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Few people take their first dose of a drug-- illegal or legal-- with the hope of getting addicted.
Yet for 2009, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reports
that 23.5 million people sought some form of treatment for drug and alcohol problems. Of
course, individual physiology and psychological makeup have much to do with how quickly
addiction can take hold and with the amount consumed before passing the unseen threshold
from freedom to enslavement.
While every distinct instance may vary in time frame and intensity of dependence, a few
patterns are common among the total pool of substance abusers. From the testimonies of
addicts and the professionals who treat them, researchers can single out benchmarks for the
phases of substance addiction.
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Experimenting With Substances
Experimentation may have several different motivations. For youths, peer pressure is a
significant reason for taking their very first drag, drink or snort. However, addiction does not
have to begin in youth. A middle-aged or older individual may try out prescribed pain
relievers to remedy chronic aches and discomfort. Even seniors might use drinking or drugs
to alleviate loneliness. These correspond to strategic moments in life when a drug is taken to
force a bodily, social or emotional condition a bit more manageable. Disconnected instances
of use may or may not be followed up with greater frequency or amounts. Without a realistic
self evaluation a truthful appraisal of the signals of substance addiction an individual can
cross unwittingly into the more distressing stages of drug addiction.
Regular Consumption
Using a drug or other people substance on a consistent basis does not always lead an
individual into addiction. Some can consume a substance continuously for a period of time
and afterwards end its use with little or no discomfort. Should the timeframe extends
indefinitely and the strength of dosages intensify too, regular usage might transform into drug
addiction.
Hazardous Consumption
As the stages of drug addiction are traveled through, the individual's personal decisions and
conduct get increasingly risky, both to herself or himself and others. The National Survey on
Drug Use and Health declared that 28.4 percent of young adults in between the ages of 21
and 25 drove under the influence of illegal substances in 2009.
Operating a vehicle while under the influence of a depressant
Spending cash foolishly to obtain the drug