What Is Substance Abuse?
Substance abuse, commonly known as drug abuse, refers to consuming harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illegal (even legal) drugs. These substances have adverse behavioral and health outcomes after being finished. To be very specific, someone can abuse substances and not be addicted. On the other hand, addiction is a disease, and the user might likely not stop making use of what they are addicted to even if their life is seriously at risk.
Substance abuse isn’t something that should be made light of. It occurs when you use medicine, alcohol, and other illegal and legal substances excessively or in the wrong way. People abuse substances for various reasons, but it is clear that our society is paying the ultimate price for it. The effect of the abuse of these substances can be seen in our hospitals, causing direct damage to health, the spread of diseases, crime, lost productivity, homelessness, and the rise of physical trauma.
COMMONLY ABUSED SUBSTANCES
Marijuana
Marijuana affects the mind or mental processes. Marijuana (also known as weed, pot, or grass) is a psychoactive drug widely used for recreational and medicinal purposes. The active ingredient in marijuana, THC, is known to be connected with intoxication. And if you are probably wondering if it is addictive, yes, it is addictive.
Marijuana makes you feel sleepy and forget things that just happened. It can make you laugh for no reason while also having the potential of making you think and act silly—driving while high on grass is just as dangerous as being high on any other drugs. There are various types of this drug, some being more potent than others.
Alcohol
There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a couple of drinks with friends. But, it sometimes takes the minimal intake of alcohol to start reacting to the body system, and the continuous use of it after that point is what can is considered alcohol abuse. The effects of alcohol abuse are severe, and it causes brain depression. It decreases muscle coordination and control, slurs speech, and continuous use can lead to alcoholism.
Cigarettes and Tobacco
Cigarettes have a chemical substance called nicotine that leaves you with a rush of energy and pleasure. The effect may not last long, and this can leave you craving for more. You can abuse the nicotine in cigarettes, just like other drugs. One of the probable causes for the continuous abuse of tobacco is the fact that the negative effect of nicotine on the body system takes a long time to show.
Heroin
This illegal drug (also known as a dope horse) is the natural version of an artificial opioid. Heroin gives you a rush of unique feelings after taking it. But everything slows down when the drug wears out. The feeling that comes after it may make you crave more heroin to feel better as you move and think slowly may experience chills and nervousness.
The use of heroin often leads to other health complications. Because it is usually injected, often with dirty and most times infected needles, this can lead to the destruction of your heart valves, tetanus, and severe infections like hepatitis or HIV/AIDS.
Cocaine
This drug speeds up your whole body. This drug also includes paranoia, constriction of blood vessels, which leads to heart damage or stroke. One minute you might be full of energy and happy feeling, then your mood could shift to anger within the next. You feel unease and may feel like someone is after you, leading you to do bizarre things.
Other commonly abused substances include; meth, opioids, club drugs like ecstasy, Rohypnol, PCP, tramadol, and more.
What Are the Causes of Substance Abuse?
Family history is one of the significant factors that influence a child’s early development. Such family history which can contribute to the abuse of substance in one’s life include:
- chaotic home
- use of drugs by parents
- lack of care and parental attachment towards the child
- poor parenting
Other factors which cause substance abuse include:
- peer pressure
- lack of social skills
- mood disorder
- loneliness
What Are the Signs of Substance Abuse?
At the first stage of substance abuse, you may feel you have control over the amount of substance you take in. Over time, you realize you may need more of the same substance or similar substance to get the excellent feeling of even a better and higher feeling which in some cases leads to addiction. Early awareness increases the chances of a quick for successful treatment. These are some of the symptoms to watch out for:
1. The frequent switch of feeling or mood
2. Loss of appetite or irregular eating behavior
3. Lack of interest in things or activities you previously love doing
4. Forgetfulness
5. Aggressiveness
6. Feeling depressed or suicidal
7. Consistent hangovers
8. Pressuring others into taking the substance
9. Avoiding people to sneak out and get high
10. Not being able to carry out activities without taking some form of drugs
11. Having loss of memory
12. Prioritizing spending on such substance over every other thing, even food
Is There Treatment for Substance Abuse?
Most people stop on their own, but the majority do not succeed. The initial phase of treatment is called detoxification. It usually has to do with hospital treatment.
There have been reports that long-term use of drugs alters brain function and increases the need to keep using drugs. This craving can continue even after the drug use has been put to a stop. At this point, the most critical aspect of the treatment is preventing relapse.
Treating substance abuse can also be achieved through a rehabilitation program, although that depends on the type of substance used. In some cases, a counsellor provides means and strategies to cope with drug cravings and ways to avoid relapse.
Once a thorough assessment of the user’s condition has been carried out, a doctor may then prescribe medications to help control withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings to prevent relapse.
How Can Substance Abuse be Prevented?
The abuse of substance can be prevented by setting up programs in schools, communities, cities, and even workplace, which educates and shed more light on the dangers of abusing the substance. Programs that will seek to teach resistance skills and provide information on alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs misperceptions.
Final Note
Substance abuse is terrible and can affect every aspect of your life. It can be harmful to you and can cause pain to the people around you. It can also wreck you financially and even cause you to lose things that are valuable to you, including your business or job. Finally, drug abuse can be a gateway to addiction, and this can have profound health implications and sometimes even death.…