It has always fascinated me that people of good will, people of letters, qualified people who study and earnestly try to understand the nature of addiction, can so often completely disagree with each other. Is drug addiction caused by a human being’s response to pain? Is it genetic? Is it socio-economic? Is it caused by a lack of love?

Experimentation and curiosity are the factors that draw many people to try drugs. They want to feel that “high,” the sense of euphoria that comes with drug use. Some drugs (like heroin) are more likely to cause addiction than others, resulting in an addiction from simple experimentation alone.

Drug addiction is sometimes considered the plague of our time. With drugs being easily available to people it can be very easy to pick up a chemical or even mental addiction to a drug especially for young or desperate men and women who take up drugs to fill some void in their lives they may not even know existed.

Sometimes drug use can begin with peer pressure or alleviating emotional or physical pain. A person who abuses drugs compromises their health and wellbeing. They start to develop abrupt changes in their behaviour. This may involve lack of involvement in social activities, lack of productivity in school or work, and changes in overall attitude. There are usually fluctuations in a person’s body weight when they abuse drugs.

Prescription drugs can be dangerous to your health, and many are seriously addictive and can even kill you. But a recent Florida study of drug-related deaths in Florida reveals that far more people suddenly fall victim to lethal drug combinations called polydrug abus than to individual drugs, and it can happen to recreational users as well as those trapped by prescription drug addiction.

Teen drug addictions cause every parent to flinch, partly because we are often at a loss as to how to deal with them. Whereas it can often be simple to detect when a teenager has been drinking, drug abuse can be quite tricky to pick up on.

The most important thing parents can do is trying to communicate openly with teens and encourage them to talk about anything that they are experiencing. People who realize they get into this dangerous habit may be too embarrassed or afraid to tell. They might even be worried that they will land into trouble if they admit to have this problem.

Detoxification is obviously the first step in the recovery, which you can see in many drug rehab centers. Medicines are given to make it easy for the person to slowly excrete the toxic substances out of the system. In the next step, the person finally behaves like a normal person and makes genuine efforts to stay away from drugs.

Many untrue myths on the origins of drug addiction and alcoholism continue to circulate. Some attempt to pinpoint the social groups most affected. Others attempt to recognize drug addiction and alcoholism as an illness or a moral defect. These falsehoods perpetuate unnecessary confusion, fear, and shame. Drug addiction or alcoholism does not appear in any particular component of society.

Have you ever wondered if teenage addiction to alcohol and drugs equal to bad habit? Yes, it is true that it’s a bad habit that is not only endangering their physical health but also their mental health. Nations are losing man power as a result of this bad habit. If you look at the model of it the proof is staggering.

Take for instance the bad habits of smoking, people who engage in this activity feel quite persecuted. At the moment the practice is not illegal but society as a whole have decided to shun those who partake.

Not that long ago teenagers could smoke just about everywhere, including hospitals! There were instances even fathers would light up in the waiting room while their wives were in labor. This began to change and they could only smoke is specific rooms. It did not take long before smoking was only allowed in specific areas outside of the building.

Today you will find bars, restaurants, motels and even cities that are completely smoke free. This has forced teenagers who are addicted to give up the bad habit, and truthfully, they no longer remember how bad the addiction was.

To protect others from the health risks of second hand smoke, many smokers have started using smokeless tobacco products. Even though there is no smoke involved the nicotine in these products is still highly addictive.

Would you believe that sleeping pills are another example of bad habits? Over time, teenagers become so addicted in that they need more and more of the drug to fall asleep. After awhile the pills will not help and many may even overdose trying to get to sleep. This type of teenage addiction usually requires the help of a doctor or sleep clinic to fix.

Drinking alcohol to excess is another teenage addiction. If they’re medically or physically impaired, it can be extremely risky for them to consume alcohol. Certain medications do not mix well with alcohol. Of course, if they’re addicted to alcohol these warnings will fall on deaf ears.

