Entry #2. ADDICTION STAGES

 

Do you know anyone showing signs or symptoms of drug abuse? Do you know the stages of drug substance abuse?  35 million people are estimated to suffer from drug use disorders and who require treatment services, according to the latest World Drug Report, released in 2017 by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Addiction is a commonly known problem in the world. Many people are unaware of the stages of substance abuse and how it can affect an individual’s brain.

Drug addiction, also known as substance use disorder, can have harmful consequences. Symptoms associated with this disorder go into five step-by-step phases, initial use, abuse, tolerance, addiction, and relapse. These stages of addiction can occur over periods of a person’s time with substance abuse.

The first stage “initial use” essentially means experimenting with drugs. It can begin as simple as getting prescribed a medication or trying a new substance you have never had tried knolling knowing the effects. This stage is when often when the door opens to other levels in substance abuse.

The second stage is abuse. This is when individuals past the “initial use” and develop physical and mental dependence. For example, if an individual is prescribed a medication and they have decided themselves to take more than the prescribed amount more frequently. People who abuse drugs have a craving or strong desire to drugs, increase doses overtime, or use drugs to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

The third stage “Drug tolerance is one of the stages in the cycle of drug addiction that refers to a physiological and psychological adaptation that occurs when your response to a drug diminishes with repeated use” according to 6 Stages Of Addiction: From Experimentation To Relapse (valleyspringrecovery.com). Substance abuse can cause changes in the brain that can result in permanent brain damage. This stage is when your brain and body tolerate the substance you’re taking.

The fourth stage “addiction” is where substance abusers have lost control and may find it impossible to go throughout the day with no substance use.

The final stage is relapse. It is typically often the beginning of the end. This final stage starts when a person is trying to quit using substances but ultimately have a setback and need to restart.

In conclusion, substance abuse is a very serious problem, many people can struggle to get out a loop where they are not able to interrupt this cycle of addiction. However, it is possible with professional treatment to move forward into recovery. If you or anyone you know is showing the signs of the stages of addiction, please seek medical help right away.