Everything You Need to Know About Addiction

Presently, the United States is experiencing some of the highest levels of drug and alcohol addiction than at any other time in its history. Since 1990, the number of people illegally engaging in recreational use of prescription drugs has risen over 500 percent. Since 1980, the number of deaths related to drug overdoses has also risen over 540 percent. Addiction has invaded nearly every segment of our society like an epidemic of tremendous proportions. More than six million children are living and being raised with at least one parent with an addiction. Annually, drug addiction costs employers over 122 billion dollars in lost productivity and 15 billion dollars in health insurance. Drugs are cited as the instigating cause of emergency room visits in around 5.1 million cases each year as well.

The most commonly abused drugs in the United States are now alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs, cocaine, and hallucinogens. There is an estimated 22.6 million Americans over the age of 12 that currently are using, or formerly have used, illicit drugs, which is nearly 8.9 percent of the entire population. After alcohol, marijuana has the highest rate of addiction among all drugs, with more than 4.2 million Americans meeting the clinical criteria for dependence on marijuana. In addition, there are an estimated 21.6 million Americans total that need treatment for an addiction, but only about 2.3 million, less than 1 percent, are receiving the necessary treatment at a specialty facility.

Due to the increasing prevalence and alarming statistics, it is essential that individuals become more aware of addictions, as well as their dangers. Read on to learn more about the warning signs and how to overcome addiction. If you or someone you love are living with an addiction and co-morbid disorders, please seek help immediately from mental health professionals at an inpatient treatment center.

What Is Addiction?

While many people use substances and engage in recreational drug use without any significant consequences, others experience damaging psychological and physical effects as a bad habit turns down the dangerous road towards addiction. Addiction not only includes substances, but can also be basically anything else, including gambling, sex, and even the internet.

An addiction is characterized by an individual’s inability to control aspects of the use without help because mental or physical conditions are involved. Those addicted become dependent on the drug or activity to cope with their daily life, and it often becomes all-consuming on their behaviors. As a result, addictions often lead to severe problems with the addict’s home, work, school, and social lives. In most cases, the person attempts to give up, but is unsuccessful at stopping use when they experience withdrawal.

What Are the Warning Signs of Addiction?

The signs and symptoms of substance dependence and addiction vary according to the person, the substance, their genetics, and personal situation. Continued use of these substances leads to noticeable symptoms that can be detected by interacting with or examining the addict. The most common symptoms of addiction include:

• withdrawal symptoms, such as intense cravings, irritability, depression, insomnia, hallucinations, frustration, anger, and mood swings when the body has low levels of the substance
• continued use despite developed cancer, heart conditions, or other health problems
• repeated neglect of social and/or recreational activities that once were enjoyable, in order to participate in feeding the addiction
• spending excessive time, energy, and money to maintain a good supply for their next fix, even if on a tight budget
• engaging in risky behaviors, such as stealing, trading sex for substances, driving under the influence, and other dangerous actions from impaired judgment
• increased levels of secrecy and solitude, as well as isolation from friends and family members
• false beliefs that the individual needs to take the drug of choice to handle their problems
• denial that they are addicted to the substance, unaware, or refuses to acknowledge that there is a problem

What Causes Addiction?

Medical research has found a significant correlation between repeated use of an addictive substance and how the brain reacts to pleasure. When individuals take in their drug of choice, the neuron cells release neurotransmitters and chemicals that activate the reward system of the brain. After continued use of the drug for a long period of time, the addict does not receive the same high or pleasure as before. Therefore, he or she must increase the dosage as the body becomes more tolerant to the drug. Experts say that once this tolerance increases, the risk for addiction is drastically greater.

Although anyone can potentially have an addiction problem, certain individuals are at higher risk for developing an addiction than others. Those users that have a close relative with an addiction are at a tremendous risk for having one because of genetics. For instance, alcoholics are six times more likely than non-alcoholics to have relatives that are addicted to alcohol too. Other risk factors include mental illnesses, peer pressure, family environment, loneliness, stress, and age of first drug consumption.

Overcoming Addiction

One of the most crucial first steps for the addicted individual to overcome the problem is by acknowledging that they are dependent on the substance. After the person accepts that there is a problem, the next immediate step is to seek help from a trained and experienced health professional. Mental health professionals will often refer the addicted individual to a treatment program at an inpatient rehabilitation center.

Within the safety of the drug treatment center, the person can undergo detoxification to rid the body of the lasting effects of the drug and make it through the withdrawal period. Treatment will also include counseling, group therapy, self-help, and psychotherapy to deal with the underlying emotional or mental issues. If you or someone you know is suffering from an addiction, please seek help at one of the various inpatient treatment centers around the country. When addicts commit to overcoming their addiction with the help of these professionals, they are much more likely to avoid relapse and get on the road to a bright future in recovery.

Heroin and Artists

“When the heroin is in my blood And that blood is in my head Then thank God that I'm as good as dead Then thank your God that I'm not aware And thank God that I just don't care And I guess I just don't know And I guess I just don't know”

-Lou Reed (from “Heroin” by The Velvet Underground)

New York poet and songwriter Lou Reed (1942-2013) didn’t die of heroin. Lou wised up, but only after drugs and alcohol had taken a harsh toll on his body.

