The Difference Between Substance Abuse and Substance Addiction

Source: The National Institute on Drug Abuse, ...
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There is a spectrum of drug and alcohol use that begins at using the substance and abusing the substance to becoming addicted to the substance. When the user loses control and has behavioral impairment because of the substance, they are then considered to have an addiction.

While use and abuse of any substance is damaging, there is a point when a user goes from being able to do without it to feeling that they can’t function unless they have it. When it becomes an involuntary action to use alcohol or drugs, it is an addiction. Often, when it reaches this point, the only way to recover is through a rehabilitation program.

As the user or abuser uses the substance, the brain becomes used to it. The more they use it, the more the brain develops a dependency on it. Once the change made in the brain is big enough, the using become compulsive. It then becomes more dangerous because more and more of the substance is required to achieve the original effects. The more that is used, the more the brain and body adapt to it. The user begins to need it just to feel normal and needs to keep increasing the substance to feel the same high or euphoria. Once it starts to wear off, the user goes through withdrawals until they have more.

As the problem continues, more problems incur. The issue is no longer just a physical issue from the substance. It becomes a behavioral issue. When seeking help, the addict has many things to address, like what initiated the first use and why they felt the need to continue to use. There are deep rooted issues in regards to any type of self-inflicted abuse.

It’s hard work to overcome an addiction as the addict has more than just the addiction alone to deal with. However, with help, they can overcome and actually come out stronger as a person then they were before the use was a problem at all.

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Using the Drug Suboxone

If you or someone you love is dealing with an addiction to opioids then you should know that the withdrawl and treatment are very difficult to deal with. However, there are some drugs on the market that help deal with the addiction, one of those drugs is Suboxone.

Suboxone is a drug used in the treatment of opioid addiction. The way it works is it is a synthetic opioid. One of the ways Suboxone works is that it contains a drug called Buprenorphine which is made up of another drug called Naloxone. Naloxone is important because the drug is supposed to counteract the effects of an opioid overdose.

This seems a little confusing if you aren’t familiar with the way drugs works. Here’s how it breaks down: Suboxone is used to help people who have a real chemical dependency to opioids off of the addiction by creating a controlled opioid in the body. Now, the big factor and worry with someone who is taking a drug that is supposed to work as a sort of opioid itself is how to keep them from abusing the drug. This is where the drug naloxone comes in. There is something in naloxone that will keep a drug abuser from being able to abuse this drug. So it gives the addict what they need without giving them anymore.

Another thing that makes this drug a popular choice amongst those in the drug abuse treatment field is that Buprenorphine also has some antidepressant effects in it which is another obstacle that addicts sometimes have to climb when flushing harmful drugs out of their system.

But taking Suboxone may not be a walk in the park. There are some adverse effects of the drug. There is nausea, vomiting, dizziness, dry mouth and decreased libido. In most cases this isn’t anything to speak with a doctor about as it is common, however, a patient is always welcome to speak with their doctor if they feel like any drug is getting in the way of operating their everyday life.

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Purchasing Pseudoephedrine Products

In the state of Illinois you might have found that buying over the counter cold medication has become a real hassle. Perhaps you have approached the back wall of a pharmacy only to find that the Sudafed you were looking for is now behind the counter. You reach the counter only to discover you need to have identification to buy this drug.

So why is it that now you have to give them your I.D to buy something that anyone was able to buy in the past? Well, if you can believe it for your own safety. A couple of years ago the lawmakers of Illinois got together and decided to approve the monitoring of all drugs containing pseudoephedrine. Not sure what pseudoephedrine is? Let’s make sure you are aware.

Pseudoephedrine is a drug used to make a more harmful drug called meth-amphetamines. This is a very seriously addictive drug. You might hear news programs where they are talking about crystal meth and if so then they are talking about the same kinds of ingredients that are used in some of the over the counter medicine that you have to go behind a pharmacy for.

So how does this work? Well you give a pharmacy technician your id and they run the drivers license number through the computer and it comes up with whatever pseudoephedrine products you have recently. This is because there is now a limit on the amount you are allowed to purchase. For instance you might by a 24 back of Claritin D but you cannot buy another 24 pack in the same day. All of your purchases are stored in a log and monitored and reviewed by the state. You can choose not have your purchases monitored but then you have to choose not purchase that product.

The manufacturers of these drugs are now coming out with pseudoephedrine free versions of these drugs. You have to make the determination on which drug will work best for you but understand that the law is there in the fight against illegal drugs.

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