Understanding Substance Abuse & Addiction

According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), addiction is a “primary chronic disease of the brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry.” Addiction is characterized by the inability to stop using harmful substances despite its negative effects on your personal and professional life. Prolonged use of these substances can cause greater dependence on them and increase your risk of disability or premature death.

Whether you or someone you love is struggling with alcohol or drug abuse/addiction, it’s vitally important that you know the facts, understand the potential dangers, and are able to make a difference. With that in mind, here is a collection of resources to help you get the information you need.

Heroin is highly addictive. People who use heroin regularly can develop a tolerance, which means that they need higher and/or more frequent doses of the drug to get the effect they crave. In recent years, heroin use has increased to crisis levels, and overdoses have become more and more common across the country. Heroin overdoses are a particular risk because the amount and purity of this widely available street drug cannot be accurately known.

One in every 12 adults — more than 17 million people — are alcohol dependent in some form. Several million more engage in drinking patterns that could lead to dependence on or abuse of alcohol. From a family perspective, more than 7 million children live in a household where one or more parent is abusing or dependent on alcohol. And more than half of all adults have a family history of problem drinking or alcohol dependency. This is significant, as alcoholism can influence all aspects of an individual’s life, from emotional stability to career and financial stability, health and, of course, relationships.

You may know that alcohol is the most widely used addictive substance in this country. But did you know that marijuana is the most commonly used and abused illicit drug in the U.S.? Marijuana use is particularly high among adolescents and young adults. An underlying reason is that legalization for medical and recreational use in certain states has created greater acceptance of marijuana in our society. As a result, teens’ perceptions of the risks associated with its use have declined steadily. There has also been a decline in the awareness of the adverse health effects of marijuana… and in the understanding of the potential therapeutic benefits.