DRUG EDUCATION AND VICE CONTROL MODULE
OBJECTIVES:
1. To know why people choose to take dangerous
drugs
2. To know why people end up in drug abuse
Why People Take Drugs?
Drug use is a dynamic issue that begins in
different ways for different individuals. There are
countless reasons why people begin to abuse drugs,
whether they’re illicit drugs or prescription
medications. The range of reasons why people take
drugs is as broad as the types of people who use
them. Drug addiction can affect anyone, of any
background, and of any socio-economic status.
Contrary to popular belief, drug use doesn’t solely fall
under the category of mental illness, homelessness,
or even poor family upbringing. Educated individuals
with high-paying jobs, families, and seemingly perfect
or sought-after lives can be vulnerable to drug abuse,
as well.
In general, there are three primary causes of drug use.
Within these main causes, there stems a myriad of
reasons as to why people start to use drugs. Certain
people may face several different factors, which are
each, on their own, a reason to use drugs. But these
reasons are all the result of some sort of emotional,
psychological, or physical categorization of the
causes for drug use.
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Emotional: Feeling they need drugs to fill a void in their lives (whether it’s stress,
trauma, relationship issues or more)
Physical: Feeling like they need the physical effects of a high or low to physically feel
better
Psychological: General feelings of inadequacy towards themselves or the world, so
they use drugs to boost their confidence and self-esteem and ability to make sense of
things
TRIGGERING AND COMMON CAUSES OF DRUG ABUSE
While there are emotional, psychological, and physical reasons why people may choose
to abuse drugs in the first place, there are several triggers that fall within these reasons.
Emotional stress can develop due to a number of reasons. It can be the result of a loss
such as a job, a death, a divorce, or finances. Even health issues and medical
conditions can cause severe emotional damage. Physically, many people use drugs to
boost their endurance, improve their focus, or enhance their appearance in some
capacity. Finally, drug use is also the result of psychological factors such as mental
illness, mental trauma, or even just general attitude and beliefs.
Regardless of the triggers for drug use, it’s important to learn how to cope in healthy
and productive ways. Unfortunately, many people turn to substances as an easy or
perceived helpful way to cope.
Here are some of the most common causes of
drug abuse and why substance use occurs in
different people:
1. Grieving a death
2. End of a relationship
3. Mental illness
4. Environmental influences
5. Relaxation
6. Self-medication
7. Financial burdens
8. Career pressures
9. School pressures
10. Family demands
11. Peer and Social Pressure
12. Abuse and trauma
13. Boredom
14. To fit in
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15. Curiosity and experimentation
16. Rebellion
17. To be in control
18. To enhance performance
19. Isolation
20. Misinformation or ignorance
21. Instant Gratification
22. Wide availability
Why do some people become addicted to drugs while others don't?
No one factor can predict if a person will become addicted to drugs. A
combination of factors influences risk for addiction. The more risk factors a
person has, the greater the chance that taking drugs can lead to addiction. For
example:
1. Biology.
The genes that people are born with account for about half of a person's
risk for addiction. Gender, ethnicity, and the presence of other mental disorders
may also influence risk for drug use and addiction.
2. Environment.
A person’s environment includes many different influences, from family
and friends to economic status and general quality of life. Factors such as peer
pressure, physical and sexual abuse, early exposure to drugs, stress, and
parental guidance can greatly affect a person’s likelihood of drug use and
addiction.
3. Development.
Genetic and environmental factors interact with critical
developmental stages in a person’s life to affect addiction risk. Although taking
drugs at any age can lead to addiction, the earlier that drug use begins, the more
likely it will progress to addiction. This is particularly problematic for teens.
Because areas in their brains that control decision-making, judgment, and self-
control are still developing, teens may be especially prone to risky behaviors,
including trying drugs.
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Can drug addiction be cured or prevented?
As with most other chronic diseases, such as diabetes, asthma, or heart
disease, treatment for drug addiction generally isn’t a cure. However, addiction is
treatable and can be successfully managed. People who are recovering from an
addiction will be at risk for relapse for years and possibly for their whole lives.
Research shows that combining addiction treatment medicines with behavioral
therapy ensures the best chance of success for most patients. Treatment
approaches tailored to each patient’s drug use patterns and any co-occurring
medical, mental, and social problems can lead to continued recovery.
What are the factors that people lead to drug addiction?
