Ten Drug Myths Exposed

MYTH: Crack is more addicting than cocaine powder. "There is not virtually very any pharmacological the reason is, the type of a drug or the route of administration should amendment the 'dependancy' liability of a drug. In reality, science is origin to attain that the drug is not virtually very the rationale at the back of 'dependancy' alternatively, the susceptibility of the grownup to the drug determines how a remarkable deal 'dependancy' (dependence) develops."

MYTH: Therapeutic pain-killers (equivalent to morphine) produce a high rate of dependancy. "Since "dependancy" means "dependence," writes Erickson, "the likelihood of fitting based on opioid pain-killers is vastly hugely low.... Most folks given those pain-killers will move through withdrawal but would possibly not at all want or want the drug returned."

MYTH: Drugs result in "dependancy." "An fascinating scientific query is: If drugs result in 'dependancy,' then why doesn't one and all who uses drugs too a remarkable deal, too again and again, turned into based (addicted)? Scientists are looking into genetic and other unknown formula that result in some folks to turned into based although sparing others of this mind pathology."

Dr. Carlton Erickson, professor of Pharmacology/Toxicology and director of the Addiction Science Research and Education Center at the University of Texas, has assembled an intriguing list of such changes in questioning, in accordance to his booklet, "The Science of Addiction: From Neurobiology to Treatment." The comprehensive list are accessible on his "Exploding Drug Myths" page at the University of Texas site.

MYTH: Everyone "has what it takes" to turned into "addicted" to drugs. "If 'dependancy' (dependence) is a protracted medical ailment, then why should it be a number of from other medical ailments? Everyone doesn't 'have what it takes' to get sickle cell anemia, insulin-based diabetes, or AIDS."

MYTH: "Substance abuse" is a scientifically valid term. "The word is a weak, wimpy, onerous, erroneous, and misleading term when carried out to drug points."

Drug abuse vs. drug dependence.

As the neurobiology of dependancy has come into clearer concentrate over time, our ability to split reality from fiction indoors the house of drug dependence has grown all of sudden. Beliefs which have been average knowledge for years--that any one who uses cocaine or heroin always turns into hooked on it, as an illustration--can now be confidently replaced with insights gained from a decade or more of serious evaluation on the biological causes and therapy of dependancy.

With his kind permission, I supply a unfold of of of those developing insights. Many of them, Dr. Erickson told me, are understandable only indoors the context of DSM-IV criteria for drug abuse and drug dependence as listed in "The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders."

MYTH: Alcoholics can drink socially. "There are a unfold of of scientific research that suggest this. But most of those research visual appeal at 'issue drinkers'....'Abusers' can drink socially (that shall be, beneath contend with), whereas basically based folks cannot."

MYTH: The more anyone is proficient approximately drugs, the less doubtless they are to turned into "addicted". "This thought that chemical dependence is preventable is an historical one. Strong oblique glaring approximately the mind mechanisms in contact in dependence tells us that 'dependancy' cannot be averted. If the above assertion were true, physicians, nurses, and pharmacists would have a low rate of chemical dependence. Sadly, those future health professionals have an incidence of dependence that shall be at the least as high since the universal population."

Ten Drug Myths Exposed

In distinction, the DSM manual defines drug dependence as three or more of the next symptoms: drug tolerance; withdrawal; drug used more again and again than planned; lack of ability to contend with drug use; effort expended to down load the drug; drug use replaces other things to do; drug use continues despite talents of a persistent issue.

With those definitions in mind--which correspond roughly to "issue drinker/user" indoors the former case, and "addict" indoors the latter--here are a number of the myths:

The DSM table for drug abuse defines it as "A maladaptive pattern of drug use supreme to impairment or distress" adding one or more of the next symptoms: recurrent use supreme to failure to fulfill major obligations; recurrent use which is physically unhealthy; drug-associated prison points; continued use despite social or interpersonal points.

MYTH: All drugs harm mind cells. "Actually, alternatively few have been shown to harm mind cells through a poisonous influence. These include alcohol (high doses over a principally long term), 'inhalants'... methamphetamine and MDMA (shown in animal research with high doses, but not yet in humans)."

MYTH: It is viable to overdose on LSD. "LSD is an significant hallucinogen and will result in folks to bounce from tall houses (as an illustration) in their hallucinogenic country. However, there may be not virtually very any known lethal dose in humans."

MYTH: Anyone who liquids too a remarkable deal, too again and again, is an alcoholic. "If the 'too a remarkable deal, too again and again' fantasy were true, then most university scholars would be alcoholics. In reality, most university scholars ABUSE alcohol, although only 10-15% disclose dependence on alcohol in some unspecified time indoors the fate in their drinking careers."

Tweet

Subscribe to receive free email updates: