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Drug Abuse


             In many cases drugs are first used in a social or casual way. A person might try a drug at a party or social event. Maybe they try the drug amongst a group of friends in order to fit in or maybe just to be accepted. Either way there is no addiction or problem present at this time. When a person first enters into the world of drugs they are not fully aware of the effects and consequences that will follow. The seriousness and dangerousness of drugs is temporarily overlooked, but the fact that they can do irreversible damage should not be. Drugs ultimately can destroy all aspects of a person life in a relatively short amount of time.
             People do not become addicted drugs over night; actually Drug addiction is a complex illness. The path to drug addiction begins with the act of taking drugs. Over time, a person's ability to choose not to take drugs is compromised. This in large part is a result of the effects of prolonged drug use on brain functioning, and thus on behavior. Addiction, therefore, is characterized by compulsive, drug craving, seeking, and use that persists even in the face of consequences that could put them in danger.
             Many people think that they can temporarily use drugs and quit when they want or need, however the process is much more complicated and scientific. "Some drugs work in the brain because they have a similar size and shape as natural neurotransmitters. In the brain in the right amount or dose, these drugs lock into receptors and start an unnatural chain reaction of electrical charges, causing neurons to release large amounts of their own neurotransmitter.
             Some drugs lock onto the neuron and act like a pump, so the neuron releases more neurotransmitter. Other drugs block reabsorption or reuptake and cause unnatural floods of neurotransmitter" (Stanley). All drugs of abuse, such as nicotine, cocaine, and marijuana, primarily affect the brain's limbic system.


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