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“Cocaine habit forming? Of course not. I ought to know, I've been using it for years.”
                                                                            - Tallulah Bankhead, actress/performer

What do all drugs have in common? * Abstinence * Addiction * Effects on behavior
Excessive dosages * Interactions * Personal & fetal health * Set & setting

ADDICTION

Is using drugs to deal with personal problems a form of addiction?
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What if I only use for certain reasons, and only at certain times and places?
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What's considered too much or too often? * What's tolerance or withdrawal?

The exact definition of addiction has always been under debate, and there has never been a single program that has been universally effective in treating this health problem. But all drugs can cause some form of chemical dependency. The following are some criteria that meet one or more type(s) of addiction.

AVOIDING PAIN: Classic physical addiction is reached when the user needs a certain drug to feel normal. After the brain and body have adapted to the chemical, physical symptoms such as insomnia/drowsiness, tension, tremors, or stomachaches will surface if the drug isn’t constantly available, leading to multiple usages per day in order to alleviate cravings. Eventually, the desirable effects originally sought are lost and the only purpose of the substance is to avoid discomfort. The behavior goes from being a positive reinforcement of producing pleasure to a negative reinforcement of eliminating pain. Substances most often associated with this type of addiction include alcohol, cocaine, crack, heroin, coffee, and nicotine. Of all drugs, alcohol is the only one whose withdrawal symptoms by themselves are known to be deadly.

IGNORING CONSEQUENCES: One of the most damaging forms of addiction is using even though problems arise as a result of use. Problems can include ruining relationships with lovers and family, falling back in occupational and academic work, impairing bodily health and mental capacities, getting in trouble with the law, and hurting one’s finances. This is basically an example of losing control. Practically all drugs (and any activity) can fall under this category of compulsive behavior.

REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE SOMETHING: Users often take drugs in order to be able to do something, such as taking depressants to fall asleep or stimulants to stay awake and get work done. While this is common, regular use, especially beyond the recommendations of a physician if it’s medication, can constitute abuse. Consider the well-known image of an adult sighing before saying “I need a drink” or “I need a cigarette.” This requirement in relieving stress can lead to addiction if it becomes the first and only source of relaxation every time the person is experiencing a hard time.

USING TO HIDE PROBLEMS: A majority of young drug abusers who end up in rehabs and treatment centers must deal with a number of other issues as well – addicted or alcoholic parents, child abuse, sexual molestation, failure in school, poverty, etc. Whether the life problems lead to the drug abuse, the drug abuse leads to the life problems, or if they happen simultaneously is all a matter of debate. What is certain is that drug-using behavior can change rapidly if the drug is being taken to deal with personal issues. Substances such as MDMA and LSD have been studied as psychotherapeutic tools. This is an example of using a chemical to confront a problem. Addiction occurs easily when a drug is used to run away from a problem. The state of altered perception and senses that substances induce can be very powerful and seductive, which in turn can easily become a method of suppressing everyday troubles. Relaxing depressants such as GHB and alcohol, pain-reducing opiates such as heroin and opium, dissociating chemicals such as ketamine and DXM, mind-bending psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin mushrooms, or energizing stimulants such as coffee and amphetamines can all achieve a worry-free mental and emotional state. However, if this becomes a regular source of forgetting problems, compulsive and addictive use will easily build and replace direct, conscious methods of resolving personal issues.

ASSOCIATED WITH AN ACTIVITY: An addict is often perceived as a drug user who will take any substance anywhere at anytime. Most forms of addiction, however, do not fit this description. For example, MDMA is most well-known for its popularity at all-night dance parties known as raves, even though the drug is taken by all types of people in all types of settings. Furthermore, contrary to popular belief, not all ravers take MDMA while partying. But for the majority that do, a portion of them definitely rely on the drug every time they go to a rave in order to have fun. The same can be said of people who rely on drinking to have fun at a nightclub. Even if a drug is only taken within a certain context, the unbreakable connection between the drug and that activity can lead to addiction if the activity becomes frequent. The user may very easily build a desire to engage in the activity simply as an opportunity or excuse to use the substance.

FEEDING TOLERANCE: Almost every drug will weaken in strength the more it’s used by the same person. The individual’s mind and body basically becomes more experienced and adapted to the chemical and thus requires a larger dosage to achieve the same effects. The greater the frequency of use, the quicker tolerance builds. So one way to reduce tolerance is to simply extend intervals between use. And because the user would then require less of the drug again, starting with lower dosages each time would be a good caution. Not every tolerant user, however, decides to do all this. Many prefer continuing or increasing their frequency of usage while simply taking more of the drug each time. This can become a form of addiction where the user cannot wait to reach the desired mental and emotional state as before, even if it means unlimited sessions and dosages of the drug.

© Fall 2003

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