Recognizing A Crack Cocaine Addiction
Because of its potency and addictive quality, any amount of Crack use should be cause for concern. Those addicted to Crack put getting their fix above all else, including breaking the law. Knowing what to look for could save your life or the life of someone you care about. A few of the symptoms of addiction, as outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders include ignoring responsibilities to use, tolerance, withdrawal, and using more than initially intended.
Anyone exhibiting these symptoms may meet the clinical definition of Crack Cocaine addiction. Learn more about diagnosing an addiction.
How To Help Someone Using Cocaine
Cocaine addiction can alienate the user. It can also hurt their family and friends. Helping someone who uses cocaine is difficult, but it can improve everyones life.
Here are some things that you should and shouldnt do:
DO educate yourself
Before you talk to the person with an addiction, learn all you can about addiction. Educate yourself about withdrawal, detox, and treatment options.
The more you know about cocaine addiction, the more confident and calm you will be.
DONT take it personally
Many cocaine users will blame their loved ones for their addiction. Its easy to listen to this and blame yourself.
But remember, a cocaine addiction changes a persons brain chemistry. Their attitude and decisions are influenced by the disease they are suffering from.
DO offer support
When you do confront them, dont be judgemental. Let them know that youre aware of their problem and offer your love and support.
Let them know youre educating yourself and review treatment options.
DONT try to control it
The truth is, you have no control over this situation. Trying to control their actions or force their behavior to change often backfires in your face.
All you can do is offer your love and support, and let them figure their own situation out.
DO establish boundaries and follow through on consequences
If you want to stop enabling addictive behavior, its important to set boundaries. Its essential that the addict understands that their behavior has consequences.
How Do People Misuse Prescription Opioids
Prescribed opioids are generally taken for pain relief and are safe if taken for a short period. However, some people misuse it for substance usage. Opioids have a high effect which makes people become addicted to them.
They overdose themselves:
- Take opioids on someones prescription.
- Or take opioids to reach the state of high.
When people are addicted to opioids, they find different ways to consume them. Some simply swallow the pills. While some make power and mix it with water to inject into their veins. Some also snort the powder.
Opioid addiction is similar to any substance addiction. If you ever find yourself walking down that path, call for professional rehabilitation help. To know more about rehabilitation, visit .
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Myth: Taking Prescription Pills Is Less Addictive Or Dangerous Than Illegal Drugs
If a doctor gave you medication, it must be safer than something youre getting off the street, right?
Not so much youre just as able to become addicted. And in fact, Dr Catherine notes, addiction to prescription pills can be more complicated as its harder to identify.
It can also be a gateaway to other substances.
Stimulus Control Of Behavior
The term “behavioral addiction” refers to a compulsion to engage in a natural reward â which is a behavior that is inherently rewarding â despite adverse consequences. Preclinical evidence has demonstrated that marked increases in the expression of ÎFosB through repetitive and excessive exposure to a natural reward induces the same behavioral effects and neuroplasticity as occurs in a drug addiction.
Reviews of both clinical research in humans and preclinical studies involving ÎFosB have identified compulsive sexual activity â specifically, any form of sexual intercourse â as an addiction . Moreover, reward cross-sensitization between amphetamine and sexual activity, meaning that exposure to one increases the desire for both, has been shown to occur preclinically and clinically as a dopamine dysregulation syndrome ÎFosB expression is required for this cross-sensitization effect, which intensifies with the level of ÎFosB expression.
Reviews of preclinical studies indicate that long-term frequent and excessive consumption of high fat or sugar foods can produce an addiction . This can include chocolate. Chocolates’ sweet flavour and pharmacological ingredients is known to create a strong craving or feel ‘addictive’ by the consumer. A person who has a strong liking for chocolate may refer to themselves as a chocoholic. Chocolate is not yet formally recognised by the DSM-5 as a diagnosable addiction.
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Emotional Signs Of Addiction
Addiction can take a terrible emotional toll on anyone struggling with it. Certain substances themselves can have a pronounced emotional effect, whilst the negative consequences of addiction on someones self-esteem, life prospects and relationships with others can all be emotionally damaging. One of the most common and detrimental consequences of addiction is depression, which affects many addicts and which drives a tragically high number of suicides. Substantially lowered self-esteem and self-worth, and feelings of despair and existential fear, are also typical responses to the burden of addiction however, the consumption of their drug or drugs of choice can also inspire radically elevated moods while addicts are under the influence.
Both because of the immediate and long-term effects of the substance/s being consumed, and because of the broader ramifications of addiction, an addicts ability to engage emotionally with others on a normal basis can become greatly limited for example, they may find it difficult to reciprocate feelings of tenderness or kindness, or even love, while trusting others can also be very difficult for an addict .
Emotional disorders of various kinds are frequently observed amongst addicts, and whilst emotional volatility and/or pronounced emotional change is not necessarily a consequence of addiction it is certainly not an atypical response to it.
What Is The Outlook For People Who Live With Addiction
With treatment, many people manage addiction and live full, healthy lives. But recovering from substance use disorders is not easy. It takes self-discipline and a strong commitment on a daily basis. Supportive friends, family members and healthcare providers play an essential role in effective treatment as well.
