% Of The People Who Misuse Opioids Become Addicted To Them
The opioid addiction facts show that most people dont think its a big deal to frequently share their unused pain relievers, apparently oblivious to the hazards of non-medical opioid use. When a friend or relative gives opioids to an adolescent, theres a good chance they will misuse the prescription pain relievers and possibly even develop an addiction.
Substance Effects On The Brain
The top 10 addictions in the world include everything from cannabis to benzodiazepines to amphetamines. Other versions in America include so-called process addictions like gambling, food, and spending time on the Internet.
The list of the top 10 addictions in the world is not necessarily the same as the top ten worst addictions. Addictions are variable in how intense and quickly they take over. A list of the top 10 worst drug addictions can also include substances that may not be as common but are just as detrimental as any other illicit substance or detrimental activity. The hard addictions we are talking about in this list will usually require professional treatment for a successful recovery.
Trying to manage the withdrawal symptoms alone can even be dangerous with some of these addictions. Here are the hardest addictions to kick for users.
Approximately 80% Of Individuals Who Used Heroin Also Misused Prescription Opioids
This demonstrates the relationship between the use of prescription opioids and heroin. In a survey carried out in 2014, 94% of the respondents said they first used heroin because most prescription opioids are costlier and harder to obtain. The opioid abuse statistics also go on to show that approximately 4% to 6% of people who misuse heroin had made a shift from prescription opioids. Its estimated that up to 23% of all the people who take heroin have also developed an addiction to opioids.
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Prevalence Of Substance Use Disorders
Over 2% of the world population has an alcohol or illicit drug addiction
How common is alcohol or drug addiction?
In the map here we see the share of the population with a substance use disorder. Globally, just over 2% of the world were dependent on alcohol or an illicit drug.
In some countries its even more common. In the USA and several countries in Eastern Europe, more than 1-in-20 were dependent. In the USA, this was dominated by illicit drug dependence, whereas alcoholism was much more common in Russia and Eastern Europe.
Alcohol and drug addiction is more common in men
How does the prevalence of substance use disorders alcohol and illicit drug addiction vary between men and women?
In this visualization we show this comparison: the share of men with a substance use disorder is shown on the y-axis the share of women on the x-axis. The grey line represents parity: countries which lie along this line have equal prevalence in men and women. In countries which lie above the line, substance use disorders is more common in men.
Globally, alcohol or drug dependence was twice as common in men as in women: in 2016, 2.4% of men were dependent, versus 1.2% in women. Since all countries lie above the grey line, dependency is more common in men across the world.
Alcohol use vs. drug use disorders
Do countries with high rates of alcoholism also have high rates of other drug use disorders? Or does a high prevalence in one mean a low prevalence in the other?
Direct Deaths: Drug Overdoses
Over 350,000 die from alcohol and illicit drug use disorders each year
As we have just seen most deaths from substance use are the result of long-term use of the drugs which increases the likelihood of various diseases and injury: these are indirect deaths caused by the drugs.
But a significant number of people die every year from directly from drug overdoses. Substance use disorders are classified on the basis of drug dependency, as defined by the criteria in the WHOs International Classification of Disease .
Deaths from substance use disorders are differentiated between alcohol dependence, and illicit drug dependence .
These estimates of the annual number of deaths by cause are shown here. This chart is shown for the global total, but can be explored for any country or region using the change country toggle.9
Just over 350,000 died from substance use disorders in 2017: 185,000 from alcohol, and 167,000 from illicit drugs.
In some countries drug overdoses rank highly on the leading causes of death: in the USA in 2017, for example, more people died from overdoses than in road accidents.
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This Disorder Leads To Over 200 Distinct Types Of Health Conditions And Injuries
The alcohol abuse statistics indicate that alcohol abuse costs the US about $250 billion annually. According to data from 2016, approximately 15 million Americans are diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder every year, and an estimated 136 million Americans consume alcoholwhich is about one-third of the population.
About 30% Of Individuals Who Admit To Using Marijuana Frequently Have A Disorder With Marijuana Use
The marijuana addiction facts show that at least once in the previous year, 13% of 8th graders, 27% of 10th graders, and 35% of 12th graders used marijuana. Less than 1% of 8th graders, approximately 3% of 10th-grade students, and approximately 5% of 12th graders reported using it daily. Marijuanas average batch has become stronger, which has increased the overall number of marijuana deaths per year. The average marijuana batch in 1990 contained less than 4% THC, but that proportion has since increased to over 12%.
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The Most Common Addictions In The United States
As defined by the Addiction Center, Addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disease defined by a physical and psychological dependence on drugs, alcohol or a behavior. When an addictive disorder has formed, a person will pursue their toxic habits despite putting themselves or others in harms way.
Regardless of the reason, such as genetics or mental health disorders, the first step to getting help is to identify and understand addiction so that you or someone you care about can receive the right treatment. Because of this, here is a list of the most common addictions in the United States.
