Drug and Alcohol The Basics of Physical Addiction
Drug and alcohol addiction is complicated. It blends the physical and mental aspects of addiction and how they affect a person’s lifestyle. To better understand how a drug addict can have so much trouble starting their recovery, let’s take a look at the basics of physical addiction.
Drug Addiction Creates Physical Dependency Symptoms
When a person is said to be addicted to a drug, they have developed physical dependency. In other words, they don’t just have one or two drinks and call it a night. They don’t just take one hit once in a while at a party. They compulsively seek out the drug, often dropping obligations and breaking promises to do so.
Their body has gotten so used to having the drug, it doesn’t feel normal unless there is a certain amount of the drug in their systems all the time. If an addicted person goes for a while without the drug, they may experience withdrawal symptoms. The body can react strongly to a decreased level of drugs.
Meth and heroin are two drugs that cause exceptionally uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. Addicts trying to get sober on their own often can’t stand the withdrawal symptoms and start using again just to feel well. Alcohol withdrawal is often not as bad, but it can cause shakes, nausea, and headaches.
Using Drugs More Than Intended Just To Feel Normal
A person with an addiction uses more of the drug than they intend much of the time. They might go out with friends saying that they are just going to have a “few drinks”. Instead they have 7 or 8 drinks, then go to a friend’s house and have 7 or 8 more. Anything more than 5 drinks in one setting is considered a binge. A pattern like this often goes on most days of the week for an alcoholic. Alcohol treatment can help a person get through the difficulties of enduring the physical aspects of alcoholism.
They also use more and more of the drug to get the same feeling. This is particularly bad for hard drugs like meth and heroin. The first time is usually the strongest and best, which makes a person easily hooked. Unfortunately, the body tends to quickly need more than the first time to get close to the same high. The
person “chases the high” by using more and more, trying to get to that elusive high they had the first time. After a while, they are using way more than they did in the beginning, and they need that amount just to make their body feel normal. Drug rehab with detox is usually the only way a person with a physical addiction like this will get off the drug.
Drug Rehab Helps With Physical Addiction and Withdrawal Symptoms
Drug addiction has many other factors and characteristics. Physical dependence is a key part of distinguishing drug or alcohol abuse from addiction. Drug abuse can often be stopped by the person on their own or with some social support. They may have some psychological struggles with quitting, but they are not physically addicted. If you know you are physically addicted to drugs, make your first phone call to a drug treatment center or drug rehab facility now.
Tags: Drug and Alcohol The Basics of Physical Addiction, drug treatment, drug-rehab
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