How casual drug use leads to full blown addiction

I can't imagine how many people have asked themselves this very same question. I doubt anyone has ever set out having addiction their goal when using drugs to get high. Unfortunately many young people have made the mistake of either listening to friends or assuming on their own they can control their drug use.

They may be able to control their drug use in the beginning but they can't control the effects drugs have on them or their brain, especially drugs like heroin, yaba, phensidyle, ganja, crystal meth, cocaine and ecstasy.

These are not bad kids, they are inquisitive, want to fit in with their friends or maybe they are just going through an emotional period in their life and they are down and they experiment with drugs looking to feel better. People just don't realise how addictive drugs like yaba, crystal meth, heroin, cocaine and ganja are; only the drug dealers know the addictive potential these drugs have and they are counting on it.

This does not just happen to teens and young people either, there are plenty of adults that casually use drugs from time to time and the same thing eventually happens to them. What people don't realise is that the first time someone uses, substances to get high the addictive chemicals are already at work changing normal healthy brain function. Each drug affects the brain differently but they all affect mood, behaviour and motor skills.

Some people in the beginning use drugs just on the weekends hanging out with friends. They think this occasional drug use keeps them from becoming addicted but they soon find out differently when they try to stop or their weekend supply runs out.

During the early stages of drug use, the user does not always see the changes taking place in their behaviour, especially with their moods. People close to them do but the drug user does not.

In a short period of time, tolerance to the drugs is taken over and occasional use becomes more frequent. Your brain and body becomes dependent on the drug in order to get through the day. Drug use not only becomes more frequent but the dose has to be increased because what you have been doing is not as effective anymore. Now you are no longer using drugs to get high, you are using drugs in order to somewhat function.

When dopamine is forced during drug use it not only kills healthy brain cells but the brain slowly stops taking charge and producing it normally like it once did. In between drug use, a chemical imbalance is going on in your brain which affects your health and well-being.

You are now craving the drug, irritable, sometimes short-tempered, nervous, unable to function, down, depressed and anxious until you use again.

In the beginning of your drug use, surges of dopamine were released when you experienced euphoria and unrealistic pleasure. That is why most people continue using drugs, they want to experience those feelings again. Now that you are dependent on your drug use when the dopamine levels begin to decrease as the drugs wears down, extreme high levels of dopamine are now becoming abnormally low levels of dopamine and you are completely miserable.

Not only do these drugs cause symptoms of depression and anxiety when you are crashing, many also cause paranoia, stomach cramps, body aches and pains, nausea and vomiting, sometimes sweats and chills.

These symptoms are so powerfully miserable many people have overdosed on whatever they can get a hold of to relieve their misery. You are miserably hooked.

Some people consider themselves to be functional drug users because they are able to use drugs, hold down a job, and maintain a somewhat normal lifestyle so they think. They may be functioning now but the drugs have taken hold and they are unable to live without them. For most people, this does not last long either. Tolerance takes place the same way it does with occasional use and the drugs affect a functional drug user the same way they do anyone else.

Choosing to use drugs was a poor choice and a mistake, you know that by now. Make the right choice and ask for help.

The write-up is compiled from www.addictionsearch.com by Dr Satparkash.