Chapter No. 2. Causes and stages of addiction formation. To begin with, it should be noted that there is no single reason why a person begins to abuse substances. However, experts identify some factors that contribute to the development of addiction syndrome. These are such as: Burdened heredity. This is when there was substance abuse in the addict's parents. Social factors. Codependency of relatives, family problems, unfavorable psychological environment at home, peer pressure, lack of social support, poorly developed coping skills - all this also contributes to the search for new sensations and “relaxation”. The presence of other mental illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder, Personality disorders also significantly increase the likelihood of developing addiction to psychoactive substances. Frequency and duration of substance use. Addiction takes time to develop. The more and longer a person uses a substance, the higher the likelihood that he will become dependent on it. Individual personality characteristics. Hypersensitivity, emotional instability, melancholy (this is when the mood is low), hypochondria (constant worry about the possibility of contracting one or more physical diseases, concern about one’s physical health). Exposure to the media, cultural and social factors that determine acceptable or permissible forms use of psychoactive substances (for example, alcohol, tobacco). For many people, their daily use is becoming the norm. Which of these factors has the greatest impact on a particular person is unknown. But, according to specialists from drug rehabilitation institutions, the presence of codependent loved ones is the main cause and main consequence of addiction. Stages of addiction formation. Researchers identify several stages in the formation of addiction. Interest is the first stage of addiction Interest and curiosity are the first emotions that an addict experiences in relation to a drug. This is why young people and teenagers often become victims of drug addiction. This is indicated by statistics on the age level of patients who are registered in drug treatment clinics. Interest can be called not only curiosity regarding the immediate effect of use. Many people try the substance for company or under the influence of persuasion from older and more experienced comrades, they strive to keep up with the team. In adulthood, people approach the start of use somewhat more consciously. Interest can stimulate the need to cheer up or cope with impressive workloads. It is not uncommon for people in leadership positions or managing an entire enterprise to start using drugs - they seek to relieve excess psychological stress or set themselves tasks that are mentally unbearable, resulting in the need for stimulants. The results obtained can satisfy and act as an incentive for further use - this is how addiction is formed. What is a “high” or a drug high? A high is a state of joyful intoxication, euphoria. It is usually triggered by changes in the neurochemical balance in the brain. A number of substances replace the so-called happiness hormones - the effect can be compared with the joy that we experience naturally. But at the same time, the psyche’s own resources are depleted with each episode of use. The high or state of drug intoxication can vary. Each substance acts specifically. Many substances relieve physical pain, but also lead to loss of self-control. Man loses feelingreality, it may seem to him that he is floating through the air. Some drugs promote a surge of strength and vigor, while others, on the contrary, give a feeling of bliss and calm satisfaction. What drug do most people start with? Although we all know about the dangers of drugs, many people start with drugs that are considered harmless. We are talking about weed - marijuana or cannabis. This substance is obtained from hemp. Many people mistakenly believe that marijuana is safe and non-addictive, but this is not true. There are no safe drugs. Marijuana destroys the body slowly and quietly, and is also the easiest to obtain. That is why it is more often chosen. The main danger of the substance lies in the fact that marijuana affects the body and psyche indirectly. A regular state of altered consciousness can lead to a decrease in memory, the appearance of depersonalization (this is a disorder of self-perception of the individual), derealization (when perception is disrupted, in which the surrounding world is perceived as unreal). Delirium (this is stupefaction or insanity) caused by cannabis is also possible. Some people who have tried marijuana in small quantities refuse to use it in the future. But some people start using regularly, and then later switch to drugs more heavily. This is due to the fact that marijuana creates a dependence syndrome, and due to its weak sensation of “coming” and due to the progression of the disease of addiction, it encourages the use of substances with a stronger high. Treatment of drug addiction at the stage of marijuana use can be quite effective. This is due to the fact that the drug allows you to maintain critical thinking and self-control; the person has not yet forgotten how he felt without stimulants and lived normally in society. Some people sometimes manage to stop using “grass” on their own due to the influence of loved ones and relatives on them or for their own reasons, when, for example, they need to enter a good university or get a prestigious job. A psychologist can help a marijuana addict come to realize the importance of a sober lifestyle for him, through the belief that smoking “weed” is an obstacle to achieving