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 nICOTINE
Nicotine is one of the
most heavily used addictive drugs in the U.S., and smoking
cigarettes is the most popular method of using nicotine. In
1989, the Surgeon General issued a report that cigarettes and
other forms of tobacco, which contain nicotine (such as cigars,
pipe tobacco and chewing tobacco) are addictive. The report also
determined that smoking was a major cause of stroke as well as
the third leading cause of death in the U.S.
Nicotine is addictive, which
is why most smokers tend to do it regularly. Addiction is
characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, even at the risk
of negative health consequences. Most smokers know that tobacco is
harmful and express a desire to decrease or end use of it, with
nearly 35 million people seriously attempting to quit each year.
Unfortunately, most relapse within just a few days, and less than 7
percent of those who try to quit on their own achieve more than a
year of abstinence.
Besides nicotine's addictive
properties, other factors to consider include its easy availability,
the small number of legal and social consequences of tobacco use and
the sophisticated marketing and advertising methods of tobacco
companies. These combined with nicotine's addictive properties often
lead to first use and, ultimately, addiction.
Recent research has shown
how nicotine acts on the brain. Nicotine activates the circuitry
that regulates feelings of pleasure, the so-called reward pathways.
Research has shown that nicotine increases the levels of dopamine (a
key brain chemical involved in mediating the desire to consume drugs)
in the reward circuits. Nicotine's pharmacokinetic properties have
been found to enhance its abuse potential. Cigarette smoking
produces a rapid distribution of nicotine to the brain, with drug
levels peaking within 10 seconds of inhalation. The acute effects of
nicotine dissipate within a few minutes, causing the need to
continue repeated intake throughout the day.
Symptoms
 Inability
to stop smoking after one or more serious efforts
Experiencing
strong withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, irritability,
restlessness, headaches, difficulty concentrating,
drowsiness, stomach upset
Inability
to stop, regardless of health problems.
Altering
routine or plans in order to smoke. For example, avoiding
certain restaurants or certain family or friends because you
find it embarrassing or difficult to smoke in these
situations.
Psychotherapy methods are
employed to discover high-risk relapse situations, create an
aversion to smoking, develop self-monitoring of smoking behavior and
establish competing coping responses.
Ask
for help, now.
OBESITY
Obesity is a condition
of having excess body weight. When an adult is more than 100 pounds
overweight, they are considered morbidly obese.
Being overweight significantly increases the risk of death from
hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, stroke, osteoarthritis,
coronary heart disease, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea and
respiratory problems, and endometrial, breast, prostate and colon
cancers.
Symptoms
Consumption
of more food than the body can use
Excess
alcohol intake
Sedentary
lifestyle
Weight can affect a
person's self-esteem. Excess weight is clearly visible and may
attract ridicule.
Ask
for help, now.
COCAINE
Cocaine is a powerfully
addictive stimulant that directly affects the brain. Pure cocaine
was first extracted from the leaf of the Erythroxylon coca bush in
the mid-19th century. In the early 1900s it became the main
stimulant drug used in most of the tonics and elixirs that were
developed to treat a wide variety of illnesses. It quickly became
popular as an ingredient in patent medicines (throat lozenges and
tonics) and other products (such as Coca Cola, from which it was
later removed). Concern soon mounted due to instances of addiction,
psychotic behavior, convulsion, and death.
Cocaine is a stimulant
that makes users feel euphoric, energetic, and mentally alert.
Highly addictive, it can cause severe mental and physical
problems. It is possible to overdose and die.
The major routes of
administration of cocaine are inhaling (or snorting), injecting, and
smoking. There is great risk regardless of the method of use. It
appears that compulsive cocaine use may develop even more rapidly if
the substance is smoked rather than snorted. Smoking allows
extremely high doses of cocaine to reach the brain very quickly and
brings an intense and immediate high.
Symptoms
Fast
heartbeat and breathing and increases in blood pressure and
body temperature
Erratic
or violent behavior
Blurred
vision, chest pain, nausea, fever, muscle spasms,
convulsions and death from convulsions, heart failure or
brain failure
Emotional
problems and isolation from family and friends
Damage
to the nose and inflamed nasal passages
A
change in eating or sleeping patterns
Many behavioral
treatments have been found to be effective for cocaine addiction,
including both residential and outpatient approaches.
Ask
for help, now.
MORE ABOUT...
Anorexia NervosaBulimia NervosaHallucinogensAlcohol AbuseOpioidsAmphetamines Compulsive OvereatingSedative-Hypnotics
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