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Addiction

Addiction. A physical or psychological need for higher and higher doses of a drug. What is a drug?. A substance that changes the structure or function of the body or mind. No one who starts out using a substance intends to become addicted. Drugs and the Brain.

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Addiction

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  1. Addiction A physical or psychological need for higher and higher doses of a drug

  2. What is a drug? A substance that changes the structure or function of the body or mind

  3. No one who starts out using a substance intends to become addicted

  4. Drugs and the Brain • Drugs provide a sense ofeuphoriaby imitating the brain’s natural way of producing pleasure • The acts of eating, being physically active and relaxing, release endorphins = chemicals in the brain that produce feelings of pleasure in response to a variety of activities. • A lack of these chemicals produces an unpleasant feeling, known asdysphoria= the unpleasant feelings that occur when endorphins are lacking

  5. Key Difference Natural Euphoria Drug induced Euphoria Taking mind-altering drugs produces pleasure with no healthful activities associated with it At the same time, the brain of the drug taker produces fewer and fewer of its own endorphins • This pattern encourages people to engage in health-promoting behaviors. • The natural chemicals are produced in response to healthful activities

  6. How does Addiction set in? • Gradually, the brain of the drug taker produces fewer and fewer of its own endorphins • After each round of drug-taking, when the pleasure wears off, the person is left with the unpleasant sensation, dysphoria • The person may then use more drugs to chase away dysphoria, unaware that more discomfort will follow, along with the desire for still more drugs

  7. The graph on this page illustrates the progression of tolerance.

  8. Physical Addiction • Causes a change in the body’s chemistry so that without the presence of the substance (drug), normal functioning begins to fail • The body craves the drug to be able to function normally • As the body begins to clear the drug from the system, then the symptoms of withdrawal begin

  9. Withdrawal • This is the physicalsymptoms that occur when an addictive drug is cleared from the body tissues • Symptoms of withdrawal may include problems with vision, muscle activity, digestion, brain function, temperature regulation, or many other processes

  10. Psychological Addiction • People who never learn to cope with emotional pain may develop psychological addictions to drugs – this happens if people believe they can use drugs to relieve emotional pain • Physical addiction always triggers psychological addiction or dependence = mental dependence on a drug, habit or behavior

  11. “Despair is better treated with hope, not dope” Dr. Richard Asher • Psychological addictions can be as powerful as physical addictions • The only sure way to escape drug addiction is never to experiment with taking drugs

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