In general, people take drugs for a few reasons:
To feel good. Drugs can produce intense feelings of pleasure. This
initial euphoria is followed by other effects, which differ with the type of
drug used. For example, with stimulants such as cocaine, the high is
followed by feelings of power, self-confidence, and increased energy.
In contrast, the euphoria caused by opioids such as heroin is followed
by feelings of relaxation and satisfaction.
To feel better. Some people who suffer from social anxiety, stress, and
depression start using drugs to try to feel less anxious. Stress can play
a major role in starting and continuing drug use as well as relapse
(return to drug use) in patients recovering from addiction.
To do better. Some people feel pressure to improve their focus in
school or at work or their abilities in sports. This can play a role in trying
or continuing to use drugs, such as prescription stimulants or cocaine.
Curiosity and social pressure. In this respect, teens are particularly at
risk because peer pressure can be very strong. Adolescence is a
developmental period during which the presence of risk factors, such as
peers who use drugs, may lead to substance use.
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If taking drugs makes people feel good or better, what's the problem?
When they first use a drug, people may perceive what seem to be positive
effects. They also may believe they can control their use. But drugs can quickly take
over a person's life. Over time, if drug use continues, other pleasurable activities
become less pleasurable, and the person has to take the drug just to feel “normal.”
They have a hard time controlling their need to take drugs even though it causes
many problems for themselves and their loved ones. Some people may start to feel
the need to take more of a drug or take it more often, even in the early stages of
their drug use. These are the signs of an addiction.
Do people choose to keep using drugs?
The initial decision to take drugs is typically voluntary. But with continued use,
a person's ability to exert self-control can become seriously impaired. This
impairment in self-control is the hallmark of addiction.
Brain imaging studies of people with addiction show physical changes in
areas of the brain that are critical to judgment, decision-making, learning and
memory, and behavior control.12 These changes help explain the compulsive nature
of addiction.
Why do some people become addicted to drugs, while others do not?
As with other diseases and disorders, the likelihood of developing an
addiction differs from person to person, and no single factor determines whether a
person will become addicted to drugs. In general, the more risk factors a person has,
the greater the chance that taking drugs will lead to drug use and
addiction. Protective factors, on the other hand, reduce a person's risk. Risk and
protective factors may be either environmental or biological.
What environmental factors increase the risk of addiction?
Environmental factors are those related to the family,
school, and neighborhood. Factors that can increase a
person's risk include the following:
Home and Family. The home environment,
especially during childhood, is a very important
factor. Parents or older family members who use
drugs or misuse alcohol, or who break the law,
can increase children's risk of future drug problems.
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Peer and School. Friends and other peers can have an
increasingly strong influence during the teen years. Teens
who use drugs can sway even those without risk factors to
try drugs for the first time. Struggling in school or having
poor social skills can put a child at further risk for using or
becoming addicted to drugs.
What other factors increase the risk of addiction?
Early use. Although taking drugs at any age can lead to addiction, research
shows that the earlier people begin to use drugs, the more likely they are to
develop serious problems. This may be due to the harmful effect that drugs can
have on the developing brain. It also may result from a mix of early social and
biological risk factors, including lack of a stable home or family, exposure to
physical or sexual abuse, genes, or mental illness. Still, the fact remains that
early use is a strong indicator of problems ahead, including addiction.
How the drug is taken. Smoking a drug or injecting it into a vein increases its
addictive potential. Both smoked and injected drugs enter the brain within
seconds, producing a powerful rush of pleasure. However, this intense high can
fade within a few minutes. Scientists believe this powerful contrast drives some
people to repeatedly use drugs to recapture the fleeting pleasurable state.
The brain continues to develop into adulthood and undergoes dramatic changes during
adolescence.
One of the brain areas still maturing during adolescence is the prefrontal cortex—the
part of the brain that allows people to assess situations, make sound decisions, and
keep emotions and desires under control. The fact that this critical part of a teen’s brain
is still a work in progress puts them at increased risk for trying drugs or continuing to
take them. Introducing drugs during this period of development may cause brain
changes that have profound and long-lasting consequences.
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Reference
[Link]
reasons-people-use-drugs/
[Link]
gfacts/understanding-drug-use-addiction
[Link]
gs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/drug-
misuse-addiction
Videolinks:
[Link]
[Link]
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[Link]
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