Addiction
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Alcohol Addiction
Alcohol is a depressant. A drug in the form of a liquid that, most often, is consumed by drinking. It is legal in the United States for adults over 21. When a person has been drinking to the point of addiction, they would have an insatiable urge to drink. Often, putting their need to drink above their general responsibilities and duties as a productive member of society. When somebody has an alcohol addiction, they are generally referred to as an alcoholic. Some street names for a person with this addiction include alky, wino, and boozer.
There are many reasons an alcoholic may begin drinking. For instance, a commonly desired effect is drinking to relax. While others say it’s like “liquid courage” for them, making them feel more confident in social situations. Some people drink to escape their problems, and some want to drink to celebrate or have fun.
When a person is an alcoholic, they cannot control their drinking; it is both a physical and emotional dependence. As a result, people may experience blurry vision, slurred speech, a lack of balance, problems with coordination, shakiness, vomiting, mood swings, blackouts, memory loss, delirium, or fear. Drinking too much too fast can potentially lead to alcohol poisoning and possible death, along with many other long-term health issues. Withdrawal from alcohol can be particularly dangerous or even life-threatening, and medical detox is recommended at a rehab center where personalized alcohol addiction treatment can be obtained.
Ambien Addiction
Ambien is a depressant. It’s a prescription medication, in the form of a pill, used in patients who have issues getting the sleep they need at night. It is used to treat insomnia but is generally only intended for short-term use, as there have been many cases of people getting dependent on the drug. An addiction to this drug can form in as little as two weeks. Many people don’t realize they even have an issue with it until they stop taking it and realize that they cannot sleep without it.
Ambien is known to erase memory and has been called “a roofie replacement.” A prevalent side effect of taking this medication is forgetting entire nights or several hours at a time. Other immediate side effects include, but are not limited to, rapid heartbeat, nausea, vomiting, slow breathing rates, memory loss, inability to concentrate, disorientation, anxiety or depression, dizziness, confusion, and sedation. In addition, they are commonly sought after for the ability to hallucinate or “trip” while misusing this drug.
Signs and symptoms of Ambien addiction include: engaging in dangerous situations without any memory of them later. Ambien addicts might try refilling their prescriptions unusually often or much earlier than they should have. They are repeatedly taking more than prescribed, and they are even experiencing cravings for Ambien. In general, addicts tend to isolate themselves from their friends and families and do self-sabotaging things to obtain more.
Barbiturates Addiction
Barbiturates are depressants. They are used by swallowing a pill or injecting a liquid. They make the user feel slowed down, commonly resulting in a relaxed feeling. Generally, barbiturates are prescribed to treat seizures and epilepsy, anxiety, and insomnia. Phenobarbital is probably the most well-known barbiturate that is still being used today. It’s sometimes even used in treatment to recovering addicts and alcoholics as a detox drug.
Common side effects of barbiturates are dizziness or drowsiness, nausea, aggression, confusion, slurred speech, slowed thinking, or even hallucinations. Some people use this drug recreationally as a way to reduce inhibitions. In other words, they would use this, and then they would feel free to do what they would naturally do if they weren’t thinking about its repercussions. As with other depressants or downers, this class of medication is sometimes sought after as a way to counteract stimulants or “come down.”
Some street names for this include but aren’t limited to barbs, pennies, reds, or yellow jackets.
Benzo Addiction
Benzodiazepines are the technical name for a group of prescription medications that are used to treat anxiety, panic disorders, seizures, muscle spasms or tension, and insomnia. It comes in the form of a pill that can be taken by mouth or crushed and snorted. This is another drug that is generally sought after for its calming effects. Some of the more popular medications among this class of drugs are Valium, Xanax, and Klonopin.
Street names for these drugs include, but aren’t limited to, Zanies, bars, school busses, footballs, tranqs, downers, chill pills, nerve pills, or k-pins. Benzos are also used to counteract stimulant drugs for the user to come down. Some addicts refer to this as “speed-balling or prescription speed-balling.” When used together with opioids, it can cause an overdose or even death. When a person is abusing this medication, onlookers might notice slurred speech, confusion, drowsiness, dizziness, and blackouts where the user doesn’t recall anything that happened.
Benzodiazepine withdrawal can be hazardous and even life-threatening. Medical detox at a rehab center is the safest way to win the battle against benzo addiction, followed by addiction treatment.
Cocaine Addiction
Cocaine is an illegal stimulant. It increases energy and alertness. Users tend to refer to stimulants as uppers in many instances. It comes in a few different forms. Generally, a white powder is snorted or injected. It can also be smoked after being processed into a rock-like form, called crack-cocaine. Cocaine in any form is very addictive.
When used, the person would feel a euphoric rush of energy and feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. In many cases, the use of cocaine causes the addict to lose their appetite and feel like they don’t need to sleep or rest. Many people have reported that this drug helps them think and complete tasks quicker and more efficiently. The cocaine user would appear to be unable to sit or stand still from the outside. Repetitive use of this drug can cause the user to lose their connection to reality.
Some common side effects of using cocaine include paranoia, panic, mood swings, mania, depression, impaired judgment, irritability, abnormal behaviors. Cocaine addicts may also experience any of these physical side effects from headaches or chest pain, all the way to heart attacks or strokes. Some common street names for this drug include girl, base, blow, snow, powder, crack, white lady or female, nose candy, white dragon, etc.
