Drug Addiction and Its Effect on the Brain Function

Have you ever thought of drug addiction as a bad habit? Has it ever crossed your mind about it being a disease that is difficult to overcome instead of just a bad habit which someone could quit if they simply tried? Drug addiction is witnessed in all parts of the world and in all social classes, from the richest people to the poorest. In many cases, drugs are seen to many as a way to make a living. Therefore, they sell them on the streets or in night clubs to anyone willing to buy them no matter their social status. As a job, drug dealing is normally a job which is done over the night time period instead of day time as it is illegal. On the other hand, to others drugs are what they live for. Without them they fall into a serious state of depression. The need for their dose makes them willing to do anything just to get their hands on the drug that takes over all their body. Therefore, it must be taught to others that drug addiction is not a bad habit that can be stopped when the human who is an addict desires to, but it is a disease that needs psychological help by specialists in order to overcome it.

The use of drugs has been growing worldwide and is getting worse over the years, which means that there is an increase in addicts. Drug addiction, is a long-term brain disease which causes the user to search at all costs for their dose, ignoring all consequences even if that means death. Despite the fact that there have been many cases where people have overdosed but have been saved, they still return to their routine like nothing happened. The reason being that their brain and body is “trapped” by the effect these chemicals have on the brain, body and mental health.

The effect drugs have on the brain are very serious when it comes to the addict’s communication system. The chemicals access into that part of the brain, causing delays to the neurons which are in our communication system which help the humans mind on analyzing information. Therefore, those who are high off drugs normally do not understand their whereabouts and in general have the feeling of being “in their own world”. For the user the effect of pleasure that these drugs have on them is a feeling of euphoria, meaning any pain they have or any bad emotion they are witnessing is numbed.

To add, the effects on the body are again hugely affected by the use chemicals. To begin with, the way the body is effected is in the 6 senses. The 6 senses are smelling, tasting, touching, vision, balancing and sensing. All 6 are provoked when under the influence of drugs. Again as mentioned above everything is numbed so the senses are not able to work the way they usually do on other people who are not users.

Although drug use causes euphoria whilst under the influence, the mental health of users can be harmed in the long term and shot term of the person’s life when trying to quit. The harmful effects are anxiety, paranoia, depression, insomnia, suicidal and others. This being the reason so many addicts never have the strength to quit without the help of rehabilitation and psychologists. Concluding that drugs take over the whole human and every aspect from the brain, body and mental wellness.

Nowadays, so many drugs have been made to be able to be taken in different ways and to have a variety of feelings depending on the mood of the person or if they are at a party etc. For example, party drugs like ketamine or MDMA give people upbeat vibes and a lot of energy. The types of drugs that exist these days are categorized in the following ways narcotics, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens and anabolic steroids. All exist in different types of forms and ways. Some of those being in the form of a pill, liquid, crystals or dust and the ways can be inhaling, smoking, injecting drinking etc. Many of them have similarities between eachother in the feelings they give to the user or from the way they intake them. For instance amphetamine and cocaine are similar in the way that they both give energy. Also, marijuana and crack cocaine can be taken in the similar way via smoking. Meaning that although there is a vast selection of drugs they have similarities between one another. Many people who are clean from drugs, believe that someone who is addicted has nothing to do with them thus, it does not affect their personal life. Therefore, it is not their problem if they notice someone laying on the streets, high from these chemicals, so they just ignore them. In reality though, drugs harm the others around them, as much as the user himself/herself. There are big percentages which show the harm that the intake of such substances have on the non-users. Although alcohol is legal, it shows that in total it has 72% harmful effect in total. There it is noticed that the 47% shows harm to non-alcoholic users and the remaining 25% on the actual user. In the graph it shows that tobacco, crack, cocaine and heroin are at the top of the list with a high percentage of harm to non-users as well as those who take the substance. Summing up that in fact it is a huge problem for society as well as the individual.

