Drug addiction brings certain images to mind – and they’re not exactly pretty. Strung out, passed out, bad teeth, bloodshot eyes, destroyed veins. It’s part of the stigma of society. Often, our first impression of someone with an addiction is that they got themselves into that situation. But is that always the case? Perhaps not, but whether we believe drug addiction is a result of choice or disease, one thing is clear; addiction is a problem.
How does it start?
They often say certain situations in life can be traced to a single decision. This, I believe, is very much the case with addiction. It is a choice that becomes an addiction.
Today, more than ever before, kids, young adults, really anyone, has greater and easier access to illicit drugs. This increased exposure makes it more difficult to resist temptation. In truth, I’d assume most addictions start out rather innocent. I find it difficult to believe that anyone ever sets out in life to become an addict. Initially, it’s all about the fix. A one-time fix. A one-time high. A temporary escape. But thanks to the damaging effects of such drugs on brain chemistry and physiology, that one-time escape can turn into a lifelong prison.
Even when the drugs don’t have highly addictive properties, a user is still at risk to be set up for addiction. Many dealers these days are lacing drugs with highly addictive substances such as Fentanil or Carfentanil, ensuring that all it takes is one hit and then a person is hooked. Besides this scary thought, the concept of gateway drugs is very much a real thing and not just something parent say to scare their kids off from using marijuana or drinking or smoking. Individuals that participate in this “gateway” drug use become accustomed to the experience of using a drug to feel better, and are more often to look to that same place in the future.
The Dark and Winding Road That Follows
Although it is true that many individuals may use an illicit drug once and not become addicted, for far too many that is not usually the case. In any regards, even if an individual does not become addicted after a one-time use, the effects of that one use can remain with them for years.
Locomotor sensitization can be a result of continued use as well as in some cases, one-time use, although sensitization increases with each successive use of a drug, so continued use presents greater risk. This progressive increase in sensitivity is supported by the alterations we observe in the neural mechanisms that mediate acute locomotor stimulant response. Not only do these mechanisms become increasingly sensitized with each successive drug administration, but this sensitization can remain for long periods of time, even after drug administrations have long ceased. For example, sensitization to classic stimulants such as cocaine, amphetamine, and morphine have been shown to persist for up to 3, 12, and 8 months respectively. These persistent neuroadaptive changes in sensitivity to abused drugs could be a potential explanation for why individuals may relapse even after longer periods of abstinence and presumed recovery.
Preventing the Point of No Return
It would seem that our best option in regards to drug addiction, would be to prevent exposure. While this seems a noble endeavor, it is not one that I see being highly successful. Accordingly, we must look for solutions to the problem elsewhere. Do we treat drug addiction with more drugs? As counterproductive as it may seem, some research shows that this can actually help to restore normal brain chemistry and may in fact be beneficial in some cases.
Perhaps, we can prevent these powerful “drug memories” – that lead to addiction – from forming, or take away the high associated with addiction, essentially taking away the pleasure of ever using to begin with.
These methods all have their own challenges, but seem like viable options to counter the problem of drug addiction, and hopefully, in the future, they can do just that.
From a One-Time High to a Lifetime Prison: A Journey of Drug Addiction
