Drug Abuse

Drug abuse or substance abuse is a condition where drug which might include pharmaceutical drugs or other narcotic substances are consumed to get a high or a unparalleled sensation. This sensation, in the words of a drug addict, may be described as a ‘trip’ or a ‘kick’. Now, medically speaking this is nothing but a neurological excitation of the brain or far better put, a set of complex hallucinations which the subject begins to appreciate.

Some of the factors that govern drug abuse are disturbed childhood, dilemma families, peer pressure, ease of availability, western culture, non availability of parents for supervisory duties and last but not the least availability of monetary resources. It begins with use of pocket funds for the buy of drugs, slowly but gradually leads to demand for funds from parents and elders, borrowing it from a myriad of men and women that includes relatives, teachers, friends, and so on when denied at property, lying for the exact same, and ultimately even stealing cash or articles which may possibly not be extremely valued but do get them funds sufficient to get any drug – the use and abuse of which will give the consumer a high and allegedly shall take him on a ‘trip’.

Unlike alcohol, which when taken in moderation would not classify as abuse, drugs except the pharmacological preparations are practically often abused. Pharmacological preparations, schedule H drugs for example, are meant for patients and are strictly according to laws of practically all countries supposed to be sold against a prescription issued in duplicate. A copy of such medication is to be retained by the vendor as proof and to be filed with the concerned department. These laws are made so obviously stringent to stop drug abuse and subsequent development of drug dependence.

The mechanism in which these drugs produce addiction is by creating a physical and mental dependence on them. Abstinence from such preparations gives rise to a wide array of symptoms – both physical which consists of tremors, sweating, redness of eyes, motor in co-ordination and so on and mental symptoms which includes irritability, disturbed sleep, insomnia, lack of concentration and so on and so forth.

Having delved into the meaning, the psychology and reasons for drug abuse and also the mechanism by which drugs induce a drug abuse or addiction pattern it is only natural to come up with means of preventing such drug abuse since prevention is indeed much better than cure. One may possibly prevent drug abuse by the correct upbringing of kids, loving them yet not pampering them, often making themselves obtainable for the youngsters specifically in the early formative years, exercising good supervisory duties in the childhood days, inculcation a strong sense of judgment and capacity to take decisions in the children proper from the beginning, rationing the finances forwarded to the youngsters as pocket dollars, holding the children liable to explanation as to the accounts of the alleged pocket cash, ensuring that the children maintain great business as kids and even as grown ups to prevent any adverse peer pressure. Once the issue of drug abuse is at hand, gone is the time when preventive measures would work. At this stage what is needed to begin with is medical intervention as initiation therapy continued over lengthy patient years coupled with expert psychological counseling and behavior therapy, followed by only the latter as maintenance therapy.