Stages of Addiction

Addiction is defined as being addicted to a particular substance with or without knowing the consequences due to alteration of the chemical structure of the brain. Addiction is normally associated with the use of drug or alcohol but it can be anything from pornography to video games. Basically, there are 5 stages of addiction.    

First use or experimentation 

The first use is basically due to the experimentation of a particular substance. This stage usually happens during the teen years. This usually happen due to curiosity to know about the substance, forced by friends or through prescription by a doctor to cure some illness.    

Regular use 

Once it’s used for some time, people will start to want it more than need it. That means they will have regular use of the substance anytime-either morning, night or even when sleeping. Those forced by friends feel the substance has become an important part of life and start using regularly.    

Tolerance or risky use 

Tolerance is the first warning of addiction. It arrives after a long period of use and it takes a negative toll on body and brain. This will directly affect your lifestyle in school, work or home. It would start showing a dangerous pattern like driving in the influence of those substances.    

Dependence 

Dependence is a behavior where certain people cannot go through daily life without using it as their brain is positively responding to that particular substances sensation. If that particular person did not have the substance their body and brain will not function well which will directly make their body shake, sweat and feeling depressed. At this stage, nothing is important except for the use of that substance.    

Addiction 

At this final stage, those affected people cannot live a normal life anymore. They need those substances more important than anything else in their life. At this stage, certain people will do anything to get their hand on that substance as now the drug or alcohol is controlling you. Even when stopped using it they will go back to the old way as they are addicted.    

Addiction is not a sickness. It can be cured with the right method. So never give up on people that are addicted and help them go through their stages of addiction.