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12-Step Recovery Questions12-Step Recovery Questions Am I abusing drugs? The simple answer to this question is if you are using an illegal drug, you are abusing drugs. If you are using a legal drug for other than its intended purpose, you are abusing drugs. If you are using a legal drug, for its intended purpose, but you are taking too much drug too often, you are abusing drugs. You can abuse drugs without being addicted. Perhaps it’s just trying something with friends at a party, or maybe a person hurts and they want to numb the pain. It can start most any way, and some drugs are more addictive than others, but once the progression reaches the point where a person needs the drugs because of a physical dependence and compulsively works to get them, regardless of the impact on their friends and family, their job and their community, that person’s life is out of control. It’s so easy to abuse drugs. Doctors prescribe medication, then the patient goes to another doctor to get the same prescription. Drugs are all over the television and Americans pop pills like they used to take a teaspoon of Geritol. If you say “I’m going to party,” the very phrase implies drugs or alcohol. Ask yourself an important question. “Is this in my best interest?” Is it OK to take a drink? Sure, but when you get drunk, you’re abusing alcohol. Is get drunk in my best interest? Probably not. But it’s socially acceptable, that is until you get behind the wheel of a car and blow a 1.2 when you get stopped. That’s abuse. The line between legal drug use and abuse is rather fine and individual factors come into play, such as the person’s gender, weight, the drug consumed, family background, etc. One person can take pain medication to ease the discomfort of an injury without any worry of becoming dependent. Another person is prescribed the same drug, for he same purpose, and winds up popping pills like candy. One use is medically sound and helps the person recover. The other takes a temporary problem, such as a knee injury, and turns it into an addiction. Ask yourself: Am I taking the legal, medically prescribed drug, in the prescribed quanties, for its intended purpose? If I am supposed to take one, do I take two? Do I take the drug at the right times? Did I go tothe same doctor and is he/she aware of EVERYTHING I'm taking? You will begin to see the line between abuse and addiction if you're able to be honest with yourself.
HOW TO USE THIS SITE:This site contains five MAIN pages that EVERYONE should read:
Read these five pages and learn what you need to know to spot drug addiction in: Yourself... Your Family... Your Friends... Your Community... The rest of the pages are there for your reference to explain important topics in more detail. Do you have more 12-Step Recovery Questions? Click on the "What should I do if..." button on the left for more answers to 12-step recovery questions. More Addiction Recovery ResourcesClick here for the lastest Books and DVD's for Addiction Recovery
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