Heroin and Death

 

Virtually anyone in America can name one famous person who was a heroin addict or died of a heroin overdose. River Phoenix, John Belushi, Cory Monteith, and Philip Seymour Hoffman all died from a heroin overdose or a mix of heroin and cocaine. Other artists such as Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, Lenny Bruce, and Billie Holiday all suffered from heroin addiction. Those are just a few names on the list of artists who have abused, were addicted to, or died from heroin.

Heroin and Brain Chemistry

 

Heroin works by mimicking or triggering neurotransmitters released within the central nervous system, specifically the “reward” or analgesic chemicals such as dopamine and endorphins. These chemicals control how the body perceives pain and deals with stress, and they can help a person feel happier. There are natural activities that trigger the flow of neurotransmitters. These include exercise, massage, sex, eating dark chocolate, aromatherapy, and doing things that you enjoy, including creating art. Triggering endorphins and dopamine can help with creativity. This may be why many creative people take up running and other activities which clear their head and boost their mood. This fact is an excuse that is used by many addicts who believe they would be unable to create if they did not have drugs to boost their brain chemistry.

The Pull of Heroin and Other Drugs

 

The truth is that when an individual begins using addictive drugs like heroin or cocaine, their brain chemistry shifts. They become dependent upon that drug to “feel good” or “be creative.” The drug has such a hold on them that they are depressed and miserable when they aren’t high. The body and mind are in a sense tricked into perceiving that only the drug will provide any happiness whatsoever. Another reason an artist might use heroin or any drug is that it appears “cool” or “edgy.” The battle cry of “Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll!” has been used as an excuse for self-destructive behavior. Singers, actors, painters, and authors have been led to believe that drinking or drugging will improve their work or that they are not a “true artist” unless they are stoned most of the time and living a micrometer away from death. These erroneous ideas probably go as far back as ancient Greece, Rome, Persia, or even further. Artists, musicians, writers – famous or not – are admired and even revered by most of the population, but those with less-than-noble intentions will latch onto the artist and covertly work to drag them down and too often this involves drug abuse.

Combating Heroin Addiction

 

Many artists have kicked their habit and experienced a powerful resurgence in their creative abilities. Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stephen King, Samuel L. Jackson, and Robert Downey Jr. moved beyond their addiction to have very successful careers. Robert Downy Jr. spoke about his struggle when he said, “The lesson is that you can still make mistakes and be forgiven.” Though he was in and out of rehab, and even jail, in the early stages of his career, he got clean and sober and is now an A-list star at the top of his game. Heroin is rarely perceived as a “party drug.” But in recent years, people abusing prescription painkillers have been switching to heroin, a shift due at least in part to price, availability, and government crackdowns on these medications, specifically opioids like OxyContin (oxycodone) and Vicodin (hydrocodone). In fact, heroin use in the US has almost doubled in the last five years, while abuse of the prescription opiate OxyContin has fallen dramatically in the past two years.

Heroin Addiction

 

Highly influential American jazz singer Billie Holiday (1915-1959) struggled with heroin and had this to say about its effect on the user, “If you think dope is for kicks and for thrills, you’re out of your mind. There are more kicks to be had in a good case of paralytic polio or by living in an iron lung. If you think you need stuff to play music or sing, you’re crazy. It can fix you so you can’t play nothing or sing nothing.” Whether it is snorted, smoked, or injected, heroin is a very addictive opiate. One can go from casual user to addict by trying it only once or twice. One of the reasons heroin is addictive is that it mimics or triggers a natural physical response (as detailed above), only this chemical rush is artificial and has a debilitating effect upon the internal organs and mental state of the user.

Withdrawal and the Effects of Heroin

 

Another powerful force behind heroin addiction is the withdrawal symptoms one might experience when attempting to quit. The pain and discomfort of withdrawal can last anywhere from 7-10 days and include anything from heavy sweating to nausea and fever to hallucinations. William S. Burroughs, author and figure of the Beat Generation, wrote these succinct words about heroin, “Junk is the ideal product…the ultimate merchandise. No sales talk necessary. The client will crawl through a sewer and beg to buy.” Many of the effects and risks involved with using heroin are far worse than any withdrawal symptom. These include:

• Dry mouth 
• Severe itching 
• Lethargy 
• Nausea and vomiting 
• Depressed breathing and heart rate 
• Inability to orgasm 
• Spontaneous abortion 
• Depression 
• Tolerance 
• Addiction 
• Bacterial infections 
•  Impotence 
• Abscesses 
• Collapsed veins 
• Gaunt, emaciated appearance 
• Infection of the lining and valves in the heart 
• Liver and kidney disease 
• Arthritis 
•  Coma 
• Overdose & Death (by respiratory depression, also called hypoventilation, defined as breathing at an abnormally slow rate, resulting in an increased amount of carbon dioxide in the blood.) 

Freedom from Heroin

 

With such a horrific list of effects (that was the short version), why would someone keep using heroin? Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue fame, who is miraculously still alive, said about heroin addiction, “When you can’t climb your way out of such a hole, you tend to crouch down and call it home.” Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers overcame heroin addiction and wrote a book about it, Scar Tissue, where he wrote, “These aren't just physical allergies, they're obsessions of the mind and maladies of the spirit. It's a threefold disease. And if it's partly a spiritual malady, then there's a spiritual cure.” Fortunately, through medical detoxification and holistic rehabilitation, an addict can work at it and get free from the shackles of heroin and can re-open the doors to creativity and joy.