DRUG ADDICTION: SYMPTOMS, CAUSES, TYPES, TREATMENTS - NEUROPSYCHOLOGY - 2025

The drug or drug addiction is a problem that occurs when a person consumes an addictive substance regularly. Due to the changes they cause in the brain, users who develop it need to consume a higher dose. This gets to the point where the person cannot control himself.

Many people do not understand why or how others can become addicted to drugs. They mistakenly believe that those who use these substances on a regular basis do not have willpower, and that they could quit whenever they wanted.

However, drug addiction is a complex disease, and getting over it takes much more than just wanting to do it. In general, people with drug addiction will require professional help to recover their life and get out of the trap that these substances generate.

Fortunately, today we know more than ever about drugs and their effects on the brain. In this article we will see what exactly is drug addiction, as well as the factors that cause it and the ways in which a person can get rid of this disease.

Symptoms

Each drug causes different effects depending on the type of which they are and the person who uses them. However, there are some common symptoms that can help us identify when someone is becoming addicted to these substances.

In general, they can be divided into two types: physical, and behavioral.

Physical symptoms

Physical symptoms can be more difficult to detect than behavioral ones. However, they can give us clues to find out if someone close to us is becoming addicted.

Among those of this type, the most dangerous are those that have to do with the internal functioning of the body. They are usually impossible to detect unless specific medical tests are done. However, it is important to be aware of them.

Thus, for example, drugs can cause changes in the brain, hormones or internal organs of the body. In addition, being toxic substances to a certain extent, general health will worsen. In the case of some drugs, even an overdose can lead to the death of the user.

As for external symptoms, in general they are usually easier to detect but much less serious. Thus, among them we can find sudden changes in weight, redness of the eyes, hair or tooth loss, or wounds in the parts of the body through which the entry of the drug occurs.

Behavioral symptoms

Behavioral symptoms are often the easiest to detect among people with drug addiction. Next we will see the most common ones.

Difficult to focus

All drugs alter the ability and function of the brain. Therefore, both its immediate effects and those of the withdrawal syndrome can cause serious difficulties in maintaining concentration.

This can translate, for example, into the inability to pay prolonged attention to a single thing, or in the difficulty to form coherent thoughts.

Increased aggressiveness or irritability

Another of the most common symptoms of drug abuse is abnormal aggressiveness. Even for people who are normally mild and calm, drug addiction can make them violent and lead to outbursts of anger.

Personality changes

Due to changes in the brain, drugs can alter the way a person relates to the world or the way they think.

Therefore, people close to an addict will notice how he behaves in very different ways than those that are usual in him.

Mental and emotional disorders

Finally, one of the most serious symptoms in which drug abuse is implicated is the appearance of all kinds of psychiatric disorders.

These can range from the most common, such as depression or anxiety, to much more serious ones such as personality disorders or schizophrenia.

In any case, the appearance of a mental disorder can be difficult to reverse. Therefore, it is important to stop drug addiction in time. Those close to an addict should help him seek the support of a professional as soon as possible.

Causes

There is no single cause that causes all cases of drug addiction. On the contrary, most of the time there will be certain risks that will make this outcome more likely. In general, the possible causes are divided into three types: psychological, social and genetic.

Among the psychological ones, we find factors such as the previous presence of a mental disorder, the lack of connection with others, or problems related to the difficulty in coping with stress and unpleasant emotions.

On the other hand, social causes are the most studied. Among them, we find some such as pressure from a group, lack of economic resources, or poor education about the risks of drugs.

Finally, genetic causes refer to certain hereditary components that have been shown to play a role in the appearance of substance abuse problems. Thus, some people would be more predisposed from birth to become addicted.

Types

Below you will find a description of the most common drug families and some of their effects.

Stimulants

Stimulants are a group of drugs that cause an increase in energy and euphoria. Its most common side effects include paranoia, anxiety, heart problems, and depression.

Some of the best-known stimulants are cocaine, amphetamines, and ecstasy.

Depressants

Nervous system depressants cause an artificial feeling of relaxation and calm. Some of them are used as medicines, but many are abused in drug form. The most common are alcohol, marijuana, and benzodiazepines.

Its side effects include depression, heart problems, poor memory, and mood disturbances.

Hallucinogens

Hallucinogenic drugs do not usually cause physical addiction. However, its effects on the mind can be very dangerous. These are drugs that cause a loss of the notion of reality to a greater or lesser extent.

Some of the most common substances of this type are LSD, magic mushrooms, peyote or ayahuasca. Its side effects can include extreme paranoia, anxiety, or recurrent hallucinations. Marijuana also has certain hallucinogenic effects.

Dissociative

This type of drug causes the user to feel that he is separated from his own body. Thus, you will have the feeling of observing yourself from the outside. On the other hand, they also cause a certain component of relaxation.

Its most serious side effects are mood disorders, suicidal tendencies, social avoidance, and speech problems. Among the best known are ketamine and PCP.

5- Opioids

The opioid group contains some of the most dangerous drugs in the world. Its short-term effects are an intense feeling of euphoria and pain reduction, followed by extremely unpleasant symptoms when the dose is passed.

The best known of these is heroin, although morphine, a drug used to treat some medical problems, also belongs to this group.

Its side effects are extreme addiction, severe pain, concentration problems and loss of mental faculties.

Inhalants

The last group of drugs includes a series of substances that are consumed by inhaling the vapors they give off. They are also known as "poppers".

Some of its most common effects are increased sexual arousal and pleasure, and a momentary sense of relaxation.

Long-term use of inhalants can cause brain damage, wear of the nasal septum, hallucinations, or memory loss.

Treatments

Treatment for a person addicted to drugs has to achieve three objectives: to get them to stop using them, to prevent them from relapsing to their use, and to reintegrate them into society in such a way that they become a productive member of it again.

There are many approaches that can be used to treat substance abuse. Some of them involve the use of medication. Rather, others choose to focus on treating the mental or social aspects of drug addiction.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most effective ones for treating all types of disorders. It is based on the modification of certain problem behaviors, as well as the thoughts that provoke them.

Social intervention

An also very effective approach in drug addiction treatment is social intervention. It is based on studying the environment of the drug addict, in order to modify it so that the use of addictive substances ceases to have meaning in his life.

Medication

Finally, in some cases, medication can be used to alleviate the more serious symptoms of drug withdrawal.

This can help the person to get off the substance on their own. In other cases, however, this approach must be accompanied by some other type of therapy.

References

1. "Causes of drug addiction" in: Healthy Place. Retrieved on: June 13, 2018 from Healthy Place: healthyplace.com.
2. "Understanding drug use and addiction" in: Drug Abuse. Retrieved on: June 13, 2018 from Drug Abuse: drugabuse.gov.
3. "Types of drugs" in: The Recovery Village. Retrieved on: June 13, 2018 from The Recovery Village: therecoveryvillage.com.
4. "Treatment approaches for drug addiction" in: Drug Abuse. Retrieved on: June 13, 2018 from Drug Abuse: drugabuse.gov.
5. "Substance dependence" in: Wikipedia. Retrieved on: June 13, 2018 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org.