A very dangerous variety of teenage addiction is drugs. The number of illegal drugs available at any given moment are too numerous to even count. Each drug will have differing effects. They always quickly and devastate their health. Some of the drugs are not as bad in the short term. Overall, they are still bad habits.

You can find the recreational type drugs such as heroin, cocaine, LCD, Ecstasy and other hallucinogens. The effects and addictive qualities of these so-called club drugs are nasty. On the other hand, some teenagers find themselves addicted to prescription remedies for common ailments. Drugs such as muscle relaxants and painkillers are addictive bad habits.

The alcohol and drug problem in this country is huge and most of the standard addiction recovery and treatment programs aren’t working. Consider the following:

CRIME: 25% of all prison inmates are there for drug related crimes. 16.4% are in prison for committing crimes to get money for drugs. 47% of crimes were committed while a person was on drugs or alcohol.

SEX: A lot of the sex outside of marriage wouldn’t happen if it weren’t for alcohol or drugs being used to try to drown out guilt and fear (which are nature’s feedback to try to stop us from doing something against its perfect order). And nature does other harsh things to try to stop sex outside of marriage. USA Today reported that shockingly, 1/2 of everyone under 25 years old in the United States has had an STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease). The U.S. Dept. of Health reports that there are 1.1 million current cases of AIDS/HIV in the United States. (So obviously, it needs to be recognized that nature is hostile towards sex outside of a monogamous, heterosexual marriage, which is the only sexual setting that nature doesn’t try to stop via harsh consequences). 80 percent of unmarried teen mothers end up on welfare, costing this country $7 billion annually. And a University of Georgia study reports that of those individuals who experienced unwanted sexual intercourse in the last year, 92.1% had been under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

ACCIDENTS: Alcohol is involved in 50% of all driving fatalities. In the United States, every 30 minutes someone is killed in an alcohol or alcoholism related traffic accident. That amounted to 17,488 people last year alone.

MENTAL ILLNESS: Fifty percent of the mentally ill population has a substance abuse problem. In fact, 22 million Americans suffer from substance dependence or abuse due to drugs, alcohol or both, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

EMOTIONAL HEALTH: The general emotional health of the public is very poor, as is evidenced by the high divorce rate and a teen suicide rate that is higher than the other 26 industrialized nations combined. Other indicators of the general state of the heart of America come from its entertainment industries: the shocking and harsh experiences in the movies, the rampant dysfunction on television, and the high percent of bad feelings (and the big void of good feelings) that come out of the music industry.

Now that’s the bad news. The good news is that there is a solution to all of this. That solution starts with understanding what the basic problem is. The basic problem behind alcoholism and drug abuse is that people aren’t finding happiness and fulfillment naturally. So then they attempt to achieve happiness and fulfillment (or escape their unhappiness and emptiness) by using alcohol or drugs. But those bandaids usually end up leading to a lot more unhappiness, health problems, financial problems, relationship breakups, legal problems, etc. A lot of hidden damage is done while in a stolen euphoria. But obviously those risks aren’t enough to outweigh the problems in a person’s emotional state or the lacking in their life that cause them to overlook the risks and dangers of alcohol and drug use.

So then, WHY are people so unhappy or unfulfilled that they would make that choice? The answer is simple: they are not operating in harmony with the natural design of their being. It starts with the fact that if a person has his or her natural drives unsatisfied for more than a normal period of time while searching for satisfaction, over time the frustration and lack of hope from this can cause them to become more dulled and depressed and even sleepy and prone to drugs to try to make his or her self feel good and not feel bad.

But, the good news is that the continual unnaturalness that led to this bad state can be reversed. And the process that will awaken them, enliven them and make them even feel good and excited about their life. The reason is that they are given hope that there is a real solution for their problems…and then they actually get satisfaction by carrying out that solution.

