We have been spreading information regarding drugaddiction on all our PRC Rehabilitation Center’s social media platforms through videos, articles and blogs. According to the definition of addiction; it is a chronic, relapsing, brain disease. This is a continuation of our previous blog in which we discussed about the basic classification of drugs.
Effect of DRUGS:
Drugs are chemicals similar to chemicals present in our
brain. The chemicals of brain are known as neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters
are messengers in the brain. They take information from one brain cell to
another. Brain cells are known as Neurons. Neurons receives, process and
forward the information to other parts of nervous system or organs.
Neurotransmitters take information from one neuron (called as pre-synaptic
neuron), and travel towards other neuron (called as post-synaptic neuron) and
pass this information into that neuron. They travel in a synaptic zone which is
the gap between two neurons. Neurons are sensitive as they allow only certain
chemicals to pass through their cell wall which are designated to take specific
information into them. As drugs have similar chemical structures as
neurotransmitters, so they pass through the cell membrane easily. Drugs has a
certain time period for mechanism of action in the brain, after which they
passed out of the body. Drugs can either lock the neurotransmitters at the
pre-synaptic neuron, or they may block them to pass information into the post-synaptic
neuron. This creates imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain, which causes
disturbance in several brain activities, most important of them is the
disturbance in “reward circuit/Limbic system” of the brain. When drugs are used
for medicinal purposes, they correct the imbalances of brain functions. Long
time usage of drug causes less effectiveness of drug action. This leads towards
increase in drug dose and usage for achieving the same imbalances/effects
(produced at first usage) in brain functions.
Drug Addiction / Substance Use Disorder (definition):
According to American Psychiatric Association
“Substance use disorder (SUD) is a complex condition in which there is
uncontrolled use of a substance despite harmful consequence. People with SUD have
an intense focus on using a certain substance(s) such as alcohol, tobacco, or
illicit drugs, to the point where the person’s ability to function in day-to-day
life becomes impaired. People keep using the substance even when they know it
is causing or will cause problems. The most severe SUDs are sometimes called
addictions.”
According to American Psychological Association
“Addiction is a chronic disorder with biological, psychological, social
and environmental factors influencing its development and maintenance. About
half the risk for addiction is genetic.”
According to NIDA (National Institute of Drug
Abuse) “Addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing disorder
characterized by compulsive drug seeking, continued use despite harmful
consequences, and long-lasting changes in the brain. It is considered both a
complex brain disorder and a mental illness. Addiction is the most severe form
of a full spectrum of substance use disorders, and is a medical illness caused
by repeated misuse of a substance or substances.”
We can say that addiction is a neurological or brain
disorder which causes changes in the physiology of brain. These changes will
take a long time to get better after treatment and management. If remains
untreated, these changes can cause several other problems and disorders and
later can cause death.
Tolerance:
According to Boston University Medical campus
of America, tolerance is “A condition characterized by a reduced effect
of a drug upon repeated administration.” In easy words, we can say,
over the passage of time, the effect of drugs decreases, so more amount of the
drug is taken to get the desired effect is called tolerance.
Withdrawal:
According to WHO (world Health Organization)
withdrawal is “a group of symptoms of variable clustering and degree of
severity which occur on cessation or reduction of use of a psychoactive
substance that has been taken repeatedly, usually for a prolonged period and/
or in high doses.” This means that withdrawal is a painful condition
where an individual feels psychological and physiological disturbances when the
long-time usage of drug is stopped.
Relapse:
Relapse occurs when a person again started to drink alcohol
or take drugs after recovery. Lapse is a mistake where a person used the drug
for first time after being in a period of recovery. Relapse is multiple lapses.
Relapse is a process started with “change”, whether small or big in the life of
a recovering addict. Relapse not only occurs in addiction but in every disease
or illness. Abstinence is part of relapse. Returning to addictive behaviors is
also comes under relapse.
Recovery:
According to SAMHSA (Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration) agency within the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, recovery is “a process of change through which
individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and
strive to reach their full potential.” Addiction is a manageable
disease. Addicts get treatment and manage their life by dealing effectively
with their drug cravings and addiction behaviors along with trying to live and
enjoy healthy life without drugs/alcohol. Addiction cannot be cured completely
and, there are chances of using drugs again and reverse back to addiction
behaviors.
Chronic Brain Disease:
We at Parvarish Recovery Center keep emphasizing that
addiction is a chronic brain disease; it means that it is an illness of the
brain and it will last long. Its effects are long lasting and can come and go.
Relapse is a part of this disease. As it is related to brain functions, so it
is not a curable condition. It can be treated and managed for the whole life
(recovery) such as the disease of Diabetes. This disease develops over time
with continuous use of drugs/alcohol. Its development depends upon genes as
well as the environment (nature v/s nurture). Drugs itself are harmful but due
to addiction several other health issues and diseases emerges with time such as
HIV, Hepatitis, Cancer to name a few. This condition will be there inside the
body till death. It will not go away before death but can be treated and
managed.
People with substance use disorders can live a normal,
healthy life with treatment and managing their recovery throughout their lives.
They can never drink alcohol or use psychoactive drugs for recreation by
controlling its amount. At PRC Rehabilitation Center, we help people
with drug/alcohol addiction. We provide recovery support as well as relapse
prevention planning.
This article is written for awareness and understanding of a
layman in simple language. For more information regarding drugs and addiction,
visit PRC Clifton Karachi. If you know anyone suffering from addiction
issues or other mental health problems, you can refer them to PRC
Rehabilitation Center. To know more about our services, call at
0341-1959599 or visit our centers.
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