Drug Addiction Facts

The facts about drug addiction can be scary.  They can be intimidating, and they can be all too real for those who are dealing with a drug addiction.  Drug addiction is actually quite a complex disease that affects a person both physically and psychologically.

Drug addiction is characterized by an uncontrollable craving for a drug and the inability to keep from using that drug.  Whether your drug of choice is marijuana, nicotine, alcohol, or something stronger like heroin or cocaine, it takes control of your life making it impossible for you to live without it.

The fact is that you have a physical dependence on the drug and when it is taken away from you – meaning if you don’t use it – the physical implications become too much to bear.  Addicts are beset with uncontrollable shaking, hallucinations, sleeping problems, and even heart arrhythmia when they don’t use drugs.

Drugs affect the way our brain works.  It takes hold of portions of the central nervous system and the effects of the drugs you use are shown in the way you act and think.  They also affect the chemicals in your brain and how they work to regulate your brain activity.  This is why drug use and addiction has such a strong hold on the user.

Drug addiction is also characterized by compulsive behaviors such as promiscuity, stealing, and acting in ways you wouldn’t normally without the drug.  In fact, most drug addicts will do whatever they have to do to get their drugs, even if it means acting in ways that are less than desirable.

Another fact of drug addiction is that there are certain people who are more prone to becoming an addict.  These include people who are children of drug abusers or users, people with low self-esteem, and people who feel they have no control over their lives.  Unfortunately, once individuals with these pre-existing factors begin using drugs, those drugs become part of who they are and they are almost powerless to stop.

Social circumstances also play a huge part in addiction.  Casual drug use often begins in social situations like clubs or parties.  Then it spills over into private life and the user will find themselves using when they’re not in these situations.  Eventually, they find they are addicted and cannot live without that drug.

Drug addiction knows no boundaries and doesn’t pick and choose its victims.  All walks of life are affected from the rich to the poor and everyone in between.  Well-known celebrities and everyday Joes can fall prey to its stronghold that drugs can put on their lives.  That’s why it’s so important to learn as much as you can about drug use and addiction and stop the problem before it starts.

The facts about drug addiction are vast and widespread.  But the cold hard fact is that it is an epidemic that is spreading and growing.  Drug addiction is a blight on society, and it needs to be conquered.  If we want to win the “war” on drugs and minimize its impact on our lives, we first need to get the facts – the facts about drug addiction.  You’ve gotten a good start by reading this article!
