The latest research in the neurobiology of addiction points to genetics as a major component of the addiction process.
One example is the deficiency in the gene that is responsible for the D2 subtype of the Dopamine Receptor.
The deficiency acts to make the individual less receptive to the natural ‘feel-good’ effects of Dopamine.
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Every person experiences and travels a different road to addiction; peer pressure and bullying, negative upbringings, or even older siblings.
There are ample reasons out there explaining why we are steadily losing the battle against drugs.
Religion, culture and or strong family or personal morals deter many individuals at first from experimenting with substances.
Making the conscious decision to stop drinking is not easy, because the desire to cut alcohol out of your life may be far less attractive than going with the flow.
For most people social drinking is a norm and many use it to "take the edge off" at the end of the working day.
However when does the social drinking become drinking excessively and to what extent does the edge become too risky to take?
Most of us are prescribed powerful painkillers at some point in our lives by a doctor. It is because of their analgesic (painkilling) properties that we first come into contact with and use opiates.
An opiate is a narcotic anaesthetic that directly affects and depresses your central nervous system. Opiates are extremely addictive substances.
This blog allows us to share information about drug and alcohol abuse, as well as drug and alcohol abuse rehabilitation and about our drug and alcohol recovery centre.
There are many reasons why individuals begin taking drugs, and it isn’t uncommon for them to feel alone in their reasons and feelings of anguish.
However, there are common factors that play a role in all abusive behaviour.
There are a number of reasons as to why individuals experiment with illegal substances.
With drug and alcohol abuse becoming more prevalent in South Africa, it is important for us to start identifying and addressing the key issues and causes of alcohol and drug addiction.
Generally speaking individuals typically take drugs either to experiment with feeling high or altered consciousness or as a form of escapism.
The human brain is extremely complex; because it is so delicate and fragile the slightest variation in chemical levels, process or structure has the potential to completely rearrange an individual’s persona, mental reasoning and understanding and in essence cause psychotic behaviour or episodes.
Lysergic Acid Diethylamide commonly known as LSD or acid is a psychedelic drug. This illegal substance, although non-addictive and found to cause no harm to the brain, can lead to acute psychotic reactions such as anxiety, paranoia and delusions.
Methcathinone is a fairly new drug on the market; it has recently increased in popularity and has become one of the most commonly used illegal drugs in South Africa.
This illegal substance is known amongst it’s users as CAT, but is also referred to as Methedrone, khat, Methcathone, Drone, M-Kat, Ghetto Coke, meow-meow and Star Speed to name a few.
CAT is a synthetic form of the naturally-occurring stimulant drug, Cathinone, meaning that CAT attempts to imitate the high of the natural stimulant which is taken from the plant indigenous to the horn of Africa and the Southern Arabian Peninsula the "khat" plant, Cathula edulis.
Alcohol and drug dependency is a sad and ever-growing reality in South Africa.
Accessibility to illegal substances is at an all-time high, with children being exposed to all types of addiction (direct or indirect) from a very young age. Much evidence exists that substance dependency behaviour and its effects are passed down from generation to generation.
The range of drugs available to the average person on the street is alarming; the cost of drugs isn’t much of a problem as there are plenty of drugs available that are more affordable, with longer-lasting effects and with unsurprisingly far worse negative side-effects.
Although a lot of information is available there is little regard of the real impact of substance abuse on our lives. We often get questions to do with identifying what drugs are “bad” or “worse for you” and this is a true indication of how mislead our society truly is.
Much of modern media trivialises the harmful effects of drugs and thereby contributes to an environment where drug abuse is condoned and even encouraged.
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