Am I Really Addicted
By Rebecca J. Stigall
If you do drugs, or know someone who does drugs, you've probably told yourself that you can quit any time you want. But you don't. Why?
Many people who do drugs don’t realize they are addicted. They have no idea what addiction means, they don't know exactly when they became addicted, and, because they deny that they are addicted, they never really feel the need to take steps to stop using drugs, often until it's too late. After all, drug use is just something you do for fun, right?
Even if you use drugs for recreational purposes, just once a day or a couple of times a week, you might already be addicted, or you can become addicted at any time. When you do drugs, you change the way your body works. Doing drugs makes your body unable to make itself feel good – your body will need drugs to do that. And, because you need just a little bit to keep yourself going, you might not realize that you've become addicted.
There are two kinds of addiction – physical addiction and psychological addiction. Some drugs are physically addictive, like crack and meth. Other drugs might not be as physically addictive, but might cause you to become psychologically addicted.
Physical addiction happens when your body literally craves drugs. Physical reactions in your body take place and you've got to have more drugs just to function. Psychological addiction happens when you think you need drugs, even when your body doesn't need them. Many times, physical addiction and psychological addiction happen at the same time, making getting off drugs that much harder.
The combination of physical and psychological addiction is what makes kicking a cigarette or alcohol addiction so hard. Cigarettes and alcohol are not only physically addictive (the body eventually grows to need them), they are also psychologically addicting (people get used to having a cigarette or a drink at certain times).
Many people light up after eating or first thing in the morning. And people learn to drink at parties and during other social occasions. These psychologically addicting situations are called "cues." People receive external cues that tell them it's time to smoke or drink. When some people are trying to stop smoking and drinking, they have a hard time resisting the urge to smoke or drink during the times when they would normally do so. Sometimes it helps to avoid the situations that used to make them want to smoke or drink. That's why some alcoholics never go to bars or parties that serve alcohol; it's just too tempting.
Even drugs like meth can be psychologically addictive. In addition to the serious physical addiction, people who do meth tend to have a false sense of confidence. They feel more popular, better looking, or sexy, even though they're probably less so. Drugs that make you feel relaxed can be physically and psychologically addicting, too. If you believe that drugs are the only thing that can make you feel relaxed, you have a psychological addiction.
But how do you know if you are addicted? In addition to the feeling that you are physically or psychologically addicted (and you probably have suspicions), you might want to ask yourself the following questions. A "yes" to any one of these questions might mean that you are addicted. If you are addicted, get help right away!
• Do you think that drugs are the solution to all of your problems?
• Do you spend a lot of time trying to get drugs or figure out how to get drugs?
• Are you anxious, nervous, depressed, or irritable?
• Have you stopped going to school, miss a lot of school, or skip classes to do drugs or get drugs?
• Have you stopped participating in school activities or after-school activities that you used to enjoy?
• Have you replaced some or all of your straight friends with drug-using friends?
• Are your grades dropping?
• Have your sleep/wake habits changed?
• Have you gained or lost a lot of weight?
• Have you stopped taking time to look good? Do you tend to look messy, tired, or sick?
• Do you need to take more and more drugs just to get the same high?
