Understanding Drug Use and Addiction DrugFacts National Institute on Drug Abuse NIDA

Illegal drugs pose special risks of toxic contamination and/or accidental overdose as a result of substitution with underground agents of unknown potency. The recent rise in opioid deaths, for example, is attributable to a shift from prescription painkillers to the cheaper and often more readily available street drug heroin. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl is the drug most often involved in fatal overdoses in the U.S. 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. Risk and protective factors may be either environmental or biological.

What Causes Teens to Use Drugs?

• They’re often used and misused in search of a “high,” or to boost energy, to improve performance at work or school, or to lose weight or control appetite.
• This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
• This article looks at what SUD involves and its symptoms and treatment options.
• Different types of substance use disorders can have a wide range of symptoms.
• Most people who take their pain medicine as directed by their doctor do not become addicted, even if they take the medicine for a long time.

Recovery often requires addressing the guilt and shame people feel over their own addictive behavior. Left unaddressed, such painful negative self-related feelings can seek quick relief in drug use before impulse control is regained. If you’re not ready to approach a health care provider or mental health professional, help lines or hotlines may be a good place to learn about treatment.

Symptoms of a Substance Use Disorder

People can speak with a primary care doctor if they experience SUD symptoms or if they are concerned about a loved one who may have an SUD. Inhalants include volatile substances that produce chemicals, which a person can inhale to produce mind-alerting effects. There are several levels of intensity of substance use treatment.

Types of addiction

Two examples are carbon monoxide poisoning and mushroom poisoning. If your drug use is out of control or causing problems, talk to your doctor. Your brain is wired to make you want to repeat experiences that make you feel good. An addiction psychologist and mother explains the problems with “drug-free kids” programs, and why we should instead aim for “addiction-resistant kids.”

Prescription drug abuse

You may misuse drugs to feel good, ease stress, or avoid reality. But usually, you’re able to change your unhealthy habits or stop using altogether. Many drug users have made many promises to themselves to stop—and broken them as well, leading them to believe they are incapable of stopping. signs of drug use Behaviorally, significant changes in activity patterns, social groups, and school or work performance could result from problems with drug use, as can an increased desire for privacy. Behavior in general can become unpredictable, and people may frequently call in sick to work or school.

Toddlers, when they find medications, often share them with other children. Therefore, if you suspect an overdose in one child while other children are around, those other children may have taken the medication, too. If you’re depressed, have trouble paying attention, or worry constantly, you have a higher chance of addiction. A history of trauma in your life also makes you more likely to have addiction. The drugs that may be addictive target your brain’s reward system.

Why do people take drugs?