About Drug and Alcohol Addiction
Murphy Weaver on 14 Dec 2009
Experts in the field of drug and alcohol addiction generally agree that if a person is addicted to one mood altering chemical, he or she is addicted to them all.
When used over a period of time, alcohol and other drugs alter brain chemicals. The budding alcoholic or addict becomes dependent on the chemical and begins to experience increased tolerance– the need for more of the drug to achieve the same or desired effect. A person starts out with one or two drinks and over time tolerance may reach a quart or even a gallon of liquor per day. The time this takes and the amount tolerated depends on various factors. The concept is true regardless of the drug. Thus, people can easily become trapped in a cycle of addiction.
Chemical dependency is diagnosed when a person experiences tolerance and withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal occurs when the drug is decreased or withdrawn. Some typical withdrawal symptoms include cravings, concentration problems, irritability, insomnia, anxiety, seizures and paranoia. The discomfort of these symptoms makes quitting the drug an unattractive alternative and most people at this point choose to continue using until the scale tips and makes recovery the only viable option. Denial makes it possible for the addict to continue- to convince himself that the problem really isn’t that bad, he can handle it himself, or that he can switch drugs and be OK.
Switching drugs is a common behavior of people who are chemically dependent. They may decide that smoking marijuana is a better alternative to alcohol; or that getting a prescription for a sedative or pain pill can sidestep problems with the law associated with the use of street drugs. Research is clear, however, that switching drugs for an addict doesn’t work. In most cases the person will either become addicted to the new drug or return to the original drug of choice.
At some point tolerance no longer increases. As the drug begins to take it’s toll on the body, tolerance begins to decrease until one drink results in intoxication and painful physical and emotional consequences. At that point the person is in the late stages of chemical dependency and is experiencing permanent damage to the brain and other organs. Recovery will be very difficult as the person’s denial system is in control. If somehow he does get help it will take at least three to seven days without the chemical to detoxify and recover some physical functioning and perhaps up to two years to see improvement in the social, emotional and spiritual areas of life that accompany addiction.