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Where the addiction is rooted?

Drug adiction is a disease of love and security shortage. Most often one can get infected in their childhood. It is not a "virus" which chose the kids maltreated and neglected by their parents. Equally well the disease may appear there, where parents keep a careful eye on their kids. Still, every time some kind of a shortage appears. In case of a child deprived of care, this lack may concern the sphere of feelings, impression of being loved and valuable. In case of overcaring parents children lack freedom and independence, living "under an umbrella" they are deprived of a possibility to decide for themselves, they do not learn to solve their problems. However, they know very well that their life depends on other people and they are worth as much as they meet the requirements and expectations of their parents. The drug virus is a bug of giving up. The infected person resigns from the chances of development, himself and his own life.

Crisis of adolescence

It comes to "getting infected" by drug addiction most often at the age from 13 to 18. Adults call this period "a stupid age", medics - "hormone storm", and psychologists describe it as "crisis of personality". Crisis means a sort of a breakdown of reality. Generally simple world of a child starts eroding, absolute belief in parents' authority disappears. This is a time of rebellion and searching for own sense of life. In this period also appear questions about the sense of life, who one is, and how one is perceived by others. To find the answer to these dilemmas one must risk, try to resolve own problems and to be responsible for the choices made. Everyone willing to grow up must overcome their own crisis. There are also people who get lost on this path, because of lack of self-confidence. Those are people, who believed quickly that they can do nothing in their life. They are sick with "helplessness" and feeling of lack.

  How man gets sick with helplessness?

Imagine you decided to play baseball. It is a sport not very popular here, but you aim at being original. You want to be different, extraordinary. You tell everybody around how well you bounce the ball, that there is no better player in the whole team. The more you talk, the more you believe, although you have never entered a playing court yet. All is played in your imagination. There also an ideal image of yours is constructed. Of course somewhere deep inside one keeps the truth and next to it a fear is hidden that one day the lie will be uncovered. The person avoids confrontation and the entire energy is directed to avoid disgracing situations and pressing shame and feeling of guilt.
One lives in the world of individual imagination, in which one is extraordinary and original, at the same time escaping from their weak and common personality, because this invented "other Me" seems to be much more attractive. It is very similar with people infected with drug addiction. They have no self - confidence, are ashamed of their real personality. They avoid confronting with own emotions (such as a baseball player, who does not enter the playing court, predicting that he loses). They avoid situations when they were made to make up their mind, make a choice and be responsible. They are not prepared. Only a person who feels safe, loved and needed, may look at his face in the mirror and say, "This is me and I do accept myself so". Such a person does not need to wear a mask, invent strange stories to be close to others.

  Am I addicted?

Regardless the fact whether we describe a drug addict living in Poland or in the USA, his day looks always the same. The first thought that comes to his head is "how and where one can get some stuff". School, home, work and friends - all loses its value compared to this magnificent "medicine", cocaine, heroine or amphetamine. A drug addict does not know a stronger suffering than this caused by drug deprivation. And this is a core of addiction. The psychically addicted man's well-being and achievements depend entirely on a few drops of brown liquid or a pinch of white powder called a drug. 
What makes a healthy, seemingly wise person starts taking drugs? It begins innocently: "try one, nobody has ever died of it" urge fellows. 'you will have a good fun, stay cool or write a test" - they tempt. One tries and suddenly finds himself among those, who went through their first "drive". If the first time was not too good, the experiment is repeated. Then one knows how it feels to be "driven"- the curiosity is satisfied and one comes with the coonclusions that all these stories about drugs are much exaggerated. That's not all; one looks down on everybody who has not gone through such an initiation. One feels the master of himself who controls the situation and thinks about nothing as addiction. At the same time, absolutely unnoticeably, one learned that in stressful moments, overbearing problems one can temporarily forget about by taking drug. Or, another way round, that the good fun at a party starts as soon as one drinks more alcohol or smoke a joint. 
Very soon one acquires this equation: ME + DRUG = OBLIVION / GOOD FUN / LESS ANXIETY
In every similar situation that follows, the first thing that one will think about will be a drug. He will give up searching for other, natural solutions. 
This, whether one will be able to relax and forget about problem, or successfully pass an exam, will depend on a few chemical substances. 
If the drug is not at hand, one gets anxious and has problems with concentration, entertainment and contact with other people. It means psychical addiction. 
A psychical addiction is… /try to finish in your own words/ 
The longer one takes drugs, the more one's organism gets used to them. After a period of psychical dependency, the physical one appears. A drug addict needs his "medicine" not only to change his mood, but also to function normally. If he lacks drugs, the entire body is in alert. Then starts pain in muscles, followed by cramps, shivering and sickness. 
The organism suffers "hunger" to reactivate again, one needs a bit of heroine or an other substance. At this stage of addiction a drug-taker doses not because he "wants" to but because he "has to" 
Drugs do not provide so many impressions as before. The state of unconsciousness is mixed up with fear and aggression. Aggression is directed to those who are on the way between the addict and a drug.