Without treatment, addiction can cause serious health problems, even death. It can damage personal relationships, lead to financial difficulties and cause legal problems. Untreated addiction also harms family members, and the effects can last for generations.
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Problems With Relationships Work And School
Its normal to have problems in many areas of life when you or someone you care about struggles with an addiction. One of the major symptoms of drug addiction to consider is whether they have problems with relationships, work, or school.
Substance use disorders are hard on intimate relationships. Because people may act differently or feel pressured to hide their drug use, this can create stress in any relationship. This is especially normal among spouses and romantic partners, but it is not exclusive to them. In fact, its common for people with substance abuse problems to lash out at friends and slowly stop speaking to them entirely. Unfortunately, drugs often become more valuable to them than relationships, which can make it even harder for an outside observer to help them.
Signs of abuse also include trouble getting to work on time or focusing at work, as well as trouble performing well in the classroom. Again, since drugs become the individuals main priority, other obligations tend to fall to the wayside.
What Is The Difference Between Addiction And Substance Use Disorder
Addiction and substance use disorder are two terms for the same condition. The DSM adopted the term Substance Use Disorder in 2015, when it published its fifth edition. As the manual explains: Note that the word addiction is not applied as a diagnostic term in this classification, although it is in common usage in many countries to describe severe problems related to compulsive and habitual use of substances. The more neutral term substance use disorder is used to describe the wide range of the disorder, from a mild form to a severe state of chronically relapsing, compulsive drug taking. Some clinicians will choose to use the word addiction to describe more extreme presentations, but the word is omitted from the official DSM-5 substance use disorder diagnostic terminology because of its uncertain definition and its potentially negative connotation.
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Learn About Prescription Drugs And Substance Abuse
Most people go to the doctor for legitimate medical reasons and are prescribed medication to manage a host of conditions. Most people take these medications as directed and stop when the course of medication is over. However, some individuals come to like the effects of certain types of prescription medications and continue using these drugs in a manner other than intended by the physician.
Prescription drug abuse is the usage of prescription medications in a way not intended by the prescribing physician for the effects produced by taking the drug. Prescription drug abuse includes acts such as using a loved ones prescription pain killers to relieve symptoms of a particularly brutal migraine. Others may crush up the prescription medications and snort them or dilute the powdered drug in water for injection to obtain a strong high or rush. The most common classes of prescription drugs that are abused include prescription painkillers, sedatives, anti-anxiety agents, and stimulants.
Anti-anxiety drugs and sedatives, including Xanax, Valium, and Ambien, are prescribed to individuals who are struggling with anxiety or sleep disorders. Individuals who abuse these drugs often report doing so in order to counteract the effects of stimulants such as cocaine or methamphetamine, or to increase intoxication by mixing them with other downers such as alcohol or opioid narcotics.
Statistics
Preoccupation With Your Drug Of Choice
As a drug addiction progresses, its normal to become more and more preoccupied with your drug of choice. That includes things like thinking about the next time you will take the drug, what youre going to do to make sure you dont run out so you can avoid withdrawal symptoms, and where youre going to get the money in order to buy more. When drug use becomes a near-constant thought, that is perhaps the most tell-tale symptom of drug addiction.
To someone looking in at an addiction from the outside, it may mean that a friend or loved one is suddenly unavailable during certain times of the day. They may decline invitations they once would have accepted, or they may spend time with new friends that youve never met. This is a good indicator that they are spending their time with other drug users.
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Recognizing Alcoholism Am I An Alcoholic
A simple way to find out if you have alcohol use disorder is to take the CAGE test. It is a screening tool that checks for the presence of substance abuse.
The test requires you to answer 4 questions:
If you answer yes to at least two questions, it suggests that you may have an alcohol problem.
Take note that CAGE is only used as an initial assessment. Your doctor might request a further evaluation to confirm a positive diagnosis.12
Should You See a Doctor for Symptoms of Alcohol Use Disorder?
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says that the more symptoms you have, the sooner you should see a doctor.13
But remember that there is no “right time” for treatment.
If you think you have a drinking problem, you should see a doctor right away regardless of how many symptoms you have.
You should also consider seeing a mental health professional if you have co-occurring disorders.
Early addiction treatment can improve your recovery outcome. Doctors can evaluate your condition, provide treatment, and offer resources to help you cope with your drinking problem.
The only time you need immediate medical help is if you have signs of alcohol poisoning, such as:
- Slow or irregular breathing
- Seizures
How Can I Tell If Someone Has A Problem Drinking Or Taking Drugs
There are both physical and behavioral clues that someone might be experiencing a problem with substance use. None of them is definitive, and there may be many other causes, but the presence of multiple signs merits special consideration. On the physical side, a sustained neglect of personal appearance, poor hygiene, and listlessness may be signs. Bloodshot or glazed eyes and slurred or rambling speech can result from drug use. Sweating, body tremors, or even vomiting can be signs, as can weight loss or gain.
