Drug Abuse a Pain to Humanity

For clarity and better understanding, it is pertinent we know the

meaning of the term--"DRUG ABUSE"

...According to the online
wikitionary dictionary, it defined it as----"MISUSE OF,OR
OVERINDULGENCE IN DRUGS,SUBSTANCE ABUSE"...

Drug abuse is a negative
societal trend that has a devastating effect on your health, your
family and the society as a whole. It is characterized by the
destructive, erratic consumption of any synthetic or natural drug
without medical supervision for performance enhancement. Drug abuse
becomes the more aggressive form of dependence “drug addiction” when
the abuser can only survive and maintain emotional or physical
equilibrium while using the drug in question.

  Also, There are tons of damaging effects that drug abuse exerts on
the psychological, physical and mental well being of the abuser. Some
of these effects appear immediately (short-term) while others take
years and years to pile up (long-term). Drug abuse effects differ from
one drug to the other. Among the drug abuse effects on the brain are:
Changing the brain chemistry: Almost all addictive drugs activate the
brain’s pleasure center.
Paranoia, severe depression or suicidal thoughts (cocaine, amphetamine).
Marked sleepiness and delirium.
Slowed breathing ( heroin, sedative-hypnotic drugs).
Rapid heartbeat ( cocaine ).
Tremors and seizures (alcohol).
    Just like I said earlier on, the effect of the abuse of drugs is
not only on the "abuser" alone, but also the actions of the abuser
of the said drug or drugs will also take its toil on his/her
family, thus, Whether the abuser is the breadwinner of the family or
just a member of a large family, drug abuse has a distinct effect on
his/her family structure.

– In case of a parent abusing drug: Children would mainly be the
victim. They might grow too fast from having to fill in the gaps that
their parents left while abusing the substance. They would act as
surrogate spouses for this parent. They would also be in denial of the
gravity of their situation in order to protect themselves from it.
When these children grow up, some of them severe ties with their drug
addict parent due to feeling abandoned or hurt in their childhoods.

– In case of an offspring who abuses drugs : As the parents age, they
become too dependent on their drug abusing son or daughter, hindering
the natural maturation process for them and for the offspring. Other
parents may showcase feelings of anxiety, depression, anger or guilt.
At some point, they might feel the need to legally protect themselves
from their drug addict offspring due to the destructive behavior that
he/she develops over years.
The main problem of a family with a drug addict at its center is
inconsistent and inadequate structure . Roles are reversed. Needs are
not answered. Kids don’t get enough attention and the overall mood of
the family is negative. There is also no solid ground on which to
define what is right and what is wrong..
Hmmm, the society is not also left out in its effect, suffice to say
that; Societal impact is one of the most dangerous consequences of an
increased rate of drug abuse. The economic cost of drug abuse
treatment might cause governments millions and millions of dollars.

– Drug abuse substantially leads to chronic illness,
mental illness and ultimately death. It also increases transmission
rate of life-threatening diseases like HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C due to
needle-sharing injection drug use. The cost of treatment for these
illnesses lies on the shoulders of the government. In 2003, the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that over
100,000 of the AIDS patients living in the U.S. acquired the syndrome
via injection drug use.

– There is also an economic impact to drug abuse. Organizations and
companies where employees abuse drugs are affected when their
employees steal cash or equipment to cover for the expenses of their
addiction. Some companies might also have their reputations at stake
if a drug addict is discovered between its employees, putting the
company name at risk even when that individual is fired
But, in all these; the popular saying comes in place--THERE IS NO
PROBLEM WITHOUT A SOLUTION..{maybe not solve it all, but sure will
reduce it to its minimal}...

WHAT ARE THE MEANS OF CURBING DRUG ABUSE?, viz:

1. Effectively deal with peer pressure. The biggest reason teens start
using drugs is because their friends utilize peer pressure. No one
likes to be left out, and teens (and yes, some adults, too) find
themselves doing things they normally wouldn’t do, just to fit in. In
these cases, you need to either find a better group of friends that
won’t pressure you into doing harmful things, or you need to find a
good way to say no. Teens should prepare a good excuse or plan ahead
of time, to keep from giving into tempting situations.

2. Deal with life pressure. People today are overworked and
overwhelmed, and often feel like a good break or a reward is deserved.
But in the end, drugs only make life more stressful — and many of us
all too often fail to recognize this in the moment. To prevent using
drugs as a reward, find other ways to handle stress and unwind. Take
up exercising, read a good book, volunteer with the needy, create
something. Anything positive and relaxing helps take the mind off
using drugs to relieve stress.

3. Seek help for mental illness. Mental illness and substance abuse
often go hand-in-hand. Those with a mental illness may turn to drugs
as a way to ease the pain. Those suffering from some form of mental
illness, such as anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder
should seek the help of a trained professional for treatment before it
leads to substance abuse.

4. Examine the risk factors. If you’re aware of the biological,
environmental and physical risk factors you possess, you’re more
likely to overcome them. A history of substance abuse in the family,
living in a social setting that glorifies drug abuse and/or family
life that models drug abuse can be risk factors.

5. Keep a well-balanced life. People take up drugs when something in
their life is not working, or when they’re unhappy about their lives
or where their lives are going. Look at life’s big picture, and have
priorities in order.

6.I know it wouldn't be out of place if I say here that one of  the
means of curbing Drug Abuse is to TRUST GOD TOTALLY FOR HELP,thus the
scripture admonishes us to: "Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden
and " Drug Abused"{paraphrased mine} and I will give you "help"
{paraphrased mine}"...MATTHEW 11:28

In a nutshell,SHUN DRUG ABUSE,WILL YOU?