Drug Abuse and Addiction

Presented BY: Manisha Das,

Mitali kunda
 What is a drug?

A drug is any chemical that

produces a therapeutic or
non-therapeutic effect in
the body. Many prescription
drugs that produce
therapeutic effects may also
cause non-therapeutic
effects if taken in excess
and/or without a specific
prescription.
 What Is Drug Addiction?

Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes

compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences to the
addicted individual and to those around him or her. Although the initial
decision to take drugs is voluntary for most people, the brain changes that
occur over time challenge a person’s self control and ability to resist intense
impulses urging them to take drugs.
Similar to other chronic, relapsing diseases, such as diabetes, asthma, or
heart disease, drug addiction can be managed successfully. And as with
other chronic diseases, it is not uncommon for a person to relapse and begin
abusing drugs again. Relapse, however, does not signal treatment failure—
rather, it indicates that treatment should be reinstated, adjusted, or that an
alternative treatment is needed to help the individual regain control and
recover.
 What is Drug Abuse?

Drug abuse, also called substance abuse or

chemical abuse, is a disorder that is characterized by a
destructive pattern of using a substance that leads to
significant problems or distress.
It affects more than 7% of people at some point in their
lives. Teens are increasingly engaging in prescription
drug abuse, particularly narcotics which are prescribed
to relieve severe pain.
The Different Kinds of Substances
That are Abused:

Virtually every drug

 Marijuana has the potential for
addiction and abuse.
 Uppers Interestingly, each
drug affects the
 Downers
Click icon to add picture
addicts’ bodies and
 Narcotics brains in different
ways
 Hallucinogens
 Inhalants
 Steroids
Drug Abuse
How drug abuse and addiction can develop:
• Problems can sometimes sneak • If the drug fulfills a valuable
up on you, as your drug use need, you may find yourself
gradually increases over time. increasingly relying on it. For
Smoking a joint with friends at the example, you may take drugs to
weekend, or taking ecstasy at a calm you if you feel anxious or
rave, or cocaine at an occasional stressed, energize you if you feel
party, for example, can change to depressed, or make you more
using drugs a couple of days a confident in social situations if you
week, then every day. Gradually, normally feel shy. Or you may
getting and using the drug have started using prescription
becomes more and more drugs to cope with panic attacks or
important to you. relieve chronic pain, for example.
Until you find alternative,
healthier methods for overcoming
these problems, your drug use will
likely continue.
 How drug abuse and addiction can develop
continued :
• If you use drugs to fill a void in • As drug abuse takes hold, you
your life, you’re more at risk of may miss or frequently be late for
crossing the line from casual use work or school, your job
to drug abuse and addiction. To performance may progressively
maintain healthy balance in your deteriorate, and you start to
life, you need to have other neglect social or family
positive experiences, to feel good obligations. Your ability to stop
in your life aside from any drug use using is eventually compromised.
What began as a voluntary choice
has turned into a physical and
psychological need.
 Common signs and symptoms of drug abuse:

 You’re neglecting your responsibilities at school, work, or home (e.g.

