Drug Addiction Facts

Cognitive function is lessened by drugs of abuse, which cause a decline in unconscious learning. This unconscious learning, such as the need to eat when we are hungry, is why people have such strong cravings for the drug. These cravings may be triggered by seeing somebody they know, or being in a familiar place. If you see a McDonaldâs do you feel hungry? That âcravingâ is magnified dramatically in a drug-altered brain. Drug addicted people experience diminished ability to learn, make decisions, formulate proper judgments, and have less ability to control their behavior.
Drug rehab statistics show that in 2004, approximately 22.5 million Americans aged 12 or older needed to enter drug rehab for substance (alcohol or illicit drug) abuse and addiction. Of these, only 3.8 million people received it.
Child abuse is a major contributing factor to drug addiction. Just visit a local hospital emergency department and witness the staggering numbers of people who walk up looking for drugs. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately 10 to 22 percent of car crashes involved drivers who have been using drugs.
The causes of drug addiction are numerous. However, several key areas can be pinpointed. Drugs and alcohol kill the pain of ordinary life; they destroy the physical and emotional pain by changing an addictâs perception on life. Drugs and alcohol make the drug addict or alcoholic become numb to the pain, unhappiness, or hopelessness that is a part of their lives.
In 2006, an estimated 20.4 million Americans aged 12 or older were current (past month) illicit drug users, meaning they had used an illicit drug during the month prior to the survey interview. This estimate represents 8.3 percent of the population aged 12 years old or older. Illicit drugs include marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack), heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, or prescription-type psychotherapeutics used non-medically.
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Tennessee Drug Addiction and Drug Addiction Treatment

Drug addiction in Tennessee is a pattern of repeated drug taking that usually results in tolerance (the need for greater amounts of the drug to achieve the same effect), withdrawal (physical and cognitive effects when drug use declines or stops), and compulsive drug taking behavior (drug taking that persists despite efforts to reduce intake and despite problems with family, friends, and work). Addiction encompasses a diverse range of drugs (such as alcohol, cannabis, amphetamines, and cocaine) and is caused by many different factors.

When it comes to the causes of addiction in Tennessee, it is not likely that anyone begins using a drug with the intention of becoming addicted. Experimentation and curiosity are the first factors that draw many to even try drugs. They want to feel that "high", the sense of euphoria that comes with drug use. Additionally, drug addiction often results in painful withdrawal symptoms when drug use is stopped suddenly. This frequently provides drug users with another reason to continue their destructive drug behavior. The medical causes of addiction in Tennessee are not fully understood. Researchers can only state with assurance that the repeated use of addictive drugs can bring about dramatic changes in both the structure and the function of the brain in destructive ways that can result in compulsive drug use.

Another one of the causes of drug addiction is the effect of drugs on the user. By stimulating the internal reward system in the user's brain, drugs and alcohol make the addict crave the drug to again stimulate this reward center. These cravings lead the addict to stop focusing on those things that used to be important, and begin focusing on another dose of their drug or alcohol.

Lastly, easy accessibility to drugs in Tennessee and new, lower prices are other causes of addiction. Drugs can be found anywhere if a person simply asks. Street corners and alleyways are no longer the only place to find drugs. Schools, workplaces, and even the family next door might be new places to find drugs. With more drugs being produced, the price has also been driven down.

In Tennessee, drug addiction is a problem which affects people of all income levels, ages, and stations in life. Quite often the last person to see that there is a problem is the addict. Families try to help their loved ones to no avail. Companies have a difficult choice when faced with an once valuable employee or executive who has, due to some turn in life, developed a drug abuse problem - to help them or to fire them.

When this is the case it is important to talk to the individual about their drug use and see if they are ready to quit using drugs. For those who are not, the family, friends, or colleagues can perform what is known as an intervention. This may help the addict to see how much their drug use has hurt their friends and family. There are a number of Drug Treatment and Alcohol Rehabilitation Programs for drug addiction in Tennessee. Different experts advocate different Drug Rehabilitation and Alcohol Treatment Centers. Some advocate drug-assisted therapies, while others advocate drug-free therapies. Which Alcohol Rehab and Drug Rehabilitation Center is right for a particular person is a subjective determination. Before choosing an Alcohol Rehab and Drug Treatment Program in Tennessee, you should always investigate the methods used by the Drug Treatment and Alcohol Rehabilitation Program and the philosophies behind those methods.

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