Drug addiction has been described as both a chronic and progressive disorder that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and using, despite the undesirable end results.
Chronic use and abuse of drugs, whether illicit in nature or prescribed, can cause long-term damage to both the user’s body and brain. Most of the drug substances have distinct risks, and using them can be viewed through specified warning signs. Yet, it’s important to know there are specific characteristics a person exhibits when he or she is abusing substances or addicted.
There are many classes of drugs that are being used and abused and these drugs can be either illicit or prescribed by health professionals. One of the drugs in the many categories of the commonly abused drugs that are common and in circulation is cannabis or otherwise known as marijuana.
Marijuana.
Marijuana can be classified with the same group of substances known as cannabinoids that are related to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the main psychoactive ingredient. Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the Cannabis sativa plant which contains THC. Hashish which is considered as part of the cannabinoid family is produced by collecting and compressing the most potent parts of the female cannabis plant.
When marijuana is smoked, THC is rapidly processed from the lungs and into the bloodstream, which transports the chemical to the brain. No matter how the marijuana is introduced into the system whether by smoking, preparing in food, or brewing as a tea, THC specifically acts upon certain molecular targets on brain cells called cannabinoid receptors. Such receptors normally activate in the presence of chemicals that naturally occur in the body and are similar in makeup to THC, such as anandamide which is a neurotransmitter known as ‘the bliss molecule’ because of its positive effects on mood. These receptors are part of a neural communication network called the endocannabinoid system, which plays an important role in both brain development and functioning.
Cannabinoid receptors are concentrated in the parts of the brain which influence pleasure and memory, as well as sensory perception, coordinated movement, thinking, and concentration. Marijuana overstimulates the endocannabinoid system, causing altered perceptions and changes in mood, as well as impaired coordination, thinking, and decision making. Marijuana can also affect brain development, especially among the youth who use the drug. The use of marijuana can also impact cardiopulmonary health because marijuana smoke is an irritant to the lungs. Users can go through the same respiratory problems as the ones that are undergone by tobacco smokers, including a chronic cough, increased risks of lung infections, and a greater frequency of chest illnesses.
Marijuana use can also affect mental health. For people with existing mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, or schizophrenia, marijuana use can worsen the symptoms associated with these disorders. While not all people who smoke marijuana will develop schizophrenia, people who are already at risk for developing this illness and this includes individuals with family relatives that have severe mental illness will be more likely to experience psychosis if they are using marijuana.
Persons who are regular smokers of marijuana are diagnosed with schizophrenia at a younger age, hospitalized more frequently for their illness, and are less likely to experience complete recovery even with high-quality treatment. This is particularly concerning, as approximately one-third of people in America with schizophrenia regularly abuse marijuana.
The effects of cannabis usage can manifest physically, physiologically and psychologically. Among the brain structures that marijuana effects are the cerebellum and basal ganglia. Marijuana’s effects on these regions can cause disturbances in walking, talking, and performing tasks like driving a vehicle.
While the effects of the drug are reduced three to four hours after using, THC stays in the system for a much longer period which can be sometimes as long as a month. Lingering effects of marijuana use can still manifest for weeks after use.
Additionally, there are the psychological effects in connection with marijuana use. Along with increasing manifestations of both anxiety and depression, a user can experience paranoia. There are also impairments in short-term memory, and some users will engage in magical thinking in which a person may believe her or she can bring about events by merely wishing for them to occur. People who have smoked marijuana for a long time and are trying to quit report withdrawal symptoms including irritability, sleeplessness, decreased appetite, anxiety, and drug craving, all of which can make it difficult to abstain.
Memories of an Addicted Brain Chapter 3.
Marc Lewis's Memoirs of an addicted brain is an especially interesting book. Lewis shares his personal experiences, while providing information on the neural basis of addiction. The latter includes the explanation of how different sorts of drugs interact with our bodies and brains, or how the brain changes its workings leading to addiction to drugs and alcohol.
There is no part of the brain that solely is responsible for drug and substance abuse. The brain contains parts that are networked and are involved that leads to use and abuse of drugs and substance. The areas are specifically the basal ganglia which control the rewarding or pleasures. The effects of substance use and are also responsible for the formation of habitual substance taking, the extended amygdala is involved in stress and the feelings of unease, anxiety, and irritability that typically accompanies substance withdrawal, and the prefrontal cortex which is involved in executive function meaning that the ability to organize thoughts and activities, prioritize tasks, manage time, and make decisions, including exerting control over substance taking
Identifying how the drug is introduced into the body.
Drugs are introduced into the body in different forms, by smoking, inhalation, orally by swallowing pills or drinking, injections or applied to the skin. The form used determines how fast the body gets affected by the drug. In all forms, the drugs will be absorbed and transmitted to the bloodstream.
The sympathetic and parasympathetic response in the nervous system.
Drug use can also have effects on the sympathetic and parasympathetic responses which are spread throughout our bodies. An example is when arterial pressure rises above control, the decrease in heart rate is mediated by the parasympathetic nervous system, withdrawal of sympathetic activity playing no detectable role. When pressure falls below controlling levels, the elevation of heart rate is mediated primarily by the sympathetic nervous system.
Drugs are classified into categories or schedules depending on the drugs, drug’s acceptable medical use, and the drug’s abuse or dependency potential. Most times the rate of abuse is used to determine the schedule.The abuser may suffer from short and long terms by the use of the drug. Short-term depends on the amount of the drug used.
Abusers judgment is often impaired. More than often they are aggressive and engage in drug-related crimes, joining drug gangs and cartels that result in them going to jail.
Their social life is affected by the lack of trust, they withdraw from family ties, friends and relatives and appreciate spending time alone. Drugs may create family dysfunction, affecting the support of family members since this habit drains them financially. Drug abusers are usually isolated by their peers for fear of bad influence thus they are disengaged from school activities, community activities that deprives them of positive contributions to the society. In parenting, they lose custody of their children and denied visitation by courts.
Abusers face a great threat to their physical health. They suffer from injuries from accidents, have physical disabilities, malnourished that they face risks of death through suicide, homicide, and illness. In school, teenagers flop on their grades as a result of cognitive and behavioral problems, absenteeism and withdraw from other school activities.
Impact of the substance on the client and relationship he or she may have.
It is often difficult to find a comprehensive overview of current addiction research that encompasses more than one perspective in an in-depth and carefully considered manner.In theory it is safe to say that in today’s society, it is often most than not where you find many people experimenting on drugs from the variant ages because of the certain factors or circumstances that allow most people especially those who are in the schooling system a chance to experiment and try out this new drugs that are supplemented into the market with marijuana being an example of how much common drug intake is.
References.
Matyja J,Retrievedfrom,metapsychology.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=book"id=6786"cn=3242013
retrieved from,www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK83244/
