Using and Abusing Ever since birth, drugs have unconsciously been a part of everyone 's life. Several rounds of vaccines as a baby, several more before starting kindergarten, a few before junior high school, and maybe even a couple during the high school years. What exactly is in those vaccines? The answer is simple. Drugs. However, as humans grow older, the amount of vaccines needed and received decreases dramatically. Although people normally do not sit around and give themselves vaccines, there are some individuals who do. These people are called substance abusers. There are also individuals who smoke, snort, and ingest multiple different substances as a way to handle problems or just for recreational use. However drugs are used, they have a tendency to be abused. Substance abuse causes problems for everyone involved in drug abuser 's life. However, when symptoms begin to show and once an individual knows what substance abuse is, they can recognize the impact it can have on everyone, and they will ultimately be able to seek help for anyone who may happen to need it. To understand the effects that substance abuse has on various members of a family, one must first understand what the term substance abuse really means.
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Drug addiction is a chronic disease characterized by compulsive, or uncontrollable, drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences and changes in the brain (DrugFacts). In other words, drug abuse is an extreme desire to obtain, and use, increasing amounts of one or more substances (Tracy). This means that substance abuse does not strictly limit itself to specific drugs like some individuals may think. Substance abuse includes various substances such as cigarettes, inhalants, alcohol, and prescription drugs as well (Tracy). Taking drugs for recreational and medical purposes come with a cost. In short, any drug that can be used can be abused as well. The best option is to just not start all together to avoid the possible risk of addiction. There are several different categories of drugs that are abused diurnally by many people across the world. However, there is a significant trend when it comes to the type of drugs being abused. Research shows that the four most commonly abused drug categories are legal (over-the-counter), legal (prescription), chemical, and illegal (Tracy). To begin with, legal, over-the-counter drugs are drugs that can be obtained without a written prescription from a doctor (Tracy). These substances, such as alcohol and cigarettes, can easily be purchased on grocery store shelves. Secondly, legal, prescription drugs are drugs that are not as easy to get ahold of and require a written prescription from a doctor (Tracy). This category of drugs includes hydrocodone and xanax. Thirdly, chemical drugs are an extremely dangerous category of drugs. Substances in this category include inhalants such as spray paint and aerosols. Also included in this category are permanent markers and specialty glues. Many people would not consider any of the previously stated products as drugs. However, contrary to what most people know, these products contain volatile ingredients that have psychoactive properties when inhaled into the body (Tracy). Lastly, illegal drugs are substances with strict laws prohibiting their use by any individual whatsoever (Tracy). These kinds of drugs include methamphetamine and MDMA, better known as ecstasy. Almost all illegal drugs are extremely dangerous. If the ingredients included in these drugs are ingested in large doses, the effects can be fatal, either gradually and over time or sudden and on the spot. Many people ponder about how and why individuals become addicted to different kinds of substances. A person becomes addicted to a specific substance when his system has become so used to the drug that the drugged state becomes the body 's "normal" state (Kasschau). So, the question stands: who falls victim to drug abuse, and why? Since everyone is different, there is no right, wrong, or specific answer to those questions. However, scientific findings suggest that any person can become a victim to drug abuse due to the wide range of possible causes (Substance Abuse). Certain risk factors increase a person 's likelihood to abuse substances. Some of these risk factors include genetics, poor social coping skills, lack of nurturing or parental attachment, and becoming associated with a
Drug addiction is a chronic disease characterized by compulsive, or uncontrollable, drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences and changes in the brain (DrugFacts). In other words, drug abuse is an extreme desire to obtain, and use, increasing amounts of one or more substances (Tracy). This means that substance abuse does not strictly limit itself to specific drugs like some individuals may think. Substance abuse includes various substances such as cigarettes, inhalants, alcohol, and prescription drugs as well (Tracy). Taking drugs for recreational and medical purposes come with a cost. In short, any drug that can be used can be abused as well. The best option is to just not start all together to avoid the possible risk of addiction. There are several different categories of drugs that are abused diurnally by many people across the world. However, there is a significant trend when it comes to the type of drugs being abused. Research shows that the four most commonly abused drug categories are legal (over-the-counter), legal (prescription), chemical, and illegal (Tracy). To begin with, legal, over-the-counter drugs are drugs that can be obtained without a written prescription from a doctor (Tracy). These substances, such as alcohol and cigarettes, can easily be purchased on grocery store shelves. Secondly, legal, prescription drugs are drugs that are not as easy to get ahold of and require a written prescription from a doctor (Tracy). This category of drugs includes hydrocodone and xanax. Thirdly, chemical drugs are an extremely dangerous category of drugs. Substances in this category include inhalants such as spray paint and aerosols. Also included in this category are permanent markers and specialty glues. Many people would not consider any of the previously stated products as drugs. However, contrary to what most people know, these products contain volatile ingredients that have psychoactive properties when inhaled into the body (Tracy). Lastly, illegal drugs are substances with strict laws prohibiting their use by any individual whatsoever (Tracy). These kinds of drugs include methamphetamine and MDMA, better known as ecstasy. Almost all illegal drugs are extremely dangerous. If the ingredients included in these drugs are ingested in large doses, the effects can be fatal, either gradually and over time or sudden and on the spot. Many people ponder about how and why individuals become addicted to different kinds of substances. A person becomes addicted to a specific substance when his system has become so used to the drug that the drugged state becomes the body 's "normal" state (Kasschau). So, the question stands: who falls victim to drug abuse, and why? Since everyone is different, there is no right, wrong, or specific answer to those questions. However, scientific findings suggest that any person can become a victim to drug abuse due to the wide range of possible causes (Substance Abuse). Certain risk factors increase a person 's likelihood to abuse substances. Some of these risk factors include genetics, poor social coping skills, lack of nurturing or parental attachment, and becoming associated with a