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  3. Drug Use and Addiction Drug Use and Abuse Although drug abuse can have harmful results, people can use it for more than one

Drug Use and Addiction Drug Use and Abuse Although drug abuse can have harmful results, people can use it for more than one

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问题                          Drug Use and Addiction
Drug Use and Abuse
    Although drug abuse can have harmful results, people can use it for more than one of the reasons, and may also use several drugs for different reasons. Distinguishing the "how?" and "why?" of a person’s drug use is rarely an easy task, but most people use a drug because they enjoy the effects. This may seem like a simplistic or insensitive statement, but it’s a fact that’s easily forgotten by the people around the drug user, who are concerned and trying to understand why they’re using drugs.
    Worried parents often ask for warning sings of drug use, but the simple answer is that it’s very hard to spot. Many users who have contact with mental health services manage to conceal their use from the professionals, so it’s obviously difficult to identify.
    Parents usually know their children better than anyone else, and maintaining an open atmosphere in which communication is kept up is often the best way to find out what’s going on. This is not always easy with teenagers, as they might view the methods parents use to find out if their children are using drugs as intrusive and controlling.  And angry confrontations with teenagers might push them further into a cycle of annoyance and refusal to communicate.
    The use of chemicals to alter the way we feel and see things in one of the oldest activities of the human race.  But a person’s use of a drug such as tobacco, alcohol, cannabis or heroin can become uncontrolled, or start to control them. Even when the use of these drugs leads to serious physical and mental problems, the person may still not want to stop using them. But, if they do decide to give up, they may find it% harder than they thought.
What Are the Symptoms?
    There are a lot of confusing different words used to describe drug use and addiction problems. Not every expert will agree with the definitions here, but being consistent with the terms used helps to reduce the confusion and anxiety everyone feels when faced with this problem.
    Each drug has different patterns of:
    • use;
    • poison;
    • overdose;
    • hangover(残留).
    For each different drug, the "substance abuse" can cover different levels of use, including:
    • experimenting with use;
    • using large amounts without appearing poisoned;
    • using large amounts to get poisoned.
Psychological Addiction
    The media’s picture of a person giving up drugs usually focuses on the immediate effects of withdrawing from heroin. It’s important to remember that there’s often more to an addiction than the physical withdrawal symptoms. In fact, for some drugs such as cannabis or heroin, there’s a debate about whether there are actually any physical symptoms of withdrawal.
    People who use heroin regularly over a long period may find that there are certain situations where they come to rely on the drug. If they stop using the drug, they may feel very disabled. This is a situation that can develop for almost any substance that effects the mind, and this aspect of addiction can be harder to overcome than the physical symptoms.
    Mental symptoms can include:
    • anxiety;
    • depression;
    • sleep and rest;
    • controlling mood;
    • relearning different coping skills.
    The pattern of these symptoms will depend on the drug used, the psychological make-up of the person and the circumstances under which they are attempting to remain drug-free.
    The term craving is often used when talking about psychological addiction.
If a person is experiencing any of the symptoms listed above and they know that by using the drug all these problem will go away, it’s not surprising that they develop an overwhelming desire to use, and this dominates their thoughts.
Physical Addiction
    It’s ironic that through films, such as Trainspotting, quite a lot of people feel that they understand the physical withdrawal from heroin. They rightly see it as an unpleasant and difficult experience — and a good reason not to experiment with it.
    The irony is that alcohol has a much worse and more dangerous withdrawal effect. It’s possible, but very rare for someone experiencing heroin withdrawal to need to be admitted to hospital; while someone who is physically addicted to alcohol should not attempt to stop using it without consulting a doctor. Again, as with psychological addiction, the length and severity of withdrawal differs according to the drug, how much has been taken and for haw long.
    For most addicts, their problem is a mixture of both physical and psychological aspects. There are some instances when it’s difficult to distinguish between the two. The stimulants cocaine and amphetamine (安非他明) are classic examples of this — people coming down after using the drugs feel very low and lack energy. When they take cocaine, they feel very high and use up lots of energy. Their feelings afterwards could be partly because of feeling tired and adjusting to a normal mood again, but there are other theories that suggest these feelings are because the body is re-establishing its chemical balance.
What Can I Do to Help Myself?
    The old saying — admitting you have a problem is half of solving the problem — is very applicable. The next step is to get support. If you’re physically addicted, it may be dangerous to just stop — especially if you’re using alcohol. Even if it isn’t dangerous to just stop, a doctor may be able to prescribe medication to help you through the first phase of withdrawal.
    Not all family doctors are happy to help with this problem, so if yours isn’t, it’s probably best to approach your local drug dependence unit (DDU).It’s also vital to get other forms of support and counseling -- see the resources listed below.
Available Help Resources
Families Anonymous
    Support for the relatives and friends of people with drug problems.
    Tel: 020 7498 4680(Monday to Friday, 1pm to 4.30pm)
    Website: www. famanon. org. uk
    Alcoholics Anonymous
    A self-help group run by recovering alcoholics.
    PO Box 1, Stonebow House, Stonebow York YO1 7NJ
    Te: 01904 644026
    Helpline: 0845 7697 555
    Website: www. alcoholics-anonymous, org. uk
    The National Drugs Help line
    Free help and advice 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
    Tel: 0800 776600
    Other helpful advice and addresses can be found in the BBC’s online Addictions guide.
A drug user’s withdrawal process from physical addiction depends on his or her use of the drug’s ______.
选项
答案length and severity
解析
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