Drug Addiction in University Student's
Drug Addiction in University Student's
Drug Addiction in University Student's
Introduction:
People who have low self-concepts who feel bad about themselves, have a higher
rate of addiction .People with low self –concepts use psychoactive substances
either to enhance or create pleasure in their lives , or to decrease the constant
emotional pain they live with . Some drugs are more addictive than others. This is
due to the pharmacology of the substance, and how it affects the mood of the
user. Drugs essentially are poisons. The Degree they are taken determines the
effect. A small amount acts as a stimulant. A greater amount act as a sedative .A
larger amount acts as a poison and can kill one dead. This is true of any drug.
Drugs:
Generally Speaking drugs are substances that affect the physical and mental
condition of person significantly and adversely any substance that can lead to
addiction, misuse and dependence is a drug. Addiction level of drugs increase with
each day of use. If drugs are not available, the patient shows critical withdrawal
symptoms when immediate medical care is needed to prevent physical and mental
deterioration, even death.
Addiction:
Drug addiction or dependency is the compulsive use of drugs, to the point where
the user has no effective choice but to continue use. People who are addicted feel
an overwhelming, uncontrollable need for drugs or alcohol, even in the face of
negative consequences. This self-destructive behavior can be hard to understand.
Most people start taking drugs as a way to have fun, or alter their perception or try
a new experience. That doesn’t fit the criteria for addiction, at least initially .The
barrier is broken when the drug becomes as the central focus of the user’s life:
When taking the drug is the only things he lives for. There are two distinct types of
drug addiction: physical and psychological.
Gutka Addiction
If you are exposed to drugs in the teenage years, you are more likely to use and
abuse drugs than those who are not exposed.
Use by Parents:
If parents use drugs, their children are more likely to use drugs, even if the parents
say not to. Children of even strict parents who threaten severe consequences are
more likely to use if their parents use than the children of parents who do not use.
This applies to drugs, alcohol and nicotine.
Availability:
If drugs are easily available, addiction is much more likely than if drugs are
difficult to come by.
Genetics:
Teens from broken homes or with poor parent-child bonds are more likely to use
and abuse substances.
Psychological Problems:
People with psychological problems are more susceptible to drug addiction than
mentally healthy individuals.
Personality:
Children who are aggressive or shy-aggressive are most likely to use and abuse
substances when they get older.
Feelings of Depression:
Those who suffer from depression or feelings of loneliness may be more inclined
to become addicted to drugs, as drugs may numb the emotional pain they feel.
Teens that are left unsupervised are at an increased risk for drug addiction versus
those whose parents are fully active in their lives. That may be due to a feeling of
complete freedom that they full advantage of, or may be due to feeling neglected
and unloved by their parents. Those feelings can result in turning to friends who
lead them down the road of addiction.
Prescription drugs:
The affected person takes higher doses than prescribed, more frequently than
prescribed and continues taking it even after his medical condition is cured. The
reason is that these drugs if consumed in larger quantities provide greater relief.
Job stress:
Pressure at work, a ruthless boss, bad relations with one’s colleagues and the
danger of losing one’s job are factors.
Marital problems:
Bad relations with one’s spouse, house fights, infidelity and divorce cause
emotional disturbance. Drugs are a way of reducing distress.
Financial difficulties:
These cause great stress in the mind. Drugs are a route to escapism.
Poor self-esteem:
Loneliness:
Mental illnesses:
The affected person is generally depressed and takes drugs to alleviate the
sorrowful feelings.
Anxiety:
Sometimes people need some help coping with life. Everyday life becomes a
struggle and simple things become too much to handle. Drugs are used to deal with
it. In the case of addiction, we are not talking about the use of medication, under
the care and observation of a doctor. People who have been clinically diagnosed
with anxiety can lead a very good life. We’re talking here about people who just
need to escape. Their drug of choice facilitates that escape.
Different substances affect the body in different ways, but all psychoactive drugs
have chemical effects in the brain. The short-term effects that occur in drug users
depend on the amount used, the potency or purity of the drug, and whether it is
mixed with any other mind-altering substances. Drugs can affect a person’s
thinking, mood, energy level, and perception.2 They may impair motor
functioning, interfere with decision-making and problem-solving, and reduce
inhibition, as well as cause a host of physical health problems.
ALCOHOL:
A few factors impact the speed at which alcohol’s effects are felt. If someone
consumes alcohol on an empty stomach, he or she will feel the effects far quicker
than someone drinking after a large meal. Weight and body composition also affect
alcohol metabolism and intoxication levels.
Mood swings.
Impaired judgment.
