In my second post, I will be discussing drug abuse and addiction. Alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, amphetamines, cocaine, and opiates are examples of drugs that people use. People usually want to try out a drug just to experience it once however, they don’t realize how addicting it can be. A lot of high school students either smoke or do drugs just to experience it however get addicted to it and can not function without it. Furthermore, people who use caffeine feel energetic and alert. Caffeine addiction especially coffee addiction causes people to get headaches whenever they don’t get a certain amount of caffeine in a day. They also can experience feeling fatigue, having a hard time concentrating, and feeling irritated (Caffeine, 2020).
Not only can you become addicted to drugs, but you can also get addicted to caffeine, gambling, and exercising. Gambling and exercising are behavioral addictions. Exercising addiction can cause a person to feel withdrawal symptoms such as depression and anxiety when they do not exercise. Similarly, gamblers look for opportunities to gamble without thinking about their financial circumstances.
Stress is a major reason why people start doing drugs. Psychoactive drugs have the effect of relieving stress which is why a lot of people do drugs. Drugs is a way to get their mind off of things. To relieve stress, people should start doing things such as exercise and finding new hobbies. Exercise is a great way to deal with stress. Additionally, people can find hobbies that they enjoy such as reading, baking, cooking, or playing a sport such as tennis. Relieving stress by finding hobbies is a topic that extends what was introduced in the slides since it is a healthy way to cope with stress, so a person does not use drugs.
References:
Caffeine: How long it lasts, how much & withdrawals. Cleveland Clinic. (2020, December 23). https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/15496-caffeine-how-to-hack-it-and-how-to-quit-it
Hi Hira,
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to learn about the effects that psychoactive drugs have on so many of us. In the slides, we learned how caffeine is the most widely used psychoactive stimulant in the world. Many people drink energy drinks with loads of caffeine in them which causes increased energy and alertness. It can for sure be addicting and the many people who drink caffeinated drinks often need it more and more often to get through the day. Something that I was less familiar with from your post was the idea of having an addiction to exercising. I hadn't known that without exercise this could cause depression and anxiety. Great post!
Hi Hira,
ReplyDeleteI liked how you mentioned that stress is a major reason why people start to do drugs. I agree that there are many different ways to deal with stress than relying on drugs. Exercise is a great way to deal with and relieve stress. It realizes certain neurotransmitters that help to relieve stress.