What is addiction?

Simply put, addiction is the repetitive, compulsive use of drugs that occurs despite negative consequences. Club drugs activate the nerves in the pleasure part of the brain. Everyone has these nerves, so anyone can become addicted.

Why do people use drugs?

That's easy. They make you feel good. Maybe the correct question should be "Why don't people use drugs?" The answer may depend on the consequences of use. Some people use drugs during certain points in their life. The drugs feel good and are fun at first, then it gets old and they stop. Or, they may use only occasionally, as frequently as their comfort zone allows. Some use drugs and need help to stop. Unfortunately, some use, and despite help, can never stop.

It is important to know that some people use to control moods, concentration, and attention. These people may suffer from mood disorders, attention deficit disorder, chronic fatigue, narcolepsy, etc.

So why can some people use occasionally and other cannot?

 Although research on individual recurrence of drug use has come a long way, the jury is still out. This is what we do know. Most people do not become addicted. Most, who use drugs, either stop or use infrequently. One may surmise that while the drug feels good, other things that bring pleasure in life feel better. Some may have past experiences with drugs that are negative and stop. In plainest terms, the bad outweighs the good. 

This may not necessarily be true for people who become addicted. For those people, drug use is continued for several possible reasons. These reasons can include any of the following listed below:

• Their brain chemistry may change.
• They have an intense desire to experience pleasure.
• After prolonged use they may only be able to experience pleasure from the drug.
• The discomfort from coming off the drug is so uncomfortable that they keep using to avoid this.

After a while, they can only function 'normally' while on the drug. 

When these factors begin to take place, it is safe to assume that negative consequences begin to, or in most cases have already begun to occur. 

Let's explore. We become thirsty and we desire (crave) water. We drink (use) and we feel good. Our uncomfortable feeling (pain) thirst is resolved by drinking water. The anxiety of seeking water and replenishing our body is gone. And so we become hungry and we eat. We get horny and we masturbate or have sex and we feel better. The anxiety is gone. The pleasure part of the brain allows us to feel good. It is conditioned to act during these life-sustaining activities. In fact, it is so well conditioned that relief from the anxiety may begin simply from seeing a water fountain, driving into the parking lot of a restaurant, seeing an attractive person or walking into your bedroom.

So, you walk into a club or rave, you hear music, you see attractive people. You become stimulated, excited, or aroused. Then you may become anxious."can I dance, am I attractive enough, will people like me, am I dressed appropriately, do I know the right slang?" You are tense. Then someone offers you a pill, or a bump, perhaps a cocktail of some sort. You take it. Your anxiety begins to vanish, you begin to feel good, really good. You meet people, you dance, your self-consciousness slips away. You have a great time.

Over the next month, you go out several more times, you learn dance a certain way. You buy new cloths and listen to techno, house, trance, jungle, break beats, punk etc. The music feels great! In fact with or without realizing it, simply looking at specific clothes or hearing a certain phrase feels great. Driving into the club parking lot or seeing the entrance feels good or relieving. You do this for a while along with your DOC (Drug Of Choice) and life is great! 

Gradually things change. You need to take more of the drug to get the same effects. You may even need to switch drugs or mix them. The next day or whenever you decide to stop, you feel like shit! You begin to feel achy, tired, confused, and moody. You don't seem to enjoy things like you use to. (Family, friends, a movie, church, coffee shops, work, school, or whatever you used to enjoy.) Sex or masturbation isn't as good as it used to be. You begin to think about the club and the drugs more often. Things are good or better when you are on them, so why shouldn't you? You notice a kind of desire for them, kinda like water or food but not exactly the same. It can get pretty painful.

The desire (craving) gets stronger each week and you have to relieve it or wait it out. And you may wait it out and then recover and start to feel like yourself again. But the weekend is two days away, you are listening to your favorite beat or you notice a club buddy walking down the street. You start to crave again.

So you think "It takes me longer to recover, I feel like shit, my grades are slipping, my work productivity is decreasing, people are asking me if I am okay, I am always irritated or frustrated moody, some people are angry with me. So what am I gonna do?" Maybe you will 'sit this one out' or maybe you will got out.  

When you start dancing this time will you be able to stop? Will you even want too? Who knows. It all depends on your past experiences and brain chemistry. And once the pleasure part of the brain only reacts to your drug or drugs of choice.you have a problem.

So at what point in time should one stop using or cut back?

If you are doing something that makes you feel uncomfortable, upon reflection when sober (free from drugs).you should take a look at it. Anyone, at anytime can seek professional advice and there is no criteria for advice or even assessment. By the way, if you never reach that sober point.it's time!