Sequence Of Alcoholism

Few people take their first dose of a drug-- illegal or legal-- with the hope of getting addicted.
Yet for 2009, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reports
that 23.5 million people sought some form of treatment for drug and alcohol problems. Of
course, individual physiology and psychological makeup have much to do with how quickly
addiction can take hold and with the amount consumed before passing the unseen threshold
from freedom to enslavement.
While every distinct instance may vary in time frame and intensity of dependence, a few
patterns are common among the total pool of substance abusers. From the testimonies of
addicts and the professionals who treat them, researchers can single out benchmarks for the
phases of substance addiction.
rasputin
Experimenting With Substances
Experimentation may have several different motivations. For youths, peer pressure is a
significant reason for taking their very first drag, drink or snort. However, addiction does not
have to begin in youth. A middle-aged or older individual may try out prescribed pain
relievers to remedy chronic aches and discomfort. Even seniors might use drinking or drugs
to alleviate loneliness. These correspond to strategic moments in life when a drug is taken to
force a bodily, social or emotional condition a bit more manageable. Disconnected instances
of use may or may not be followed up with greater frequency or amounts. Without a realistic
self evaluation a truthful appraisal of the signals of substance addiction an individual can
cross unwittingly into the more distressing stages of drug addiction.
Regular Consumption
Using a drug or other people substance on a consistent basis does not always lead an
individual into addiction. Some can consume a substance continuously for a period of time
and afterwards end its use with little or no discomfort. Should the timeframe extends
indefinitely and the strength of dosages intensify too, regular usage might transform into drug
addiction.
Hazardous Consumption
As the stages of drug addiction are traveled through, the individual's personal decisions and
conduct get increasingly risky, both to herself or himself and others. The National Survey on
Drug Use and Health declared that 28.4 percent of young adults in between the ages of 21
and 25 drove under the influence of illegal substances in 2009.
Operating a vehicle while under the influence of a depressant
Spending cash foolishly to obtain the drug

 Defensive during verbal exchanges

Secretiveness
Adjustments in look.
Adjustments in desire for food, memory failure and degrading coordination are also warning
signs of drug abuse. The demarcation line between hazardous use and dependence is thin
and difficult to differentiate. Getting aid for oneself or someone you love ought not be
postponed at this stage.
Addiction
Of all the stages of substance use, dependence and addiction are the most challenging to
differentiate. The disastrous repercussions of substance abuse are already observable in
dependency. For instance, the dependent person is repeatedly absent from their employment
thanks to repetitious use of the controlling compound. In addition to the employer, the
substance abuser will periodically let commitments to family, friends, neighbors and
community go by the wayside. The unsafe conducts noted above become more habitual.
Through all of this, though, the dependent differs from the addict by fulfilling sufficient
obligations to maintain the fundamental framework of his/her life. The direction of substance
abuse stages remains headed downward, the appearance of functionality remains.
Addiction
If adjustments are not made-- and help is not sought-- the stages of drug addiction lead to
the most harmful stage: addiction itself. With this the user is psychologically and physically
bound to ongoing usage of the substance or alcohol. The stage of brain disorders is reached
and the individual undergoes many harmful effects of prolonged substance abuse. The
cardiovascular system and circulatory process may be compromised, as can the respiratory
tract. The immune system is weakened, allowing hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, and some kinds of
cancer to devestate the addict. Brain damage and dementia can also take place.
Because the addiction is of both body and mind, withdrawal manifestations are best
supervised and addressed by experienced physicians. Once the addicting substance has
been cleaned from the body, the drug abuser can work with pyschologists to determine the
causes and constitution of the addiction.
sons of liberty
Without a realistic self-assessment-- an sincere assessment of the signs of substance
addiction-- a user can pass unknowingly into the more acute stages of drug addiction.
Taking a drug or other chemical substance on a routine basis does not automatically entrap
someone into addiction. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health declared that 28.4
percent of young adults between the ages of 21 and 25 operated a vehicle under the
influence of illegal drugs in 2009. Of all the stages of drug dependence, addiction and use
are the most difficult to demarcate. If adjustments are not initiated-- and counsel is not looked
for-- the stages of drug addiction lead to the most severe stage: addiction itself.

Structure and Statistics from:

http://www.projectknow.com/research/stages-of-drug-addiction/
http://www.samhsa.gov/
how alcohol abuse harms us