Behaviorally, significant changes in activity patterns, social groups, and school or work performance could result from problems with drug use, as can an increased desire for privacy. Behavior in general can become unpredictable, and people may frequently call in sick to work or school. Drug use can push people to borrow or steal money or other valuable items, and to neglect ongoing financial obligations. Irritability and mood swings, problems recalling information, and shifts in sleep-wake patterns are other common accompaniments of substance use. Also among the warning signs is a tendency for those experiencing problems to deny or get highly defensive about observed changes in behavior.
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Impulsive Or Compulsive Sexual Behavior
If you have CSBD, you might show both impulsive and compulsive behaviors. These terms refer to what motivates your sexual behaviors.
You may engage in sexual activities for pleasure, which is considered impulsive behavior. Or you could repetitively perform sexual activities to escape specific emotions, which is considered compulsive.
Sometimes, impulsive sexual behavior comes first. For example, you may have sex for fun and pleasure.
Later on, you might start engaging in compulsive behaviors. For example, having sex because youre feeling down or to decrease anxiety symptoms.
Its not uncommon for people with sex addiction to continue to engage in some sexual behaviors even if they dont take pleasure in it.
Impulsive and compulsive sexual behavior may happen at different times or at the same time.
What Are Some Addiction Signs
Addiction, as defined by the American Society of Addiction Medicine, is a chronic disease that changes the reward centers in the brain. While this can involve behaviors like gambling, shopping, or sex, addiction is most understood in terms of substance abuse that fundamentally changes how dopamine and other neurotransmitters associated with the reward system are managed in the brain. Behavioral characteristics of addiction involve an inability to control behaviors, cravings and withdrawal symptoms, and physical side effects, including damage to major organ systems.
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Causes And Risk Factors For Prescription Drug Addiction
Researchers have yet to unearth a single factor responsible for the abuse of substances such as prescription drugs. Prescription drug abuse is likely to be the result of many factors intermingling. The most common causes for prescription drug abuse include:
Genetic: It appears as though addiction and substance abuse have a genetic component, although the precise gene or combination of genes is unclear as of yet. Individuals who struggle with addiction and abuse of substances often have a relative or close family member such as a parent or sibling who similarly struggles with addiction.
Brain Chemistry: Its been theorized that certain individuals may be born lacking certain neurotransmitters responsible for pleasurable sensations in their brains. These individuals may attempt to self-medicate this deficiency with prescription drugs that increase the levels of these neurotransmitters.
Environmental: Individuals who grow up in a home in which addiction was rampant may grow up believing that abusing drugs is the way to handle difficulties in life. In addition, individuals who begin to abuse substances early in life are at greater risk for developing an addiction later in life.
Psychological: Many individuals who battle prescription drug abuse are also suffering from a co-occurring mental illness. These individuals may be attempting to self-medicate the symptoms of their untreated or undiagnosed mental illness.
Signs and Symptoms
Physical Signs Of Addiction
Understandably, the physical signs of drug abuse vary significantly from one substance to another: a person engaging in the intravenous consumption of heroin, for example, is likely to appear and behave very differently from someone taking a stimulant such as cocaine, and again from someone under the influence of hallucinogens.
Whilst merely having consumed a drug does not necessarily indicate an addiction, regardless of specificities if someone frequently displays signs of intoxication concerns should be raised that their substance abuse is taking place so regularly as to constitute a problem, and could very well mean that they are addicted .
With that in mind, it is however the case that some physical symptoms may be common to addiction generally regardless of the substance in question. For example, frequent tiredness and fatigue , radically altered sleeping and eating patterns, negligence towards personal hygiene and appearance, frequent nausea and/or flu-like symptoms, red and watery eyes, gum disease and other dental problems, itching, muscle spasms and tics, skin disorders, rapid weight loss , bouts of dizziness, fainting/unconsciousness, grinding teeth and/or jaw clenching, bouts of incoherence, frequent sweating and/or shivering, regularly smelling of alcohol and/or other substances, and tremors may all indicate regular substance abuse and possibly addiction.
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Drug Withdrawal Timelines: How Long Does Withdrawal Last
The precise duration of withdrawal is influenced by which substance someone used as well as the magnitude of their dependence on the substance. It may take days, weeks, andin some casesmonths to reach complete resolution of all withdrawal symptoms, depending on various factors and individual differences.
A general overview of certain drugs and their characteristic withdrawal timeline is as follows:
- Alcohol: The first signs of alcohol withdrawal may appear within several hours after the last drink and peak over the course of 24-72 hours.5 Delirium tremens usually develops 48-72 hours after heavy drinking stops and usually lasts for 3-4 days but can last up to 8 days.6
- Short-Acting Opioids : Short-acting opioid withdrawal symptoms generally begin 8-24 hours after last use and last an average of 4-10 days.
- Longer-acting opioids : For methadone and other longer-acting opioids, it may take 2-4 days for withdrawal symptoms to emerge. Withdrawal will likely fade within a period of 10 days.7
- Benzodiazepines : Withdrawal from benzos may begin within 1-4 days after the last use, peaking in severity in the first 2 weeks. In some cases, certain symptoms of protracted withdrawal can remain troublesome for months or years without treatment.8
