Drug use
Drug addiction is when you become dependent on a drug and it
forms a central part of your life. The misuse of drugs can
lead to physical dependency or psychological dependency.
Physical dependency means that your body has become so used to a
drug that you get physical withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking
it. This means that you have to keep taking the drug to stop
yourself feeling ill.
Psychological dependency means that you take the drug because it
has formed a large part of your life, and you take it to make
yourself feel good. You may feel that you cannot stop taking the
drug, even though you are not physically dependant. Some drugs can
make you both physically and psychologically dependent.
As you take more of a drug, your body becomes tolerant to it so
it does not have such a strong effect. This means that you need to
take larger amounts to get the same effect as when you started
taking it.
Drug misuse is when you take illegal drugs, or when you take
medicines in a way not recommended by your GP or the manufacturer.
Taking medicines in very large quantities that are dangerous to
your health is also an example of drug misuse.
Examples of drugs that are commonly misused include:
- illegal drugs,
- alcohol,
- tobacco,
- prescribed medicines including painkillers, sleeping tablets,
and cold remedies,
- khat (a leaf that is chewed over several hours), and
- glues, aerosols, gases and solvents.
Additional information can be found on the
NHS UK website