Phases Of Alcoholism

Few people take their first dose of a drug-- illegal or legal-- with the hope of getting addicted. For 2009, the U.S. NEED TO ANSWER A TROUBLING QUESTION: . . .
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Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reports that 23.5 million people sought some form of treatment for drug and alcohol problems. Of course, individual physiology and psychological makeup have much to do with how rapidly addiction can take hold and with the amount consumed prior to crossing the unseen line from freedom to enslavement.

While Onset Of Withdrawal From Alcohol Usually Begins 6 Hrs.-- 24 Hrs After The Last Alcoholic Beverage may differ in time frame and ferocity of dependency, a few patterns are common among the total pool of drug abusers. Through the testimonies of addicts and the professionals who treat them, clinicians can identify benchmarks for the stages of substance addiction.
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Experimenting With Substances

Addiction need not begin in youth. Even the elderly may take alcohol or substances to alleviate isolation. With no realistic self evaluation-- an honest assessment of the indications of drug addiction-- a user can pass unwittingly into the more acute stages of drug addiction.

Regular Use

Taking a drug or other substance on a regular basis does not automatically lead a person into addiction. Some can consume a substance regularly for a period and then terminate its consumption with negligible distress. The likelihood of addiction is based on the timeframe of the use period and the potency of the doses. Should the time-span continue indefinitely and the potency of the dose increase likewise, regular usage might emerge as prescription addiction. An additional warning signal is certain changes in tendencies. If speech and behaviors adjustment dramatically, especially an increased tendency toward aggressiveness and unsafe tendencies, it is necessary to stop taking the substance.

Hazardous Usage

As the stages of drug addiction are traveled through, the individual's personal decisions and tendencies become increasingly risky, both to herself or himself and other people. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health declared that 28.4 percent of young people between the ages of 21 and 25 drove a vehicle under the influence of illicit substances in 2009.

• Driving while under the influence of a sedative
• Spending money recklessly to acquire the drug
• Defensive during verbal exchanges
• Concealing things
• Changes in look.
Adjustments in desire for food, memory failure and degrading fine motor skills are also warning signs of substance abuse. The line of demarcation seperating hazardous consumption and dependency is thin and difficult to differentiate. Getting aid for yourself or a person you love should not be put off at this stage.

Dependency

Of all the stages of drug use, addiction and dependence are the most difficult to differentiate. The disastrous repercussions of substance abuse are clearly evident in addiction.
Through it all, though, the dependent differs from the addict by satisfying sufficient responsibilities to preserve the essential structure of their life. The trajectory of substance abuse stages remains headed downward, the semblance of normalcy persists.

Addiction

If changes are not made-- and aid is not found-- the stages of drug addiction lead to the most serious stage: addiction itself. Here the person is psychologically and physically bound to continuous consumption of the substance or alcohol. The point of brain disorder is reached and the sufferer is prone to many disastrous results of prolonged drug abuse.
Since the addiction is of both mind and body, withdrawal signs and symptoms are best overseen and addressed by qualified doctors. After the addicting substance has been cleaned from the body, the drug abuser can work with psychotherapists to isolate the root causes and constitution of the addiction.
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Without a realistic self-assessment-- an sincere evaluation of the signs of substance addiction-- an individual can pass unwittingly into the more intense stages of drug addiction.
Taking a drug or other substance on a routine basis does not automatically lead a person into addiction. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health declared that 28.4 percent of young adults between the ages of 21 and 25 drove under the influence of illicit drugs in 2009. Of all the stages of drug use, dependence and addiction are the most challenging to demarcate. If adjustments are not initiated-- and aid is not sought-- the stages of drug addiction lead to the most grievous stage: addiction itself.

Structure and Statistics from:
http://www.projectknow.com/research/stages-of-drug-addiction/
http://www.samhsa.gov/
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