Addiction

An addiction can ruin your life. It can make you sick, leaving you with AIDS (Read about "HIV / AIDS") or hepatitis. (Read about "Hepatitis B" "Hepatitis C") It can cost you your friends, your job, your home, your family. The hallmark of addiction is that it continues despite all of its negative consequences, making it one of the most expensive and damaging conditions.

Many faces of addiction

Addiction can take many forms. You can find yourself hooked on drugs - illegal, prescription or even over-the-counter. You can be addicted to alcohol and suffer from alcoholism. (Read about "Alcoholism") You may be addicted to nicotine in the form of cigarettes, snuff or other types of smokeless tobacco. (Read about "Quit Smoking") You can even be addicted to things like gambling, shopping or the Internet.

One form of addiction that has been on the rise is opioid addiction. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin as well as powerful pain relievers available legally by prescription. They include drugs such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, fentanyl, and many others. Opioid pain relievers are generally safe when taken for a short time and as prescribed by a doctor, but they are frequently misused and abused because they produce euphoria, in addition to pain relief. Regular use can produce dependence, and when misused or abused, opioid pain relievers can lead to fatal overdose.

Whatever the substance or behavior, each addiction is different but they all have a few things in common, according to the National Institutes of Health.

• Cravings - A strong need or compulsion for the object of the addiction.
• Loss of Control - The inability to stop once you have started.
• Dependence - Actual physical reactions such as nausea, anxiety, sweating (Read about "Anxiety" "Sweating") or other manifestations if you stop.
• Tolerance - The need for increasing amounts to get the same level of stimulation or "high" from the object of the addiction.

The first step to ending any physical addiction is the same: detoxification. Depending on the severity of the addiction, it can require steps up to and including hospitalization.

Brain changes

The National Institute on Drug Addiction (NIDA) points out that changes take place in the brain of an addicted person. The addictive substance affects the brain functions and changes them, possibly forever. (Read about "The Brain") That is why detoxification is only the first step in treating addiction. People may continue to have a craving for their addiction and need other treatments and support to stay clean. They must also become aware of the types of things that can trigger addictive behavior, according to NIDA. These include:

• things like stress or family problems (Read about "Stress")
• social cues such as meeting people with whom they shared addictive behavior
• environmental factors such as sights, sounds and even smells associated with the addiction

Treatments

There is no one treatment that works for everyone. Even while a person is undergoing detoxification, it's important for other parts of the treatment to begin. There may be underlying medical or mental problems such as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder that needs to be addressed. (Read about "Depressive Illnesses" "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder") There may be legal or vocational issues that have to be resolved for someone to move on with their lives. There is also a need to establish a support structure for the person. Most substance abuse programs have a twelve step component similar to Alcoholics Anonymous. Twelve step programs may not work for everyone, but they are a mainstay of recovery for millions of people. Other behavioral therapies are also used to give addicts coping skills to deal with their addictions. Treatment however must be ongoing. Just getting clean doesn't solve the problem. Ongoing treatment is important. Many patients leave treatment prematurely and suffer serious relapses. In addition to treatment and support programs for addicts, there are also support programs for the families of addicts. Addiction doesn't just affect one person - it can affect entire families.

Research continues

Research continues into the how's and why's of addiction. The hereditary implications are continuing to be investigated with more and more evidence that certain people have genes that make them susceptible to addictive behavior. There is also research into the role of brain chemistry.

Research continues to explore new and better treatments, including new medications.

The best way to avoid addiction is to never start. Drug addiction starts with that first hit. Nicotine addiction starts with that first cigarette. Alcoholism starts with that first drink.

Related Information:

    Mental Health

    Suicide Prevention

    Teen Health Risks

    Talking About Drug Abuse