Describing Drug Addict
Describing Drug Addict
Describing Drug
Addict
Have you ever
seen the film “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?” It’s been made several times over the
years and comical parodies have also been made, but my favorite was the version
performed masterfully by Spencer Tracy.
Anyway, if you want a description of drug addiction, think of this
film.
A decent, competent, well-meaning doctor and researcher is
transformed into a cruel, manipulative, domineering, self-centered, murderous
monster of a man. The contrast between
one personality and the other is striking and the story, as you can well
imagine, does not have a happy ending.
It is a tragedy. In the case of
the drug addict, however, there is hope.
Can’t wait to try it
Dr. Jekyll is
working on a special formula and can’t wait to try it out on a subject, so he
takes it himself. Hollywood
always does a good job of making the transformation rather dramatic, and in
this case Tracy
hits the floor, writhing, and when he comes to he is now Mr. Hyde, with bushy
eyebrows and a protruding forehead, a kind of Neanderthal looking gent with a
top hat and tails.
He goes out on the town and encounters Ingrid Bergman. Thinking nothing of her wants and needs, he
proceeds to dominate her, keeping her cooped up in an apartment, afraid and
alone.
Not like Hollywood
Drug addicts do
not go through this transformation in a Hollywood-like fashion. There are no special effects, but over time,
there are noticeable changes. The hair
might not get long and shaggy, but addicts might lose weight, develop
respiratory problems and have an over all look of ill health. But was a really striking is the personality
change that can take place. People
change into another person, someone who would think things and do things the
person would never suspect possible.
Hard to understand
Just why
somebody becomes a drug addict is not something I cannot explain, because one
person can abuse drugs over a long period of time and not become addicted,
while another may only use once and immediately become hooked. Addiction is a disease of the brain and the
drug’s effect on brain chemistry takes center stage when it comes to
researching this chronic condition.
There are several factors that go into the condition of addiction, but
we will focus on two—genetics and personality.
Genetics role in
describing drug addict
We are all products
of our parents, mother and father. If
your parents were addicts you will have a natural predisposition to addiction
yourself. Alcoholism tends to run in
families, mainly because alcohol is legal, inexpensive and readily
available. Of course, just because mom
and dad are alcoholics does not mean that the son or daughter is automatically
doomed to this life, but it’s a powerful indicator.
Call it the perfect storm. The genetic makeup of a person is
combined with the substance, and at that moment, be it nature or nurture, the
person is on the path to alcohol addiction.
It could be as seemingly innocent as allowing a youngster to have a
drink at home under the watchful eye of parents, or it could be as brutal as a
father wanting his son to be a man, so have a drink.
Environments role in
describing drug addict
The environment is a factor in this genetic
story. When a person grows up in a house
where there is always alcohol, there is a pretty good chance that person is
going to be a drinker. He/she may not be
an alcoholic, but the culture they grew up in suggests that alcohol will play a
part in normal, everyday life. Where I live, Wisconsin, drinking is part of the
culture. People drink everywhere. You
can’t even have a church picnic without it.
Personality type in
describing drug addict
Personality is
interesting because we are all different and depending on the personality of an
individual, one drug might be preferred over another. Young people have their first experience
with a drug for a variety of reasons.
For teenagers, peer pressure is enormous, so put that at the
top of the list. Teens like to fit in,
be a part of the crowd, be accepted, so they may partake in drug
experimentation just to be accepted. But
sometimes something happens. A child who
is shy and retiring, or socially awkward may like the way they feel when they
try a drug or alcohol. Like Jekyll becoming Hyde, they may loosen up, let go of
their inhibitions and become a party person.
They want to repeat the experience, because maybe for the
first time ever, they liked who they were.
In order to feel good or to feel normal, they need the substance. This
form of abuse can lead to physical and psychological dependence, addiction.
Addiction often
starts slowly
The path from
abuse to addiction can be a long one.
Gradually people change. One of
the early signs that abuse is getting worse is when a person loses interest in
friends or family, or tends to keep to him/her self.
If a teenager, for example, is using drugs or drinking, the
first thing to look for is a slip in grades, or any changes in their peer
relationships. Kids have a tendency to
be fashion conscious, so if there are any changes there, or if there are any
shifts in how they take care of themselves and their appearance, that’s a
sign. Adults may call in sick more
frequently, or change their circle of friends.
Their work performance may fall, resulting in disciplinary action or
termination.
Denial a key part of
describing drug addict
One of the sure
signs of addiction is denial. The
addict/alcoholic is convinced that if anybody has a problem it’s you and not
them. Even if they do not enjoy doing
their drug of choice, even if they know it’s harmful to them, even if everybody
they know is telling them it’s a problem, they will not quit. They cannot quit.
The sure sign in
describing drug addict alcoholics is their personal transformation. You look at them and you think, “I don’t know
you anymore.” Jekyll has turned into Hyde.
That concludes our page on Describing Drug Addict visit our home page for more or return to About drug addiction.
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