Nobody likes a drug addict. Neither he accepts himself. He forgets about it only for a short moment when he "takes" then problems return, as well as the feeling of dissatisfaction and loss. A drug-taker at school means trouble for teachers. His family tries to expel him as well. He steals, lies, quarrels and is directed only by his egoism. 
Sometimes, for a short while, that the troubles he wanted to avoid did not disappear, just the opposite; with double force they skulk at him in a "sober" world. But again - as he assumes - it is too late. The only thing he can do is to take another dose and forget for a while. 
It is all the same all the time. Many times the addiction was compared too a vicious circle and it is very true. An addicted individual sometimes is aware that the drug causes his problems, destroys his life and leads to getting into the trouble with law and close people.
As addiction develops, a man needs a larger dose of a drug. He needs more money, lies, more time is devoted too addiction. Mental and physical costs rise. It reminds of a story of some boy, who kept a mysterious plant in a pot. Unfortunately, the plants weakened every single day, although it was watered and sprinkled with fertilizer. One day during everyday nurturing procedure, a boy cut his finger and a drop of blood fell on a dying leave. A plant sighed and started to grow. Since then a boy fed a plant with his blood. The plant revived, however the boy was getting weaker and weaker. Drug taking is an addiction which kills two persons a day.

  Warning signals.

You are following the addiction if:

• You think that only with the drug (cannabis, LSD, amphetamine) you are able to have good fun and relax

• You need some artificial means to resolve your problems and to forget about them, 

• You think that only with amphetamine you are able to memorize given material 

• You are ready to risk your own health for the price of fellows' acceptance

• You think that you have control over the situation and only YOU decide whether to take drug or not

• You associate taking drugs with pleasure

You are already addicted if:

• You need more and more drug and you dose it more often

• You start having double private life

• You cannot imagine a day without a drug

• You start loosing "clean" friends

• You put more anad more effort in lying to people

• You lost your former interests

• You lost control over drugs and your life.

  Drug myhology

There are lots of myths and stories about drugs and addiction, among youth groups circulate legends about marvellous "trips" (meaning drug-journeys) and "inventors". The actual knowledge comes too late. For the time being, dealers and producers are interested in keeping some beliefs and the state of ignorance among their clients. It is said that there would not be any drug-addiction if everybody received basic information about addictive substances. We will try to help you verify some of these myths.

• "Cannabis is not a dangerous drug". Although nobody has ever died from smoking a joint, it is usually the first drug in the career of an addict. Moreover, after a period of smoking it hinders ability of concentration, worsens memory, causes reproductive cells' damage.

• "Amphetamine is safe powder helping in learning". Amphetamine is a very deceiving substance, stimulating nervous system. A man seems more intelligent, more attractive. But the effect of its activity disappear after a few hours. Then exhaustion and bad mood arise. If someone wants to feel more self-confident, he will take another dose. Very soon it turns into a habit and a small dose is not enough.

• "If I take only once nothing will happen". False. Every time may be this time too many. In case of drugs being injected, this "first time" may end with an infection with HIV. If you are satisfied with the effect reached after the "first time", it is highly possible that you will dose again. Remember: wherever the drug is, there is no room for stamina.

• "If everybody does so, it cannot be that bad'. Firstly: not everybody. Secondly: every organism reacts different,

• "LSD is a good method for learning oneself". Maybe it is good, but it is also risky. One can never be sure what "trip" his imagination goes for, what one's unconscious sphere will show and whether one's yet immature psychics will bear these impressions. There are many safer methods by which one can develop and discover one's Self (meditation, development groups, creativity training).

  What to look for in a drug?

Indifference towards problems, forgetting about troubles

For many people a drug is an anesthetic, a medicament which helps to forget about unhappiness, raising indifference. A drug addict cannot stand any suffering. He hates situations when he is supposed to decide, to take responsibility for his choice and to face trouble. It is above my possibilities - one says - I cannot stand this, I give up.

Relax, getting rid of all complexes and hesitation in contact with others.

Some drugs became a warrant of a good fun for many people. After smoking a joint all inhibition disappears. Some people claim that this way one may gain a good sense of humour and talk to people on ease. However, the more somebody accepts himself in the state of addiction, the more differences are noticeable between "you sober" and "you on drive", the more difficult is to stop and the more we believe in "magnificent" mixtures.

New impressions and new mental states. The world of potential drug-addict is gray and empty.

Life is boring and lacks better entertainment. One willing to fill in the inner emptiness takes a drug. There are people who claim that a drug helps them to create rich personality. Actually it does not show anything new except for that what you already are, perhaps you are unaware of. 

Defence against anxiety, negative emotions and loneliness.

It is very difficult to bear the conviction that an individual has little value. It is hard to live in constant anxiety of others. The more negative thoughts about ourselves, the less feeling of own value and the bigger anxiety and aggression. A drug helps us to cheat ourselves, giving illusory feeling of power and it adds "value" to others. In drug-addicts' group on can identify with, get some personality and acceptance. The drug substitutes friends, love, safety and home. 

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