Drug
Abuse
“We must all
face the choice between what is right and what is easy”
-Albus Dumbledore
Teenage and the
transition from a child into an adult is particularly a difficult time in an
individual’s life. There are hormonal changes, mental development, and physical
development leading to a complex web of changes in the human body which makes
this stage of development quite confusing. To escape this pressure of change,
adolescents look out for alternatives and often fall back to drugs. Drug abuse
refers to the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances i.e. ‘Drugs’.
However, drug abuse is not limited to adolescents suggesting that people of any
age may fall a victim to them. Individuals try drugs for a variety of reasons;
some take them out of curiosity while others may take it to improve their
athletic performance, or simple to cope up with the increasing pressures of
anxiety, stress or depression. Often it is perceived that drug abusers have no
moral character or lack strong will power. The lesser known fact is that the
effects drugs have on the human brain make it very difficult to quit even if a
person is ready to.
Our brain works on the
pleasure principle suggesting that if any activity that we perform pleasures
the brain in any way, you tend to do it again. Our life sustaining activities
like eating pleasure brain receptors in such a way that the brain signals the
repetition of the activity at regular intervals. Drugs play a similar role;
they activate the brain’s pleasure circuit. Almost all drugs affect the way our
brain works by affecting chemical neurotransmission. Prolonged use of drugs
changes the brain in long- lasting ways and these long- lasting changes trigger
drug addiction. Drug addiction is a complex disorder characterized by
compulsive drug abuse.
Drug abuse doesn’t only
alter the functioning of human brain but also affects the abuser, his/her
family, the society and babies who are not even conceived as yet, in a number
of ways. Drug abuse weakens the whole immune system of our body making it
susceptible to diseases. It also affects the cardiovascular system increasing
the incidence of attacks and other heart related problems. Apart from our body,
drug abuse also affects our feelings and emotions. Drug abusers show higher
rates of hallucinations, delusions, insecurity, paranoia, impaired judgment,
loss of rational decision making and even loss of self- control. Drug abusers
not only play with their lives but also the lives of their generations to come.
In the United States about 4% of pregnant women are addicted to drugs like
marijuana and cocaine leading to a great deal of abnormalities in their fetus.
The infants of drugged parents often suffer from a number of defects ranging
from mental disorders to physical disabilities. Such children are frequently
characterized by slow mental growth as compared to their peers and may even be
emotionally unstable. A United Nations report estimated that drug abuse kills
about 200,000 people per year and estimated an expenditure of $250 billion per
year for providing rehabilitation to all the addicts and abusers.
Drug abuse can be
sensed in a number of ways. Early signs of drug abuse involve changes in
patterns of sleep, sudden weight loss or weight gain, bloodshed eyes,
deterioration in physical grooming etc. In terms of behavior, a drug abuser may
have a sudden change in his/her social circle, they might start getting
themselves into trouble and even engaging in secretive activities.
Psychologically, a person abusing drugs might show sudden mood swings, a change
in attitude or personality and a lack of motivation. Drug abuse can also be
identified by increased irritability, anger outbursts and unusual
hyperactivity.
It is normally believed
that there is no hope for a drug addict, however, drug abuse and addiction can
be effectively treated to helping patients live a meaningful and successful
life. Recognizing that one has a problem is the primary step which takes the
most effort and courage. Once a person accepts the problem, he/she is more than
ready to seek a solution. Treatments generally cater to the specific needs of a
patient. The most effective treatment includes counseling and therapies in
individual and group sessions where individuals are motivated to introspect
about their problems and break the shell. Sometimes, medications are also
prescribed in order to supplement the therapy sessions to avoid any relapses.
Since ‘prevention is better than cure’, a number of organizations work to
spread awareness about drug abuse. The United Nations Office on Drugs and
Crime (UNODC) is a global leader in the fight
against drug abuse. UNODC works to educate people throughout the world
about the dangers of drug abuse and to strengthen international action against
illicit drug production and trafficking and drug-related crime. To achieve
those aims, UNODC has launched a range of initiatives, including alternatives
in the area of illicit drug crop cultivation, monitoring of illicit crops and
the implementation of projects against money
laundering. Drug abuse is a problem that can be faced by anyone. It doesn’t
come with a name tag. All of us need to accept the situation and work towards a
complete eradication of harmful drugs and walk towards a better world.
Nikita Tandon
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