Substance Abuse and Chemical Dependency

Substance abuse is the improper use of chemicals that can alter the way one’s mind and body functions (TCC). In most cases, these chemicals would be referred to as a drug. Substance abuse can and may lead to chemical dependency or addiction. Dependence is the development of tolerance to chemicals which leads to symptoms of withdrawal. Substance abuse is a process that reflects a complicated interaction between the individual, the abused substance, and society (wikipedia.org).   The leading cause of substance abuse or dependency is drug use in general.

If you were to ask a drug user to tell you why they used drugs, they would most likely tell you that they use them to make themselves feel good.   This could be a good explanation, for drugs act mainly on the limbic system in the center of your brain—commonly referred to as “the pleasure center.” (freevibe.com p1)   Drugs are often ingested to alter one’s feelings, or to help someone cope with a mishap, but the problem is, people can’t stay “high” forever.   For Instance, drug use does not change the situation.   Sooner or later, a person must deal with their misfortunes.  

Some people use drugs to fit in or to hide their insecurities, but many do not realize that drug abuse can isolate them from their family and friends. Certain people use them because they are bored and seeking excitement, while others just want to relax or escape stress. Drug use is not a successful way to escape one’s problems, if anything, it makes them more intense. Once a person comes down, they still have the situation to deal



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with, and what’s worse is they are probably not feeling very good about themselves at the time they are forced to deal with it.

Drugs date back from 3700-2000 B.C. (Nash, date, p. 165) and were first used for medicinal and therapeutic purposes.   They were also often used in religious ceremonies and rituals. Scientists started researching the effects of drugs and...