Drug Addicition And Pharmacology

Essay text:

Siegal, 1989). The Growth of Addiction: The Circle Narrows • As addictions progress, those who are addicted center their lives around the use of substances. Particularly in the case of the chemically addicted, their behavior is similarly described as an obsession with their substances • Addicted people may be said "never…to outgrow the self-centeredness of the child" (Narcotic Anonymous World Service Office, Inc., 1983, p.1) • The parallel is that like children, addicted people are extremely dependent and are ultimately focused only on themselves The Circle of Addiction: Addicted Priorities • The authors of Narcotics Anonymous concluded that addiction was a disease composed of three elements: a) compulsive use of chemicals, b) an obsessions with further chemical use and c) a spiritual disease that is expressed through a total self-centeredness • The chemically addicted will resort to any method of manipulation to support their addiction Some Games of Addiction • Chemically Addicted individuals will often seek out sources of legitimate pharmaceuticals to supplement their drug supply or to serve as their primary source • To manipulate physicians into prescribing desired medications, addicts are likely to "use ploys such as outrage, tears, accusations of abandonment, abject pleading, promises of cooperation and seduction" (Jenike, 1991, p...