Nicotine
Tobacco products, which are legal depending on your age, contain the highly-addictive substance. While this may not seem as severe as other addictions, smoking comes with a lengthy list of health concerns. its estimated that anywhere from around 40 to 60 million Americans use tobacco products.
Alcohol
Like tobacco, alcohol is legal if youre over the age of 21. Its also readily available and is not frowned upon socially. However, alcohol use disorder affects more than 14 million people in the United States. This can lead to health problems, such as liver disease, as well as motor vehicle impairment and violent activities including spousal and child abuse.
Prescription Drugs
Addiction to prescription drugs can have dire consequences including health issues, death, financial loss, arrests, and conflicts with loved ones.
Cocaine & Heroin
Food
Gambling
Sex & Pornography
Work
Benzodiazepines Are One Of The Worst Prescription Drugs For Addiction
As a sedative drug, benzodiazepines are one of the most dangerous prescription drugs to abuse. When used to self-medicate for anxiety or sleep, this class of drugs is highly addictive.
With over 40 million Americans suffering from anxiety and stress disorders, its no wonder that the benzos are one of the most common addictions. People facing clinical anxiety, stress, and panic attacks will often be prescribed benzodiazepines like Valium and Xanax. There are actually over 15 different kinds of benzodiazepine medications used for different medical purposes. This may also be an indication of why its so common for addiction.
They are used for anxiety, muscle relaxant, mild memory loss, and anti-seizure medication. There are also benzos that come in smaller doses for sleep disorders. No benzodiazepine should be used for a long time due to the high risk of addiction.
Benzodiazepines create surges of dopamine in the brain which causes a change in the dopamine-producing cells in the body. It is the pleasurable effects of these drugs that cause dependency.
Benzodiazepine use will deteriorate cells that rein in the flooding of dopamine. The temporary surges of dopamine can cause even great dopamine surges. Researchers believe that benzodiazepines will build up in the body. They begin to alter the structure and function of brain receptors. It creates excitable surges and can make the dopamine rushes more intense.
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Deaths From Substance Use Disorders
Alcohol disorders have the highest death toll amongst substance use disorders
In the visualization we see the breakdown of deaths from substance use disorders by substance type. Note that these figures include only direct deaths from drug dependence.
Collectively, all substances shown in red are classified as illicit drugs.
We see that globally alcohol has the highest death toll amongst substance use disorders. Deaths from opioid overdoses have increased significantly in recent years and now exceed 100,000 globally.
This data can be explored for any country or region using the change country toggle on the interactive chart.
Deaths from alcohol are high across Eastern Europe illicit drug deaths are high across North America
In the interactive visualization we see death rates from alcohol and drug use disorders, measured as the number of deaths per 100,000 individuals.
We see much higher rates in the USA and across several countries in Eastern Europe. In the USA, this was dominated by illicit drug dependence, whereas alcoholism was much more common in Russia and Eastern Europe.
Related charts number of deaths from substance use disorders.This map shows the number of deaths from substance use disorders each year. This chart shows the breakdown of annual deaths between alcohol and illicit drug use disorders.
Many who die from substance use disorders are young
Finding Quality Treatment For Substance Use Disorders
This fact sheet serves as a guide for individuals seeking behavioral health treatment. It provides three necessary steps to complete prior to utilizing a treatment center and the five signs of a quality treatment center, which include a review of the accreditation, medication, evidence-based practices, position on the role of families, and support networks.
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Indirect Deaths: Risk Factors For Early Death
Substance use is responsible for 11.4 million premature deaths each year
11.8 million deaths are attributed to substance use each year we look at the this breakdown between direct deaths and indirect deaths from increased risk of various diseases and injury here.
What we see from this breakdown is that the majority of these deaths are indirect: they result from more than smoking increasing the risk of lung and various other cancers, heart disease, stroke and diabetes and alcohol and illicit drugs increasing the risk of suicide, hepatitis and liver diseases.
The Global Burden of Disease is a major global study on the causes and risk factors for death and disease published in the medical journal The Lancet.8 These estimates of the annual number of deaths attributed to a wide range of risk factors are shown here. This chart is shown for the global total, but can be explored for any country or region using the change country toggle.
In this chart you see deaths from smoking, secondhand smoke, alcohol use, and drug use: collectively these accounted for 11.4 million deaths in 2017. If we consider these deaths collectively, this makes substance use the leading risk factor for premature death globally.
Process Addictions: Gambling Sex And Food May Not Make The Hardest Drugs List But They Are Among The Worst Addictions In America
While most forms of addiction are usually accompanied by withdrawal symptoms, this is not always the case. Behavior addictions can have all of the psychological and social consequences of addiction without exhibiting any physical symptoms of dependence at all.
Some of the most common process addictions include psychological dependence on gambling, sex, gaming, food, and even shopping. Gambling and shopping can actually raise levels of dopamine which is the exact thing that substances do.
