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Addiction or drug abuse
Before starting this article let me ask you a very simple question!
Is the addiction a bad habit or disease???
This question draws our intention towards a very important aspect of addiction.
Because;
I. If we label it as bad habit then we should punish the person.
II. And if we label it as a disease then we should treat it.
The 1st approach is commonly adopted be the society and even health care professionals but unfortunately this is not an ideal or correct approach.
Answer of the question
There is no doubt that whenever a person starts taking drugs, mostly it is due to his bad habit, bad company, bad copying style to stress. At this point it is not a disease but when the person continues to take those drugs he becomes dependent on them and now it becomes the disease. Now it is not possible for the person to quit without support from family and physician.
Why the person who is addicted to drugs don’t choose the path to quit despite knowing their hazardous effects?
By answering this question we should be able to understand core concept of addiction. It has two explanations
Explanation 1
• With the continued use of a drug the body becomes adopted to that drug
• When the person stop taking it, the body reacts
• The reaction of body can be extremely uncomfortable and the person may be able to tolerate it.
• The person continues to take that drug in order to avoid this uncomfortable bodily reaction.
• Different types of the drugs can have different types of body reaction.
Explanation 2
• The circumstances that lead toward addiction are still persistent.
For example;
If the person started taking drugs in the company of his friends, still he is keeping the same company
If the person started taking drugs after house hold quarrels, these quarrels are still persistent
• Craving of Drugs
It is a highly important factor for continued substance use. All his physical symptoms usually diminish after quitting but the desire of drug usually persists even after years quitting.
It is sometimes difficult to understand why a sensible person, ignoring all his obligations as father, brother, son, husband; facing social stigma and hatred, chooses to take the drugs and not willing to quit?