Let’s do drugs: Experimentation to Addiction
Drugs can be categorized based on their effects on the body as follows:
Depressants: These substances slow down the function of the central nervous system by impeding the transmission of messages between the brain and the body. Alcohol is an example of a depressant. While depressants do not necessarily cause depression, they can impair concentration, coordination, and the ability to respond effectively to one’s surroundings.
Hallucinogens alter your perception of reality, affecting your senses and altering your perception of sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch. They can induce the experience of seeing or hearing things that are not physically present, or they can evoke unusual thoughts and emotions. A notable example of a hallucinogen is cannabis.
Stimulants: accelerate the function of the central nervous system. They enhance the transmission of signals between the brain and the body. This can lead to a rapid increase in heart rate and blood pressure, among other physiological effects. Examples include amphetamines such as ice, caffeine, molybdenum(Moly), and ecstasy.
The progression from experimentation to full-blown addiction is a cycle that is influenced by various factors. We often encounter pain or challenges in life, and during these moments, due to lack of positive coping skills, some people may discover substances that provide temporary relief from their distress. These substances can alter one’s emotional state and induce a sense of forgetfulness, leading to a cycle of addiction.
We discover through experimentation that we like the way it made us feel and wonder if it will make us feel the same way if repeated. And it does. In other words, this new substance or habit is predictable and reliable and in some cases, even more reliable than our relationships making us develop a love relationship with it. So anytime we become sad or experience unpleasant situations or pain, we repeat this routine. This goes on for maybe days weeks, months, maybe years.
Then suddenly life happens.
Another crisis comes that makes us feel bad and we use the substance again to make us feel happy, breaking the previous routine. Let’s call this: Crisis 2. We then develop tolerance to the drug because we are taking more of it due to the new crisis. Tolerance means increasing the drug use to get the same desired effect.
This new crisis could be crisis in the family, crisis at work, crisis with our health or so on and we develop a tolerance to the substance and because we are taking more of it due to the new crisis, the brain adjusts to the effects of this new level. The brain adjusting to the effect does not mean that our organs are safe with this new level because there is a limit to how much the human body can tolerate.
As drug use increases, so do the risks and consequences which lead to other issues for instance, legal issues: you may commit a crime under the influence, relationship issues: loved ones, family may stay away from you, financial issues: Drugs are expensive to buy. This now becomes a new crisis. Let’s call this: Crisis 3.
Remember that this new crisis is purely drug related, that is, the crisis happened as a result of consequences from our taking the substance.
All these new issues we are having lead us to want more of the drug and we increase the dose being taken in order to feel normal. Now you are in a worse state than when you started taking the drug plus you don't get as high so you take more. This stage is full blown addiction. The middle part of the brain, the limbic system is the reward system of the brain and only cares about chasing the next 15 seconds of pleasure at the cost of consequences and repercussions. all it wants is to get that fleeting pleasure. if we continue to feed this midbrain, the limbic system, giving it the 15 seconds of pleasure it so desperately wants, unfortunately our frontal lobes and conscience are ignored and we are turned into animals, controlled only by our pleasure seeking rather than our rational mind. The mid brain has taken over and at this stage, people can sacrifice their families, jobs, careers , their health, and their lives and get into legal issues, personal issues just to feed this limbic system that has now become fully in charge of their lives.
The only way to recover from this full blown addiction is through abstinence because this helps the damaged or broken neurotransmitters in the brain to recover. The time frame for recovery depends on the individual and the level of damage already done to the brain.
Remember that using drugs to escape from reality and pain is an illusion and the user only continues to deteriorate till the drug takes full control of the person - psychological dependency.
Harmful consequences of drugs and addiction
1. Relationships suffer
Interpersonal conflicts arise due to the challenges of counseling or engaging in conversations with individuals who are under the influence of drugs. Their behavior and demeanor significantly alter their personality, making it difficult to maintain healthy relationships. Consequently, compromised relationships lead to isolation from essential connections, including family and other important individuals.
2. Crime
Additionally, there is a correlation between drugs and crime. Engaging in activities such as obtaining drugs or sustaining drug use can lead to legal consequences. For instance, consuming alcohol and driving or committing crimes under the influence of drugs can result in legal repercussions.
3. Financial Issues
Additionally, there are financial concerns, as we have previously discussed. The cost of obtaining and sustaining an addiction is substantial, and individuals may prioritize these expenses over essential necessities such as food, rent, and school fees.
4. Vocational skills
Drug use can impair the functioning of our cortex, which in turn affects our vocational skills such as the ability to acquire new knowledge, memory retention, speech, and movement. Consequently, our learning abilities are compromised, leading to impaired performance at work and school. This, in turn, can have a detrimental impact on our future prospects.
5. Immune system and health
Additionally, our immune system is compromised, rendering us susceptible to infections and compromising our overall health.
6. Spiritual lives
Additionally, there is the spiritual aspect of our lives that is adversely affected. This includes the suppression of our conscience, the disregard for shame and guilt, the disregard for our principles and values, and the eventual demise of our conscience.
Phases of addiction
1. Experimentation or pre contemplation.
At this juncture, the individual sees nothing wrong with the issue, rendering them indifferent to the necessity of implementing a change.
2. Social or recreational stage
This is the contemplation stage, where the individual recognizes the existence of a problem but lacks the motivation to effect change.
3. Harmful dependency.
This is a daily preoccupation, a stage in the decision-making process.
Individuals at this stage have both identified the drug problem and desire to change.
4. Addiction
This is the last stage where the individual is using it to feel normal, which is full blown addiction.
Seeking help: Our intervention (Stage1-Stage5)
Help for someone with drug or substance addiction depends on the stage of the addiction, but generally speaking, we help them weigh the court cost special benefits of the drug use in a non-judgmental way.
This will help them make informed choices and move forward in their lives because you cannot help someone who does not see that what they are doing is wrong.
Note: While the focus of this article is on drug and substance use and misuse, our intervention can be modified to suit other forms of addiction like gambling addiction, sex addiction and so on.
If you or your loved one are battling with addiction, Email us immediately at: Info@copeandlive.foundation
State 1
Our intervention at this stage strictly revolves around giving drug information, education and harm minimization.
The continuing part of this article which covers stages 2 through 5 of our intervention will be covered in our e-book.
The Writer Reverend Chukwudiebube Nwachukwu successfully completed the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Interventions(SAMHI) Dual Diagnosis training. He is a Grief and Bereavement, Addiction and Depression Counsellor; A couple counsellor, An Emotional Intelligence and CBT Life Coach; An EMDR therapist.
If things are getting out of hand, please call us on +234 814 831 8965 or send us an Email at: info@copeandlive.foundation