a significant goal. For example, a pregnant woman, realizing that her unborn child may suffer, will stop smoking the drug. The emergence of mental dependence is the second stage of drug addiction. Mental dependence is associated with the subordination of all thoughts to only one desire - to look for a substance and use it. At this stage, the following characteristic symptoms appear: Transition to regular use of a drug or any other psychoactive substance. There is no exact data on regularity, so regularity is generally considered to be the daily use of drugs once or twice a day, for a month or more; sometimes such use is called systemic;Planning use. This is when the use is not situational, but conscious and thoughtful - that is, the addict carefully considers where the substance was purchased and where it is used. Selects special means, such as vials, needles, sterile syringes, etc. Selects co-users, arranges a meeting with them and a general contribution to the purchase of surfactants. A gradual change in the environment is the next sign. Relationships are maintained only with those who also use, and interest in communicating with sober friends is lost; The emergence of a system of justifications for growing cravings. If earlier the motive was interest and curiosity, now there is a need to “relieve stress/take a break from worries or work, relieve pain” etc.; In the absence of a drug, tension and irritability arise; rest without the usual substance is impossible. There is a rise in mood in anticipation of an episode of use. I remember the incident withto my acquaintances, how he had changed dramatically, then I did not yet know that he had acquired a mental dependence on psychoactive substances. We often talked with him about different aspects of life, about work, about successes in communicating with the opposite sex. But somehow suddenly he began to talk only about marijuana, its supposed medicinal effect, the history of its origin, and so on. That is, all conversations with him turned to only one topic - “weed.” I didn’t immediately realize that my friend was using cannabis. But gradually, he took on the appearance of a sick man, and every meeting with him began with his question: “Is there anything to smoke?” or “Do you have five rubles?” It’s good that his relatives contacted a drug treatment organization in time and, after talking with my friend, convinced him to start treatment. Destruction of the body occurs due to the fact that the dose gradually increases with increasing tolerance to the substance. Dependence develops progressively, like moving on a trampoline. If you quit the drug on your own at this stage, most likely there will be no severe withdrawal symptoms, but volitional effort may no longer be enough - life loses its colors without the substance. At this stage, it is not too late to seek help from specialists. But, unfortunately, few people do this, at least on their own. Because they are looking for their own ways to stop. And, most often, they are afraid to experience a state of withdrawal and really want, on an unconscious level, to use the substance and “get high.” The emergence of physical dependence is the third stage of drug addiction. Physical dependence is associated with changes in the physiological processes of the body. Normally, the human body itself produces a sufficient amount of endorphins and other pleasure hormones. The level of endorphins in the brain can fluctuate, and it determines whether a person is in an elevated or depressed mood. Many psychoactive substances act on the nervous system in the same way as natural endorphins. But their dose always exceeds the natural level of these neurohormones many times over. Other surfactants, such as alcohol, stimulate a powerful release of dopamine in the brain itself. As a result of the release, a person with a low background mood begins to experience joy and a surge of energy, and someone who was simply in a good mood begins to experience real euphoria. After all, the amount of dopamine received by the brain due to the psychoactive substance is much higher than normal, which means that the sensations experienced are stronger than usual. A person remembers his positive feelings and wants to try the psychoactive substance again - in order to cope with a bad mood or again experience strong positive emotions. But the emotion centers in the brain also “remember” the effect of a massive dose of artificially induced dopamine release. If drug use is repeated, the nervous system begins to restructure. It adapts to a new, increased dose of neurotransmitters. And the dose produced by the body on its own seems too low. Over time, changes in chemical processes in the brain lead to the fact that its normal functioning becomes possible only in the presence of a certain dose of a psychoactive substance. The brain gets so used to constant massive stimulation that it completely stops producing the pleasure neurotransmitter on its own. This is what a formed physical dependence on surfactants looks like. Physical dependence is manifested not only by a pronounced craving for a substance. In the absence of the substance, the withdrawal syndrome—withdrawal—becomes quite pronounced. At this stage, infectious diseases most often make themselves known, which are acquired by addicts who use the injection method of administration. In the rehabilitation center where I work, rehabilitators who come to us at this stage of addiction are immediately sent to the quarantine department. There they are treated simultaneously by a narcologist and an infectious disease therapist. Almost always drug addiction.