep leads to relapse.

• Hunger

After recovery person needs healthy diet. Researches have shown that main reason of relapse is poor nutrition. Healthy diet triggers many hormones in brain that can alter our behaviuors or emotions. Unhealthy diet effects our mood and emotions that can lead to relapse.

• Loneliness

Loneliness is also very important factor that leads to relapse. After recovery person feel guilty because of his earlier addiction. He did not know what he have done during the unconscious condition of drug addiction. He feels ashamed to face people. For this reason person may feel uncomfortable and begin to make excuses so they will not have to attend social gathering. By doing this he lives alone and feel sad. This loneliness leads to relapse.

• Craving

Craving is another factor that leads to relapse. It is not easy to get rid of craving even after recovery. Whenever a person get exposure of addictive objects he can feel craving that leads to relapse.

• Exercise

Exercise plays very crucial role in our lives. Researches have shown that exercise exerts anti-stress effects and main reason of relapse is stress. It mean insufficient amount of exercise leads to relapse. Exercise increases the level of chemical in brain that is known as galanin. Whenever a person feel stress it will activate the epinephrine in the brain, which activate dopamine, which is a chemical that is reported to induce drug or alcohol craving; conversely, galanin has shown to decrease nor-epinephrine, thus someone who exercises should experience fewer craving.

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