myth about addiction

Smokeless tobacco can cause mouth and throat cancer, high blood pressure and dental problems. It can also lessen the senses of taste and smell and can cause bad breath.

A person starts out as an occasional drug user, and that is a voluntary decision. But as times passes, something happens, and that person goes from being a voluntary drug user to being a compulsive drug user. Why? Because over time, continued use of addictive drugs changes your brain at times in dramatic, toxic ways, at others in more subtle ways, but virtually always in ways that result in compulsive and even uncontrollable drug use.

We all make decisions in our lives, some healthy and some less so, nobody chooses to become addicted. Rather, drug addiction is often about fulfilling an unmet need and wanting to feel

The myth that someone who has a stable life does not have an addiction problem fuels much of the denial that typically exists around the problem of addiction. Addicts are often thought of as unemployed, unproductive, criminal, and homeless. However over 70% of people with addictions are employed and live with their families. Addiction is a progressive disease that impacts all aspects of a persons life. If left untreated, it may eventually impact a persons career and family.

The statement that addicts are weak people is simply not true. Additionally, once someone becomes addicted to a substance, their brain chemistry is changed and can they become physiologically dependent on that substance. It is actually sometimes dangerous for people to quit some substances cold turkey because of the sudden change that could wreak havoc on their bodies. Quitting is much more complicated than it may seem to someone who has not been affected by addiction.

In fact treatment DOES work! Especially when the treatment program is based upon available clinical research and best practices. When compared to other conditions that tend to involve relapse, long term outcomes for those receiving addiction treatment are very positive. And not only does effective treatment directly help those individuals and families in need, but it is a worthwhile community investment as well.

There would probably be a lot higher incidence of FAS given that most women, including those that drink, are usually pregnant for some weeks before they know it. However, as with most things, this may vary depending on the individual. The safest behavior for your child would be to abstain totally from alcohol and drugs while pregnant and while breastfeeding.

Caffeine is a pharmacologically active substance; it can work as a mild stimulant, and therefore is considered a drug. Few caffeine users report loss of control of caffeine intake or significant difficulty in reducing or stopping caffeine if desired. Thus, caffeine is mildly addictive, but it is not on the same level as other addictive stimulants.

Addiction is a spectrum disorder, like depression, and every person is different.While there are plenty of cases where addicts struggle for years to overcome a drug addiction, many more cases reveal the opposite short term users who manage to put the past behind them and lead normal and productive lives. According to the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, 75% of alcoholics recover without treatment.

There is no single gene, or set of genes, that determines whether or not a person will become an addict. And even if a persons parents are addicts, it doesnt mean they will be too. Current addiction research shows that roughly 50% of addiction tendencies are attributable to genes.