What Does Addiction Look Like?

Addiction is the diagnosis drug and alcohol users receive when they have moved beyond occasional or recreational use to physical dependence and beyond. There are risks involved in any drug or alcohol use, but the risks increase exponentially when someone is addicted to drugs and alcohol in Massachusetts. Some common substance use disorders include:

• Alcohol addiction – Alcohol is a legal substance consumed safely in small amounts. Used to soften the effects of social anxiety, self-medicate a range of psychological disorders, “fit in” with different social groups, or meet peer expectations, alcohol can be found in the boardroom and back alleys. No one is immune from alcoholism in Massachusetts. Alcohol addiction brings dangerous short- and long-term effects, such as cardiac and liver damage, including the risk of injury due to lowered inhibitions and slower reflexes. Alcohol addiction in New England often co-occurs with depression and has a strong genetic component.
• Stimulant addiction – Drugs such as cocaine, crack, and methamphetamines provide users with a rush that simulates energy, power, and increased competency and mental awareness. This feeling is short-lived. The cycling highs and lows of stimulant use encourage users to continue using, which easily leads to dependence and addiction to stimulants in Massachusetts. The dangers of stimulant abuse include strokes and heart attacks, and long-term use and addiction can lead to psychotic states.
• Opioid and opiate addiction – Opiates include heroin, morphine, opium, and codeine, all derived from the poppy plant. Opioids are synthetic opiates and include prescription medications used for pain, most famously oxycodone (OxyContin is its brand name) and fentanyl. Like other drugs, the way opioids interact in the brain, by bypassing natural systems to flood dopamine receptors, short-circuits the brain’s natural functioning. Opioid abusers seek to replicate the euphoria of early drug use, increasing doses in their attempts, leading to addiction. Opioid overdose is a significant risk and very prevalent in Massachusetts.

If you or someone you know and care for stops drinking alcohol abruptly, or if drugs are withheld or unavailable, there are symptoms that the body and brain experience that is both evidence of addiction and indicators that a drug or alcohol addiction treatment program is needed.

The earlier someone receives professional treatment for addiction, the greater the chances of long-term success and lower long-term damage risks.