An addiction is a condition in which a person cannot stop using a certain substance or engaging in certain behaviors, despite the harm caused by doing so. A drug or alcohol is one type of substance that can cause this type of addiction.
However, people may also develop an addiction to gambling, sex and relationships, virtual reality, video games, and other activities that use substances such as cocaine or heroin. The most common form of drug addiction is narcotics such as heroin and cocaine. In this article, we will discuss what is considered to be drug addiction and the signs that may indicate that a person is addicted to drugs such as cocaine.
What Is Considered as Drug Addiction?
What Is Drug Addiction?
Drug addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease characterized by compulsive substance use despite adverse consequences. The definition of “compulsive” is an inability to control urges or behaviors that are not in one’s best interest. In this sense, people who abuse drugs compulsively spend much more time and effort obtaining and using the drugs than they would if they were using them in a non-addicted manner.
Addiction involves behavioral symptoms that include a lack of control over the use of a substance or behavior and an inability to stop despite the presence of adverse consequences that are so severe that they result in serious disruptions in family, work, and social life. Addiction is considered a brain disease because it involves functional changes to the brain. Drug addiction usually develops from voluntary drug use — most often when people begin using drugs for fun or for self-medication purposes. Addictive drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and amphetamines produce a feeling of pleasure and excitement in the user.
Eventually, some people who use drugs for pleasure develop a tolerance for the drug — which means that they need higher and higher doses to achieve the same level of high. When this happens, people may begin to take the drug compulsively — which means that they keep using it despite significant psychological or physical problems caused by their drug use. When this occurs, addiction has often already set in.
Some Signs of Addiction
In order for a pattern of compulsive drug use to be called an “addiction,” specific behavioral factors must be present. These include: A person who is addicted to drugs may spend large amounts of time and money getting or using drugs. This can occur even when their drug use significantly compromises the person’s health or safety. People who are addicted to drugs often try to quit using the drug, but are not successful in doing so.
They may even develop an intense craving for the drug when they try to quit. People who are addicted to drugs can experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop using the drug. The severity of these withdrawal symptoms indicates how difficult it is for a person to stop taking the drug. People who are addicted to drugs may continue to use the drug despite serious problems resulting from their drug use.
People who are addicted to drugs may experience social, interpersonal, and occupational impairment as a result of the drug use. The level of impairment may be unrelated to the number of drugs used. People who are addicted to drugs may continue to take the drug even though it is causing physical problems such as illness, weight loss, or dental problems. People who are addicted to drugs may have trouble controlling the number of drugs that they take. If they do not have a high enough tolerance to their drug, then they may increase their consumption in order to get high.
These behavioral symptoms hold true for addiction to cocaine, heroin, alcohol, marijuana, and other addictive drugs. However, each drug has its own specific features that make it more or less likely to cause a person to become addicted. For example, cocaine causes appetite loss and physical health problems, which makes it fairly unlikely for someone who uses cocaine frequently to be able to maintain employment and have a family life.
In conclusion, repeated drug use causes compulsive drug use. This is often referred to as addiction. These compulsive drug users do not recognize that they have a problem because of the intense desire to use the drug. It is possible for a person who does not meet all of these criteria for addiction to still be at risk of falling into an addiction. If you want to get help for yourself or someone you love, please call us at 302-842-2390.
