Pubdate: Tue, 17 May 2005
Source: Sun.Star Cebu (Philippines)
Copyright: 2005 Sun.Star
Contact:  http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1690
Author: Vicente G. Aldanese
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?203 (Terrorism)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Philippines

DRUG DEPENDENCY: IS IT A MORAL ISSUE

(first in a series)

I once heard someone say that drug dependents should be locked up in a
cage and the keys thrown away. Some say that drug addicts are no
different from common criminals. Others say that drug dependents are
very bad people with no conscience and are very irresponsible.

After hearing all these, I definitely never wanted to admit that I had
problems with drug abuse and that I was probably an addict. So I hit
it the best way I knew. I just numbed myself from my feelings and the
outside world by taking more and more drugs.

But today, after almost 30 years of active drug abuse and now going on
my 17th year clean and free from all types of drugs, I know better. At
the start of my recovery from drug dependency, the first thing I
needed to learn and accept was the fact that I was sick with the
disease of chemical dependency (drug addiction) and that I needed to
understand what was happening to me so my own recovery treatment
program could work. Here is what I understand and see what drug
addiction is all about and what can be done about it.

What Is Drug Abuse

Any mind-changing, mood-altering substance including alcohol. The use
of any drug for purposes other than for which it is intended, or in a
manner, or quantities other than directed, is drug abuse.

What Is Drug Addiction

Drug addiction is the obsession with thinking about using drugs and
the compulsion to continue doing so once started, despite adverse
consequences for doing so. It goes through the following stages:

* Experimental: curiosity and/or peer pressure.
* Social: Just at parties and/or special events and with no set pattern.
* Habitual: Here, a regular pattern is developed (ex. only on weekends)
* Abuse: Starting to have problems with family, work/school, health,
social, financial, and legal matters due to drug use but still continues to
use/abuse drugs.
* Dependence/addiction: The whole waking moments are concentrated on
thinking about using drugs and once the use has started, the compulsion to
use more and more kicks despite the adverse consequences in our lives
because of drug use.

What Factors Play a Causative Role

The exact causes of drug dependency is not known. However, there are
factors that can play a causative role, such as the make-up of the
individual, the addictiveness of the drug, peer pressure, emotional
distress, such as low self-esteem and depression, family dysfunction,
genetic predisposition, excess unsupervised time, lack of mental and
emotional resources against stress, and low tolerance for
frustration.

The sad part is that even a societal attitude (such as marijuana isn't
that bad) has contributed to increased drug use among adolescents.
Younger children may even first see drugs, sad to say, used by their
parents or friends of their parents. These children often grow up in
an environment of illicit drug use.

Denial

Another sad aspect of drug abuse and dependence is that it has become
easy for the drug user, and even their families, to make excuses for
the drug abuse, such as: I still have a job, addicts are jobless; he's
just having a hard time at work, he needs it to relax; I'm only
selling and pawning my own things; that's just a phase of his growing
up; He'll outgrow it; I'm not an addict, I'm a hundred pounds
overweight; that can't happen to me, I'm a professional and even own
my own company; I'm just having a good time, I deserve to enjoy my
life; she just needs to learn self-control; I'm not an alcoholic,
alcoholics are those bums you see in the streets; I still dress well,
eat well, and have my car; she just lost her 
boyfriend/girlfriend/mother/father, she'll get over it.

These are just but a few examples and these can go on and on endlessly
filling up the pages for a book of excuses. It's sad but most addicts,
and their significant others, believe these excuses. This is what we
call denial of what is really happening so that they do not have to
accept defeat, or accept there is a problem. 
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