Teaching a person how to be happy naturally and in harmony with the real design, meaning and purpose of their life is the key to how they get the strength, joy and deep fulfillment that is necessary for them to have no inclination for alcohol or drugs. But, that’s easier said than done, and can only happen within THE natural design of how we were made to be. That means first knowing what that design is. That can be a difficult thing to do in this world because there is a great amount of debate and disagreement as to what that design really is. But ‘the world’ in general, obviously has it wrong if there exists such a huge drug and alcohol problem and poor social statistics.

Having been in the top echelons of the music business as a former member of Sly & The Family Stone and The Elvin Bishop Group, I know alcohol and drug abuse well. But after experimenting with 22 approaches to lifestyle and personal growth, I became free from alcohol and drugs 24 years ago (after 18 years of use). I finally realized that fighting nature is not a battle that anyone can win and be happy. Therefore why even try?

Understanding and flowing with the natural order is how to make inner, outer and social life work at their best. But like I said, that is a task that is easier said than done, given that the mainstream culture in general is not in harmony with the natural order and is tolerant of a lot of dysfunction. Therefore, if a person wants to be free from a weakness for alcohol or drugs, they will have to go through a re-orientation of how the mind, heart and body are designed to function, and they will have to know how to have the strength and vision to transform into that design. My self-help Addiction Free Forever program shows how to do all of those things.

© 2006 Dennis Marcellino

Methamphetamines, or meth, is one of the most addictive drugs on the planet. Not only that, it is perhaps one of the most popular and widely used drugs in the USA. In one study of high school teens, 20% had tried it and nearly eight percent had used it within the past 30 days. The average age of first use was 14.5, and almost half said they could obtain it within twenty four hours. One out of every five people treated for meth addiction last year was under 18. 

Meth is easy to use, cheap to make and can work as an energy booster.  A single puff of meth can make a user high for up to 24 hours. It’s also deadly, a concoction that can include toxic chemicals such as battery acid, drain cleaner and fertilizer.

Often times meth is made in home “underground” laboratories. This makes it hard to track and of course monitor how the meth is made. The labs themselves can be very dangerous and are subject to exploding. Many people report deaths from inhalation and chemical burns.

What is meth?

Methamphetamine is a powerful central nervous system stimulant. It works directly on the brain and spinal cord by interfering with normal neurotransmission. The main neurotransmitter affected by methamphetamine is dopamine. It is either snorted through the nose or inhaled as smoke. Either way provides a possibly deadly combination, but at the least an extremely addictive response. Meth is considered a club drug,giving party goers extra energy for long intensive forays into the club scene. It also lends itself to sexual enhancement and experience.

Street methamphetamine is referred to by many names, such as “speed,” “meth,” and “chalk.” Methamphetamine hydrochloride, clear chunky crystals resembling ice, which can be inhaled by smoking, is referred to as “ice,” “crystal,” “glass,” and “tina”.

What does it do?

The effects can be scary and include irritability, aggressive behavior, anxiety, excitement, auditory hallucinations, and paranoia (delusions and psychosis). Abusers tend to be violent. Mood changes are common, and the abuser can rapidly change from friendly to hostile. The paranoia produced by methamphetamine use results in suspiciousness, hyperactive behavior, and dramatic mood swings. 

Am I addicted?

The answer isn’t a simple yes or no. Methamphetamine abuse is thought to have three patterns: low intensity, binge, and high intensity. Low-intensity abuse describes a user who is not psychologically addicted to the drug but uses. Binge users use a lot occasionally, but when they do they tend to use to the extreme. High intensity users are considered to be full fledged addicts. 

This is a difficult drug addiction to treat, and often requires hospitalization and intensive professional support.  The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has a phone number to call to help locate treatment resources quickly – 1-800-662-HELP. 

To learn more, the DEA has put together an informative website for parents and teens called Just Think Twice at http://www.justthinktwice.com/gotmeth whyriskit.html.