How to Avoid Being a Victim of Drug Abuse: Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction

   By

Prof. (Mrs) E.O. Egbochuku

Introduction

Drugs are Pharmacological Agents (typically substances) that act on humans as biological entities. Basically Drugs are Social, Cultural, and Symbolic "Things". Any substance that causes psychological or physiological changes is a drug. Some things called drugs are Psychoactive, Quite Toxic, Used Medicinally, Produce tolerance, and Addicting whereas others are not.

So, our attempts to define Drugs are Problematic because three main things could affect our definitions. First, social definitions shape our understanding. Second, psychopharmacological definitions are typically based on psycho activity; and third users’ definitions are typically based on what gets them high.

Before we explore the problems associated with drugs and drug use, we need to develop an understanding of the drug experience. The focus of this article is to address this. It is hoped that people when better informed will be armed with the raw materials necessary for informed and realistic decision making. This article will discuss this issue in five sections:

·        Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction

·        What is drug addiction?

·        What happens to your brain when you take drugs?

·        Why do some people become addicted, while others do not?

·        Prevention is the Key

Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction

Many people do not understand why individuals become addicted to drugs or how drugs change the brain to foster compulsive drug abuse. They mistakenly view drug abuse and addiction as strictly a social problem and may characterize those who take drugs as morally weak.

One very common belief is that drug abusers should be able to just stop taking drugs if they are only willing to change their behaviour. What people often underestimate is the complexity of drug addiction that it is a disease that impacts the brain and because of that, stopping drug abuse is not simply a matter of willpower.

Through scientific advances we now know much more about how exactly drugs work in the brain, and we also know that drug addiction can be successfully treated to help people stop abusing drugs and resume their productive lives. This now leads us to the second issue, what is drug addiction?

What is drug addiction?

Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences to the individual that is addicted and to those around them. Drug addiction is a brain disease because the abuse of drugs leads to changes in the structure and function of the brain.

Although it is true that for most people the initial decision to take drugs is voluntary, over time the changes in the brain caused by repeated drug abuse can affect a person’s self control and ability to make sound decisions, and at the same time It is because of these changes in the brain that it is so challenging for a person who is addicted to stop abusing drugs (Egbochuku 2008).

As a result of this, it is now necessary to have a look at what happens to the brain when drug is taken. This knowledge will hopefully assist drug users, counsellors, parents’ siblings and all stakeholders on how best to address the issue of drug abuse.

What happens to your brain when you take drugs?

Drugs are chemicals that tap into the brain’s communication system and disrupt the way nerve cells normally send, receive, and process information. There are at least two ways that drugs are able to do this:

(1) by imitating the brain’s natural chemical messengers, and/or

(2) by over stimulating the “reward circuit” of the brain.

Some drugs, such as heroin and marijuana, have a similar structure to chemical messengers, called neurotransmitters, which are naturally produced by the brain. Because of this similarity, these drugs are able to “fool” the brain’s receptors and activate nerve cells to send abnormal messages.

Other drugs, such as cocaine or methamphetamine, can cause the nerve cells to release abnormally large amounts of natural neurotransmitters, or prevent the normal recycling of these brain chemicals, which is needed to shut off the signal between neurons.

This disruption produces a greatly amplified message that ultimately disrupts normal communication patterns. Nearly all drugs, directly or indirectly, target the brain’s reward system by flooding the circuit with dopamine.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter present in regions of the brain that control movement, emotion, motivation, and feelings of pleasure. The over stimulation of this system, which normally responds to natural behaviours that are linked to survival (eating, spending time with loved ones, etc), produces euphoric (over the moon) effects in response to the drugs.

This reaction sets in motion a pattern that “teaches” people to repeat the behaviour of abusing drugs. As a person continues to abuse drugs, the brain adapts to the overwhelming surges in dopamine by producing less dopamine or by reducing the number of dopamine receptors in the reward circuit.

As a result, dopamine’s impact on the reward circuit is lessened, reducing the abuser’s ability to enjoy the drugs and the things that previously brought pleasure. This decrease compels those addicted to drugs to keep abusing drugs in order to attempt to bring their dopamine function back to normal. And, they may now require larger amounts of the drug than they first did to achieve the dopamine high—an effect known as tolerance.

Long-term abuse causes changes in other brain chemical systems and circuits as well. Glutamate is a neurotransmitter that influences the reward circuit and the ability to learn. When the optimal concentration of glutamate is altered by drug abuse, the brain attempts to compensate, which can impair cognitive function.

