Drug Abuse Basics

Drug Abuse Basics ,Are things spiraling out of control in your life? Is there something going on that is ruining everything in your life? Do you think that a drug addiction is behind all the problems in your life? If you answered yes it is time to begin change and to regain control of your life.

When some people choose to battle their addiction they choose to do so without the help of a rehab or other treatment center. Whether you are fighting your addiction alone or with help it is important that you understand the basics of drug abuse and addiction.

The following chapter will go over the basics of drug abuse and addiction and provide you with some very useful information that will make it much more likely for you to succeed in your battle against drugs. If you are serious about making life changes continue reading and start the battle today!

The Basics

As mentioned before, whether you are trying to beat your addiction on your own or you are utilizing outside services such as counseling or drug rehabs, it is extremely important that you are very knowledgeable of the basics of drug abuse. Believe it or not you have already made the first step on the journey to a better life. You may be asking how that is possible.

The answer is simple, you have searched for help and that is how you stumbled across this book. The first step to beating an addiction is realizing and accepting that you have a problem. It is important that you are honest with yourself about how bad your problem has become, this is usually easier said than done. This is because it is much easier to make the negative outcomes of your drug abuse seem less damaging than they really are.

Minimizing the seriousness of a problem is what allows an addict to continue abusing drugs and slowly killing themselves. In most cases, the realization of how bad things have really become does not happen until the addict hits rock bottom. Rock bottom is a term that refers to when an addict hits a new low in life. There is nowhere lower to go than rock bottom and that is why it takes most addicts hitting it before they realize they have a problem.

If you are not quite sure if you have an addiction or not there are some questions you need to ask yourself. The following warning signs of addiction and questions you need to ask yourself will be of great help in determining if you have an addiction or not.

Do Drugs Control Your Thoughts?

Does it seem like no matter what is going on in your life your brain seems to always find a way to shift its focus back onto drugs? An example of this may include sitting at your child’s little league game and the entire time thinking of your next fix. This is a common sign of a drug addiction and if you are experiencing this negative impact of drug abuse you are likely addicted to that drug.

Another common sign of drug addiction is when things that would not normally be drug related remind you of drug use for some reason. An example of this may be seeing something that looks like the same shape as a pipe making you want to smoke or seeing a spoon and suddenly craving for heroin. To some this may seem crazy but those who are addicted to drugs are aware of how true this really is.

Are You Changing?

Drug abuse and addiction will eventually change you. Take a good look at your life and ask yourself, am I changing? It is important that you are honest with yourself while doing this because the only person you will be cheating by being dishonest is yourself.

There are some key point you need to look at such as if you are losing your friends, if you are losing interest and motivation in life, if you are becoming unsocial, and if everything in your life is becoming related to drug abuse in one way or another. If the answer to any of those questions is yes it is very likely that you have a drug addiction.

Are You Spending More Money Than You Can Afford?

A lot of people who are addicted to drugs will find that they need more and more of the drug to try to reach the same high that they are used to. This is referred to as chasing the high. Chasing the high can become quite expensive and it won’t be long, if you don’t already do it, that you are spending much more money on drugs than you can afford. This is how many addicts end up selling drugs in order to make more money to buy drugs.

Some addicts even end up selling their stuff to get drugs and some even go far enough to steal from other people. If you are spending more money than you can afford on drugs it is very likely that you have a problem that needs to be addressed immediately.

Is Your Health Suffering?

Any drug use is bad for a person’s body but it is much more damaging for an addict as they use much more. Take a look in the mirror; can you see the damage that your addiction is causing you? Are you pale? Do you have dark circles under your eyes? Does your face look thin? Do you look like a stranger? If you answered yes to any of those questions it is definitely time for a change.