We all engage in many different behaviors throughout our day. Some of our behaviors are life improvements. Eating is something we need to do and yet food addiction is something unhealthy and debilitating. Those with a food addiction will eat even when theyre not hungry and binge eat. They are wreaking havoc on their health but they have no control to stop. This impulsive type of behavior can contribute to physical and mental health issues.
We have chosen to include this form of addiction in our list of the hardest addictions for two reasons. First, people may be unable to stop the behavior even after facing negative consequences and, second, because the need for treatment for this form of addiction often goes unrecognized.
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Cigarettes Are Among The Top 10 Addictions In The World
Unsurprisingly, cigarettes actually are among the hardest addictions to kick. Despite countless public awareness campaigns and anti-smoking laws, millions of Americans continue to struggle with addiction to the nicotine in cigarettes.
Multiple experts have rated cigarettes as one of the hardest addictions to kick. The drug may be legal, but it is still a drug. Cigarette use carries all of the telltale signs of addiction, including heavy cravings for nicotine to irritability when going too long without a cigarette.
The nicotine in cigarettes is as addictive as heroin. It changes the brain as it develops extra nicotine receptors to make space for the doses of nicotine. When the brain no longer gets the nicotine, withdrawal symptoms will occur. This can include anxiety, irritability, and strong cravings for nicotine.
The physical addiction to nicotine is due to how quickly it goes to the brain when inhaled. It causes a perceived temporary relaxation. Nicotine elevates a persons mood and heart rate temporarily. The relaxation and elevated mood dont last long which is when the body begins to crave another cigarette. Withdrawal symptoms set in quickly with nicotine. Imagine that many people will use 20 doses of this drug daily to get their addiction fix.
People will reach for a cigarette during times of stress believing that it will give them quick relief of anxiety. It can become an emotional crutch as well as a deadly addiction.
Heroin May Be The Most Addictive Drug In The World
According to a professional panel, heroin is at least among the top five most addictive drugs in the world. It may not be the worst addiction to kick, but it is up there.
Heroin hits the addiction trifecta: It causes the brains dopamine levels to increase by up to 200 percent, it causes brutal withdrawal symptoms and has a cheap street value.
~ Samuel Osborne, writing for The Independent
As an opioid, heroin blocks pain and gives a feeling of euphoria. This is because the drug binds to opioid receptor cells. When heroin is used, the body converts it into morphine which gives a person a rush of pleasure and extreme relaxation. This is what causes people to use heroin over and over again. Once a person is chronically abusing heroin, the brain begins to adjust. This is known as tolerance where the brain gets accustomed to a higher level of opioids.
The user will then need more heroin to get the same high as before. The signs of dependence avoiding a sick feeling, restlessness, and shakiness. Stopping too quickly could include pain in the bones and muscles. The person may also experience:
- Cold sweats
- Anxiety
- Agitation
Not only is heroin one of the most addictive drugs in the world but it is also one of the most dangerous drugs in the world. Taking just five times a normal dose can become lethal, and heroin has a wide range of devastating physical and psychological side effects for users. Heroine will continue to be listed among the hardest addictions to kick.
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How Can I Cut Down On My Sugar Intake
The first step to discovering whether you are having more sugar is to track it. For just one day of regular eating, log your foods and check the amount of sugar in it.
If you are consuming more than your recommended dosage, then you know you have a problem.
The next step is to actually cut down on sugar. When you are out shopping, read the nutritional labels behind each product you buy.
Make a note of which of your favorite products seem to have more sugar and resolve to cut down on them. Replace processed foods like ice cream which are rich in sugar with fruits.
The World Health Organization recommends cutting free sugars, the ones added at the table or by the manufacturers, down first by 10% and gradually to 5% of total energy. Simply put, begin by consuming only 12 teaspoons and then aim for 6 teaspoons throughout the day.
Cocaine Is Still One Of The Worst Addictions In America
There is no doubt about it: cocaine is not only one of the hardest types of addictions to quit, but also one of the worst represented in the United States.
While it may not be as popular as it was in the 1980s, around 1.5 million people continue to suffer from cocaine addiction in the US. Because cocaine boosts positive mood and energy, people using it recreationally or at work can easily become addicted to its effects. It is usually taken socially, which can make kicking the habit even harder.
Traditionally, our brain cells cycle will reuse hormones such as serotonin and dopamine. These neurotransmitters determine how we experience desire, motivations, pleasure, and reward. Brain cells send out signals usually and theyre taken up by receptors on that cell. Cocaine shuts down this normal process of the brain. It creates pleasure, feelings of desire, and behavior reinforcement. Dopamine begins to build up. Cocaine also alters serotonin levels which is what balances our moods.
Cocaine prevents dopamine from being reabsorbed, causing it to linger in the brain. This creates an intense feeling of euphoria. When the cocaine quickly wears off and the dopamine is absorbed, the brain isnt capable of creating its own dopamine. This creates depression, exhaustion, and mood swings. If the user has more access to cocaine, they are likely to use it.
This is known as reinforcement.
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