Heroin Addiction
Heroin is an illegal depressant. It is generally sold in a white or brown powder or a dark tar-like substance. It is primarily injected by a needle, smoked, or snorted through the nose. After use, the addict will generally feel like everything around and within them slows down. Their limbs will feel heavy, and a warm feeling will surge through their bodies. Often the user will feel or appear very sleepy as a result. This is commonly referred to as “nodding out.” It would appear as if the person were alternating in and out of that tired state from the outside. One minute, they seem to be awake and alert, and the next minute, they seem to be asleep, sitting or even standing up with their head hanging downwards or in a nod position.
Some heroin users tend to feel a severe itching sensation all over that won’t stop. Other immediate side effects the addict might experience include nausea or vomiting, along with a slowed heart rate, blurred vision or slurred speech, or extreme tiredness. A telltale sign that an addict is using heroin is track marks, which are spots, sores, and scarring on the body (generally along their veins) left behind at common injection sites. When an addict injects the drug, it is also known as shooting or banging. Frequently these track marks are dark in color, and some of them will never go away. Some common street names are boy, h, smack, horse, china white, hero, black tar, etc.
Meth Addiction
The scientific name Methamphetamine is a stimulant. Used in tiny doses, some doctors prescribe it as part of A.D.H.D. treatment. Prescription use of amphetamines causes patients to become more able to focus and finish tasks. However, on the street, addicts take this drug primarily because when ingested, it makes you want to go faster; it creates feelings of euphoria and increased energy. Generally, meth comes in three different forms, the most common one being a white powder that tastes bitter and has no smell. Another common form is the almost transparent crystallized form. It can also be found in a pill form made from compressed powder.
Meth can be consumed in various ways, from snorting to smoking to insertion to injection. Depending on each of these different ways of consumption, when the drug reaches the brain varies. From swallowing (which is likely to feel the intense rush 2-3 hours after consumption) to snorting, smoking, injecting, or insertion, the user will feel the thrill of this drug within 2-10 minutes.
Some common side effects of meth are: the user would appear jittery or restless and unable to sit still. The user might be talking fast or talking a lot. The person using it would feel a rush of euphoric feelings, and their energy level would increase. Some reports say the addict might even feel invincible while on the drug. You might hear of people addicted to meth having “meth-mouth” from smoking it, where they get sores on or inside their mouths and broken, rotted teeth. A telltale sign of addiction to this drug would be sores or “pick spots” generally on their face and arms, sometimes covering their entire bodies. Another common side effect of meth addiction is that the addict will lose the healthy color in their face, appearing gray or dull in color. In addition, rapid weight loss would occur due to an almost non-existent appetite. Also, it’s common for the addict to become very dehydrated, with no desire to care for themself.
Another thing that typically happens when someone is addicted to meth is they tend to stay up for days at a time, which leads to extreme paranoia. In more severe cases, the user can even hallucinate and see or hear things that aren’t there. The user will then say and do things that don’t make much sense. Messing with their sense of reality also creates confusion, anxiety, and mania in extreme cases. Common street names include crank, ice or ice cream, speed, go or go-fast, Tina, no-doze, or crystal.
Opioids Addiction
Opioids are a class of depressants used illegally as heroin and fentanyl and legally prescribed as Vicodin, Percocet, OxyContin, morphine, codeine, and many other medications. An opioid overdose can be reversed if somebody is there and can administer another drug, called Naloxone, immediately. Treatment for opioid addiction has evolved dramatically over these recent years as addictions have increased.
Inhalant Addiction
A variety of different drugs are grouped from the class of inhalants. Inhalants are mainly in this class of drugs because their only route of administering is through inhaling the fumes. Most commonly used by teens because of their easy availability, Inhalant addiction is less common than other drugs. However, it is still a genuine possibility as they have addictive qualities. Common inhalants include gasoline, spray paints, permanent markers, glue, and cleaning fluids. Computer duster is another widely used inhalant. The high of these drugs typically doesn’t last more than a few moments, and the user will experience different things depending upon what and how much they did. Some common side effects include feeling lightheaded, having hot flashes, or dizziness; the user may even hear or see things differently than they are. In addition, because the high only lasts a few minutes, the user often tries to do it repeatedly, which can be very dangerous.
Fentanyl Addiction
Fentanyl is an opioid and a depressant. Doctors prescribe it for severe pain, used as a patch on the skin or a pill. It’s also sold illegally on the streets, generally as a white or off-white powder. It can be smoked or snorted, or injected by a needle. Also, it can be dropped onto blotter paper; some people even put it in eye droppers and nasal sprays. More and more often, it is being reported that it’s being mixed with heroin where the user will feel like it’s a more potent batch of heroin. It takes very little of this drug to produce a high, so it’s quickly becoming a cheaper option for current addicts. As with other opioids, the user will feel an increasing feeling of relaxation and slowed heart rate along with an intense feeling of euphoria. Some other common side effects of taking this drug are slowed breathing, passing out (or nodding), pain relief, extreme feelings of drowsiness, dizziness, vomiting or nausea, confusion, and so on.
Common street names include fetty, apache, china girl, or china white.
