Let’s Talk About Drug Addiction

by | Mar 22, 2022 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

For 150 years, our dominant culture has waged a war on drugs based on discrimination and misinformation. (For a short history, check out this video here.) The battle against that campaign and its aftermath continues. Nevertheless, at Devine we are focused on your health and wellness – your body, your earth – and it’s important to acknowledge that drug addiction can be a problem. Knowing the signs of addiction can help.

Common signs and symptoms of drug abuse

Although different drugs have different physical effects, the symptoms of addiction are similar. If you recognize the signs and symptoms of substance abuse, consider talking to someone about your drug use. Some examples of signs and symptoms of substance abuse are:

  • Neglecting responsibilities at school, work, or home.
  • Using drugs under dangerous conditions or taking risks while high, such as driving while on drugs.
  • Problems in your relationships, such as fights with your partner or family members, an unhappy boss, or the loss of friends.
  • You’ve built up a drug tolerance. You need to use more of the drug to experience the same effects you used to attain with smaller amounts, to a point that’s not reasonable.
  • Loss of control over your drug use. You often do drugs or use more than you planned, even though you told yourself you wouldn’t.
  • Your life revolves around drug use. You spend a lot of time using and thinking about drugs, figuring out how to get them, or recovering from the drug’s effects.
  • You’ve abandoned activities you used to enjoy, such as hobbies, sports, and socializing, because of your drug use.
  • You continue to use drugs, despite knowing it’s hurting you. It’s causing major problems in your life but you use anyway.

Getting Help

If you or someone that you know is exhibiting any of these signs and symptoms of drug abuse or addiction, consider talking to someone about your drug use. The Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS) of the MA Department of Public Health provides resources, access and a Helpline to assist with finding substance abuse treatment programs available in Massachusetts.

The Helpline : https://helplinema.org/
Telephone : 800-327-5050