Substance Related Disorders
Sustance Related Disorders
Why do people take substances?
People abuse substances for many different reasons. Some people take substances because of
peer pressure and think that they might be immune, others do it because they are stressed and
need something to keep them away from their problems. Some people, specially teenagers take
them just for a thrill or curiosity. The truth is, for whatever the reason people start taking
substances, the outcome will be that the user will end up with a substance related disorder.
When people take drugs, it over stimulates the reward path of the brain causing them to become
dependent.
Substance abuse vs. substance dependence
A substance related disorder is a condition, it can be subdivided into two groups: substance abuse
and substance dependence. Drug use becomes identified as substance abuse when the individual
continues the use of a substance in spite of school/work related, or interpersonal problems.
The individual who abuses a substance may experience legal problems and may have problems
fulfilling every day responsibilities such as getting to work, or even caring for a child because
they are to busy taking care of themselves meaning, fulfilling their cravings. Nothing else really
matters to them, its like they are in their own little world. On the other hand, we got what we
call "substance dependence", this is when the individual needs the substance in order to function
and go on with their every day life. This is characterized by continued use of substance, even
after the user has experienced serious substance related problems the dependent user still craves
the substance. Also the substance amount induced in the past has no longer an effect on the
user, therefore the amount of the substance used in the past has to increase in order to achieve
the effect that the past dosage once had on the user. This phenomenon is knows as
Why do people take substances?
People abuse substances for many different reasons. Some people take substances because of
peer pressure and think that they might be immune, others do it because they are stressed and
need something to keep them away from their problems. Some people, specially teenagers take
them just for a thrill or curiosity. The truth is, for whatever the reason people start taking
substances, the outcome will be that the user will end up with a substance related disorder.
When people take drugs, it over stimulates the reward path of the brain causing them to become
dependent.
Substance abuse vs. substance dependence
A substance related disorder is a condition, it can be subdivided into two groups: substance abuse
and substance dependence. Drug use becomes identified as substance abuse when the individual
continues the use of a substance in spite of school/work related, or interpersonal problems.
The individual who abuses a substance may experience legal problems and may have problems
fulfilling every day responsibilities such as getting to work, or even caring for a child because
they are to busy taking care of themselves meaning, fulfilling their cravings. Nothing else really
matters to them, its like they are in their own little world. On the other hand, we got what we
call "substance dependence", this is when the individual needs the substance in order to function
and go on with their every day life. This is characterized by continued use of substance, even
after the user has experienced serious substance related problems the dependent user still craves
the substance. Also the substance amount induced in the past has no longer an effect on the
user, therefore the amount of the substance used in the past has to increase in order to achieve
the effect that the past dosage once had on the user. This phenomenon is knows as