Drugs of abuse facilitate no conscious (conditioned) learning, which leads the user to experience uncontrollable cravings when they see a place or person they associate with the drug experience, even when the drug itself is not available. Drug-addicted individuals show changes in areas of the brain that are critical to judgment, decision making, learning and memory, and behaviour control. Together, these changes can drive an abuser to seek out and take drugs compulsively despite adverse consequences in other words, to become addicted to drugs. Yet evidence abounds in Literature that some people do not get addicted to drugs while others do (Jaffe & Martin, 1975; Coleman, Butcher & Carson, 1980; Egbochuku, 2000; Ogunlesi 2004).

Why do some people become addicted, while others do not?

No single factor can predict whether or not a person will become addicted to drugs. Risk for addiction is influenced by a person’s biology, social environment, and age or stage of development. The more risk factors an individual has, the greater the chance that taking drugs can lead to addiction. For example:

Biology: The genes that people are born with in combination with environmental influences account for about half of their addiction vulnerability. Additionally, gender, ethnicity, and the presence of other mental disorders may influence risk for drug abuse and addiction.

Environment: A person’s environment includes many different influences from family and friends to socioeconomic status and quality of life in general. Factors such as peer pressure, physical and sexual abuse, stress, and parental involvement can greatly influence the course of drug abuse and addiction in a person’s life (National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, 2000).

Development: Genetic and environmental factors interact with critical developmental stages in a person’s life to affect addiction vulnerability, and adolescents experience a double challenge. Although taking drugs at any age can lead to addiction, the earlier that drug use begins, the more likely it is to progress to more serious abuse. And because adolescents’ brains are still developing in the areas that govern decision making, judgment, and self-control, they are especially prone to risk-taking behaviours, including trying drugs of abuse.

Prevention is the Key

Drug addiction is a preventable disease.  Studies have shown that prevention programs that involve the family, schools, communities, and the media are effective in reducing drug abuse. Although many events and cultural factors affect drug abuse trends, when youths perceive drug abuse as harmful, they reduce their drug taking.

It is necessary, therefore, to help youth and the general public to understand the risks of drug abuse and for teachers, parents, and healthcare professionals to keep sending the message that drug addiction can be prevented if a person never abuses drugs. Egbochuku (2008) in a lecture delivered on behalf of Friends of Uselu Psychiatry Hospital to staff and students of Imaguero Collage Benin City. Suggested the following preventive measures:

Some Signs of Drug Problem

1.     Using alcohol or drugs to:

·        help study

·        perform in school

·        function the day after partying

·        decrease stress or troubles

2. Missing Classes or Appointments

3. Having a reputation as a partier

4. Feeling guilt or remorse

5. Blacking out/Loss of memory

6. Lying about alcohol or drug use

7. Drinking or using other drugs alone

8. Thinking, "I can quit any time. I just don't want to."

How to Help a Friend

·        Let your friend know you are concerned

·        Be a good listener

·        Describe how the problem affects you

·        Encourage him/her to seek help

·        Seek professional advice when your help is not enough

What and Where to Avoid.

·        avoid risky situations

·        change friends that are involved in drug use

·        get a hobby

·        get busy

·        the best way is to just say no to drugs

References

Egbochuku, E.O. (2008) How to avoid being a victim to drug abuse. A lecture delivered on behalf of Friends of Uselu Psychiatry Hospital to staff and students of Imaguero Collage Benin City. Tuesday 13^th May, 2008

Jaffe, J. H. & Martin, W. (1975): Drug Addiction and drug abuse, in L. S. Goodman and A Gilman (Eds.).  The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics (5^th ed) New York, Macmillan

Coleman, J. C.; Butcher, J. N. & Carson, R. C. (1980).  Abnormal Psychology and Modern Life.  Gleriview, III: Scoth, Foresman.

Egbochuku, E. O. (2000) “Psychological Dependence of Drug Abuse among Secondary School Adolescents in Nigeria: Implications for Preventive Counselling Strategies”.  Benin Journal of Educational Studies (BJES).  A journal of the Institute of Education, University of Benin, Benin City. Vol 14  (1), 9-18

Weitzman, E., and Wechsler, H. (2000). Alcohol use, abuse, and related problems among children of problem drinkers. Journal of Nervous and Mental Diseases, 188, 148-154.

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (2000). Signs, stages and Effects of Drug Abuse, Lagos, Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Clinical and Counselling Psychology, 1, (2), 96 – 102.

Ogunlesi, A.O. (2004), Patterns Of Use, Health And Other Effects Of Alcohol. Being a paper presented at the United Nations Office On Drugs And Crimes (Project Ad/Nir/F22) Training Workshop For Strengthening Treatment And Rehabilitation Services Offered By Government