Alcohol And Drug Addiction The Greatest Dangers Of A...

Alcohol and drug addictions are the greatest dangers to a healthy society nationwide. An addiction is â€Å"a condition that results when a person ingests a substance (e.g. alcohol, nicotine, cocaine) or engages in an activity (e.g. gambling) that can be pleasurable but the continued use/ act of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary life responsibilities, such as work, relationships, or health.† An addicted person may not be aware of their altered behavior or the problems that their behavior is causing. To help an addicted person it is important to understand the psychology behind addictions, the symptoms, drug trends, and the options for treatment. The word addiction usually refers to a physical addiction. A physical†¦show more content†¦Whether or not a person become addicted to something depends on their individual biology, social environment, age, and their current stage of development as a human person. A few inward symptoms are the inability to limit oneself, the craving for the substance, and the amount of drug needed rises to produce the desired effect as one builds up a tolerance to the drug. An outward symptom is that the use of the substance will interfere with school, work, social and family life. This interference creates psychological impairments and negative effects on the addict’s health, mood, and self-respect. Another outward symptom of an addiction is withdrawal. During withdrawal, the addict will have irritability, anxiety, shakes, and nausea. General symptoms can be â€Å"declining grades, aggressiveness, forgetfulness, disappearing money or valuables, feeling hopeless, depressed, or suicidal, use of room deodorizers, lying, particularly about how much alcohol or other drugs he or she is using, frequent hangover, getting in trouble with the law, drinking and driving, and suspension for work or school.† Over time, the continued use of a substance can alter the addict’s decision-making process, judgment skills, the learning and memory part of the brain, as well as the behavior control part of the brain. All addictions can cause shame, guilt, hopelessness, thoughts of failure, anxiety, and depression. People who become addicted to