Are all drugs addictive?

I had a phone call from an old friend who had become concerned about his drug use. He had recently visited his doctor and had started to talk about it. He told the doctor that he used every couple of weeks with his drug use being connected to particular activities, e.g., sex, general socialising. His doctor then told him it was likely he was addicted. How true is this and what does it actually mean?

Addiction means that a large part of a person’s life is devoted to buying and taking drugs. It usually applies to regular, heavy users of drugs such as heroin or cocaine but it could also involve other drugs or alcohol. Some people believe that addiction is a disease and that once people are addicts they will always be addicts, even though there is no real evidence to support this view. There are many people who can and do change throughout their life.

Saying somebody is drug dependent is much more politically correct than calling them an addict. Dependency is a strong compulsion to keep taking drugs. There are two types of dependency -“ physical and psychological. Physical dependency results from the repeated, heavy use of drugs. Heavy and continual use of these drugs can change the body chemistry so that if someone does not get a repeat dose they suffer physical withdrawal symptoms: the shakes, flu-like effects. They have to keep taking the drug just to stop themselves from feeling ill.

Psychological dependency is more common and can happen with any drug. In this case people get into the drug experience as a way of coping with the world or as a way of feeling okay. They feel they could not cope without drugs even though they may not be physically dependent. You can become psychologically dependent on just about anything. If any activity becomes more important to you than everything else -“ including family or friends -“ that is when you should become concerned.

Dependency will often include both physical and psychological factors. While the physical aspect will only be present with certain drugs, a psychological aspect will occur with any form of dependence. Continual use of drugs like ecstasy and LSD does not seem to result in physical dependency, even though people may become psychologically dependent. With other drugs -“ and particularly stimulant drugs such as cocaine, amphetamine and the nicotine in cigarettes -“ there continues to be debate over the extent that physical dependence can occur.

Was my friend addicted to his drug of choice? I think there was some degree of psychological dependence. He had started to rely on drugs to take part in certain activities and maybe his visit to the doctor shook him up a little and made him realise, quite rightly, that he needed to examine his drug use much more closely.

Remember: if you do not want any negative consequences, do not use the drug and, no matter how many times you have used a substance, never be blas?/p>