Coordination issues.
Trouble concentrating.
Memory problems.
Slurred speech.
Stupor.
Coma.
Low levels of intoxication are likely to result in increased sociability and euphoria,
while higher levels of consumption can result in sedation and dangerously low
pulse and breathing rate. Drinking large amounts of alcohol can result in blackouts,
or amnesia for the events that occurred while intoxicated.
HALLUCINOGENS
Hallucinations.
Synesthesia or mixing of senses.
Intensified perceptions.
Heart palpitations.
Dilated pupils.
Blurred vision.
Excessive sweating.
Tremors.
Paranoia.
Impaired judgment.
OPIATES
Dysphoria, or unease.
Nausea.
Vomiting.
Pinpoint pupils.
Itching skin.
Attention problems.
Memory impairments.
Drowsiness.
Slurred speech.
Coma.
Drowsiness experienced by an opiate user is often called “being on the nod.” The
decreased breathing rate caused by opiate intoxication can result in oxygen
deficiency and overdose.
BARBITURATES
Physical dependence is not the same as addiction, but chronic and persistent use
may lead to the development of an addiction to drugs or alcohol. Addiction is
characterized by compulsive use despite negative consequences. People who suffer
from an addiction are unable to control their use and may experience significant
impairment in their daily lives.
ALCOHOL
Alcohol use is widespread and has become almost inextricably linked with a
number of social, cultural, and religious events. When consumed in moderation,
alcohol can be relatively safe and, in some cases, even provide the user with
limited health benefits. However, as is often the case, recreational use gives way to
compulsive misuse, and when it is used heavily and over a long period of time,
alcohol can be detrimental to both physical and mental health. Some of the
potential long-term effects of alcohol abuse or addiction include:
Cirrhosis.
Alcoholic hepatitis.
Liver cancer.
Pancreatitis.
Stroke.
Breast cancer.
Irritability.
Suicidal ideation.
OPIATES:
In addition to physical dependence and addiction, opiate abuse can cause brain
damage due to respiratory depression. When the brain is injured as a consequence
of being deprived of oxygen, it can result in lasting neurological and psychological
effects. Furthermore, research suggests that chronic opiate abuse can lead to
deterioration of the white matter in the brain, which impacts behavioral regulation,
stress response, and decision-making.
Intravenous consequences:
Peripheral edema.
Cellulitis.
Abscesses.
Tuberculosis.
Intranasal effects:
Opiate withdrawal syndrome occurs in those who are physically dependent on the
drug. Although not life-threatening, these symptoms can be extremely unpleasant
and may contribute to relapse in addicted individuals.
BARBITURATES
Assaults or fights
Irritability
Legal problems
Slowed pulse
Memory loss
Changes in alertness
INHALANTS
The chemicals in inhalants can be toxic or poisonous to the human body and can
lead to many severe health problems. These long-term effects may include:
Liver damage.
Kidney damage.
Hearing loss.
Loss of coordination.
Limb spasms.
Brain damage.
Tuberculosis.
Bronchitis.
Asthma.
Sinus infections.
Depression.
Anxiety.
Inhalants may also contain a variety of chemicals and the long-term effects of each
may vary, depending on its constituents.
Drug Rehabilitation:
Drug rehabilitation (drug rehab) is the medical and psychotherapeutic treatment
used to enable a patient to cease substance abuse and become a normal and
productive member of society. • Drug rehabilitation addresses the physical and
psychological aspects of drug dependency. – Eliminating the physical dependency
may involve the use of chemical antagonists that block the action of the addictive
drugs. E.g.: methadone for withdrawal symptoms of heroin, disulfiram for alcohol
addiction.
• Detoxification
• Motivational interviewing
• Motivational incentives
1. Group Therapy:
Lectures: These lectures are delivered by qualified and well trained people
and these are focused upon addiction and related issues regarding
dysfunctional behaviors which are helpful for the addict’s recovery.
Written Work: This may include writing about one’s life, their addiction
history and formally going through various steps of treatment Process
involved in rehabilitation.
Holistic activities: exercise, massage, meditation and yoga are often part of
the recovery program.
Suggestion:
Family and close friends should help those people who are addicted to drugs
by explaining its side effects and its serious outcomes like death.
Family should help the drug addicts by finding out their problems which
brought them in such situation so that their problem can be solved.
Family should spend most of the time with them and take them in family
outing like shopping, lunch and fun so that he may not think of taking drugs
again. Family must give special treatment to emotionally strengthen them.
Family and Friends should stay alert and protect them from bad company
which may lead them to get involved in such situation again.