flunking classes, skipping work, neglecting your children) because of your
drug use.
 You’re using drugs under dangerous conditions or taking risks while
high, such as driving while on drugs, using dirty needles, or having
unprotected sex.
 Your drug use is getting you into legal trouble, such as arrests for
disorderly conduct, driving under the influence, or stealing to support a
drug habit. 
 Your drug use is causing problems in your relationships, such as fights
with your partner or family members, an unhappy boss, or the loss of old
friends
Drug Abuse Facts:
I. The drug that is abused can be an illegal
drug such as crack or steroids, inhalants
such as gasoline or household cleaning
solvents, or prescription drugs used
inappropriately such as abusing
codeine.
II. According to research studies, one of
the essential drug abuse facts that many
users fail to understand is that
continuous and repeated drug abuse
often escalates into drug dependency.
III. Ironic aspect about drug abuse is the
fact that those who abuse drugs the
most are frequently the most clueless
about the negative and damaging
consequences of their drug-related
behavior.
 Effects of Drug Abuse on the Individual:
People who use drugs experience a wide array
of physical effects other than those expected.
The excitement of a cocaine effect, for instance,
is followed by a "crash" : a period of anxiety,
fatigue, depression, and an strong desire to use
more cocaine to alleviate the feelings of the
crash. Marijuana and alcohol interfere with
motor control and are factors in many
automobile accidents. Users of marijuana and
hallucinogenic drugs may experience
flashbacks, unwanted recurrences of the drug's
effects weeks or months after use. Abrupt
abstinence from certain drugs result in
withdrawal symptoms. Drug overdose is a
constant risk. There are over 10,000 deaths
directly attributable to drug use in the United
States every year; the substances most
frequently involved are cocaine, heroin, and
morphine, often combined with alcohol or other
drugs. Many drug users engage in criminal
activity, such as burglary and prostitution, to
raise the money to buy drugs, and some drugs,
especially alcohol, are associated with violent
behavior.
 Effects of Drug Abuse on the Family:
The user's preoccupation with the
substance, plus its effects on mood and
performance, can lead to marital problems
and poor work performance or dismissal.
Drug use can disrupt family life and create
destructive patterns of codependency, that
is, the spouse or whole family, out of love or
fear of consequences, inadvertently enables
the user to continue using drugs by covering
up, supplying money, or denying there is a
problem. Pregnant drug users, because of
the drugs themselves or poor self-care in
general, bear a much higher rate of low
birth-weight babies than the average. Many
drugs (e.g., crack and heroin) cross the
placental barrier, resulting in addicted
babies who go through withdrawal soon
after birth
 Effects of Drug Abuse on Society:
In the workplace it is costly in terms of
lost work time and inefficiency. Drug users
are more likely than nonusers to have
occupational accidents, endangering
themselves and those around them. Over
half of the highway deaths in the United
States involve alcohol. Drug-related crime
can disrupt neighborhoods due to
violence among drug dealers, threats to
residents, and the crimes of the addicts
themselves. In some neighborhoods,
younger children are recruited as lookouts
and helpers because of the lighter
sentences given to juvenile offenders, and
guns have become commonplace among
children and adolescents.
What Happens to Your Brain When You Take Drugs?

Drugs are chemicals that tap into

the brain's communication
system and disrupt the way nerve
cells normally send, receive, and
process information. There are at
least two ways that drugs are able
to do this: (1) by imitating the
brain's natural chemical
messengers, and/or (2) by over
stimulating the "reward circuit" of
the brain.
 Prevention Is Key

Drug addiction is a preventable disease. Research has

shown that prevention programs that involve the family,
schools, communities, and the media are effective in
reducing drug abuse. Although many events and cultural
factors affect drug abuse trends, when youths perceive
drug abuse as harmful, they reduce their drug taking. It is
necessary, therefore, to help youth and the general public
to understand the risks of drug abuse and for teachers,
parents, and health care professionals to keep sending
the message that drug addiction can be prevented if a
person never abuses drugs.
 Getting help for drug abuse and drug addiction

Recognizing that you have a Recovering from drug addiction is

problem is the first step on the much easier when you have people
road to recovery, one that takes you can lean on for encouragement,
tremendous courage and strength. comfort, and guidance.
Support can come from:
Facing your addiction without
minimizing the problem or making family members
excuses can feel frightening and
close friends
overwhelming, but recovery is
within reach. If you’re ready to therapists or counselors
make a change and willing to seek other recovering addicts
help, you can overcome your
addiction and build a satisfying, healthcare providers
drug-free life for yourself. people from your faith community
 “Drugs” Before and After Shots

Drug Abuse and Addiction is not

joke. Don’t believe me just watch
this video and then ask yourself is
this a joke?

Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
RJIjWlLa8MU&feature=related
 Just Remember

Just Say No to DRUGS!