All substances mentioned above are dangerous to the human body in general. They destroy many organs in the body which are needed to live. This being the reason that they are illegal. No studies are found to prove that the intake of the different types of chemicals are actually beneficial in any way. The only benefit that could be called a positive is the “fake” happiness it creates to the addict. Though, in fact it is killing the user instead of giving any pros. The substance of drugs in the nowadays communities are becoming more dangerous as the years go on. As it has a lot to do with business in many counties, the aim is to sell as much as possible in the smallest amount. So the adding of other substances that look similar to the drug that an addict may be looking for is how they make more money than what it is actually worth. The people who are dependent of them will do anything to buy even a small dose of what they need.

In a society with drugs and illegal behavior the dangers of that community is high. The younger generations look up to the older ones. So firstly, with a lot of bad influences around, the teenagers will act in the same way as they have not been brought up in a community which believes that those sorts of behaviors are bad. Secondly, a community with those behaviors normally have a higher risk in crime, as dealing is a criminal act. Thirdly, in an area suffering from the use of illegal substances the possibility of broken families are higher than in the ones without the use. Addiction in a family is a terrible thing, as the whole family gets broken apart from the effects that drugs have on the addict. Many times it can lead to violent or sexual abuse to the members of the family. To add, the health problems are higher in communities with drug problems and more specifically AIDS which can be transmitted via sharing the needles from addict to addict. In general places with such problems are seen as unproductive societies which must be helped in order to stop this problematic behavior that exists.

There are many theories involved in the questioning whether drug addiction is a choice or whether it is forced upon. Because of the constant changes that the brain goes through when the drug has been taken over and over again theories came to the conclusion that the first time someone chooses to try one sort of those drugs it is a choice. But then from the moment it is taken it starts to affect the brain more and more each time. Concluding that although the first try was a choice, from the dopamine in the substances the human body is forced upon taking it over and over again.

On the other hand, the use of drugs are not only for average people. In the sports industry the use of drugs also known as performance-enhancers, have become another problem that is now existent because of these types of chemicals. When it comes to sports, taking part in competitions and winning is the aim for top athletes. Once they have won the need to win again makes them search for any possible way to do so. Therefore, turn to the use of the performance enhancer drugs. The use of them help athletes train without getting tired, reduce the pain in the muscles so that they are able to keep working out in their training. In the riskiest cases the addiction to winning makes them take doses before their competitions. The risk in this case is being caught for doping which is classified as cheating.

In cases where an athlete is caught doping in a championship they are faced with punishments which vary on whether the athlete is an individual or a team player. If he/she is individual in the sport and is caught with the drug or been examined to see if it is in their system and find that the tests comes out positive, the player gets disqualified. Unless they have a good enough reason to convince why the drug was on them or in their body, provided the reasoning did not have anything to do with the performance-enhancement then it counts as an offence but they do not get disqualified.

When it comes to being in a team, the rules differ slightly. If the organizers of the event feel the need to make the team players take a doping examination, they are allowed to test each individual. If more than two players of that specific team are found under the influence the team face consequences like point reduction or qualification. Unfortunately, to many sports members the pleasure of doing your personal best in a competition is not enough. The addiction to what the drugs allows them to do, which is development in their performance and many times even winning makes them addicted to the intake of them. In our time many societies have made clinics and rehabilitation centers where those who want to get over their addiction choose to go there to be helped by specialists. Some believe that those who go into these sorts of centers are forced to do so. Though, this is not true. The patients are recommended to try it out but are allowed to leave any time they want to. But throughout the whole time they are in there, the support and help that they get normally makes them better and get over their addiction. The hardest part of getting better is to actually seek and want help to get well again.

Psychologists have noticed throughout the years that addiction is normally part and parcel with another disorder or behavior that existed already beforehand. Turning to drugs is mainly as a relief to the addicts to fix the pain of their already existent problems. Therefore, when it comes to a treatment for them they psychologists have to seek deeper into the problem and the addict’s history. Many times they find people who are users have turned to drugs as a pain relief from childhood traumas that are still haunting them such as child abuse, sexual assault, or turning to them because of having mental health problems. Summing up that the psychologists aim is to help the patient overcome their previous traumas before helping them through addiction.