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Drugs & Addiction

Drug Addiction Is:

  1. Chronic (ongoing)
  2. Progressive (keeps getting worse)
  3. Incurable (but person can get into recovery)
  4. Deadly, if they don’t get treatment

WHAT IS COVERED ON THIS PAGE

  1. Types of drugs          Click here
    This section will take you through the types of drugs that are out there, what they're often called on the street, what they affect and what the signs of usage are.

  2. Stages of Chemical Dependency          Click here
    This section details the stages of chemical dependency and the signs of, or what may happen in each stage.

Types of Drugs

Drug: Alcohol
Slang Terms: Booze, Sauce, Brews, Brewskis, Hooch, Hard Stuff, Juice
Affects:

Affects your brain, your body, your self-control and can kill you, even if you’re not the one drinking.

Signs of Use:
  • Getting drunk on a regular basis
  • Lying about how much you are using
  • Thinking alcohol is necessary to have fun
  • Having frequent hangovers
  • Feeling run-down, depressed, or even suicidal
  • Having “blackouts” – forgetting what you did while drinking
Drug: Club Drugs
Slang Terms: Ecstasy: E, X, XTC
GHB: Liquid Ecstasy, Liquid X, Grievous Bodily Harm, Georgia Home Boy
Ketamine: K, Special K, Ket, Vitamin K, Kit Kat.
Rohypnol: Roofies, R-2
Affects:

Affects your brain, your body, your self-control and are not always what they seem. Club drugs can kill you.

These types of drugs are also often used as date-rape drugs to disorient or incapacitate, so that young women will not be able to defend themselves.

Signs of Use:
  • Problems remembering things you recently said or did
  • Loss of coordination, dizziness, fainting
  • Depression
  • Confusion
  • Sleep problems
  • Chills or sweating
  • Slurred speech
Drug: Cocaine
Slang Terms:

Coke, Dust, Toot, Snow, Blow, Sneeze, Powder, Lines, Rock (Crack)

Affects:

Affects your brain, your body, and your emotions. Cocaine is addictive and can kill you.

Signs of Use:
  • Red, bloodshot eyes
  • Runny nose or frequent sniffing
  • Change in groups of friends
  • Acting withdrawn, depressed, tired, or careless about personal appearance
  • Losing interest in school, family, or activities you used to enjoy
  • Frequently needing money
Drug: Hallucinogens
Slang Terms:

Lysergic acid diethylamide: LSD, Acid, Blotter
Psilocybin: Magic Mushrooms, Shrooms,
Phencyclidine: PCP, Angel Dust, Boat, Ozone, Wack
Ecstasy: E, X, XTC

Affects:

Affects your brain, your heart, your well-being, and your self-control.

Signs of Use:
  • Distorted sense of sight, hearing and touch
  • Dilated pupils
  • Anxiety or paranoia
  • Mood swings
  • Faintness
  • Irrational behavior
Drug: Heroin
Slang Terms:

Smack, Horse, Mud, Brown Sugar, Junk, Black Tar, Big H, Dope, Skag

Affects:

Affects your brain, your body. Heroin is super-addictive and not what it may seem. Heroin can kill you.

Signs of Use:
  • Euphoria
  • Drowsiness
  • Impaired mental functioning
  • Slowed respiration
  • Constricted pupils
  • Nausea
Drug: Inhalants
Slang Terms:

Glue, Kick, Bang, Sniff, Huff, Peppers, Whippets, Texas Shoeshine

Affects:

Affects your brain, your heart and other parts of your body, and can cause sudden death.

Signs of Use:
  • Slurred speech
  • Drunk, dizzy, or dazed appearance
  • Unusual breath odor
  • Chemical smell on clothing
  • Paint stains on body or face
  • Red eyes
  • Runny nose
Drug: Marijuana
Slang Terms:

Weed, Pot, Grass, Reefer, Ganja, Mary Jane, Blunt, Joint, Roach, Nail

Affects:

Affects your brain, your lungs, other aspects of your health. Your self-control and is not always what it seems. Marijuana can be addictive.

Signs of Use:
  • Seeming dizzy and having trouble walking
  • Having red, bloodshot eyes and smelly hair and clothes
  • Having a hard time remembering things that just happened
  • Acting silly for no apparent reason
Drug: Methamphetamine
Slang Terms:

Speed, Meth, Crystal , Crank, Tweak, Go-fast, Ice, Glass, Uppers, Black Beauties

Affects:

Affects your brain, your body, your self-control and is not what it seems. Methamphetamine can kill you.

Signs of Use:
  • Inability to sleep
  • Increased sensitivity to noise
  • Nervous physical activity like scratching
  • Irritability, dizziness, or confusion
  • Extreme anorexia
  • Tremors or even convulsions
  • Increased heart rate, blood pressure, and risk of stroke
  • Presence of inhaling paraphernalia, such as razor blades, mirrors, and straws
  • Presence of injecting paraphernalia, such as syringes, heated spoons or surgical tubing
Drug: Steroids
Slang Terms:

Arnolds, Gym Candy, Pumpers, Roids, Stackers, Weight Trainers, Juice

Affects:

Affects your heart, your mood, your appearance and increases your risk of infection.

Signs of Use: FOR GUYS
  • Baldness
  • Development of breasts
  • Impotence

FOR GIRLS

  • Growth of facial hair
  • Deepened voice
  • Breast reduction

FOR BOTH GUYS AND GIRLS

  • Jaundice (yellowing of the skin)
  • Swelling of feet or ankles
  • Aching joints
  • Bad breath
  • Mood swings
  • Nervousness and trembling

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Stages of Chemical Dependency and the Symptoms of Abuse

Stage 1

The majority of users of mood-altering chemicals begin in junior high school. This starts off as experimenting with alcohol, pot, uppers, downers, sniffing glue, etc. A low tolerance makes it easy to get high and the users learn to enjoy the mood swing that these drugs produce.  

Alcohol and drugs are usually given to individuals by others or sneaked from parent, not purchased.

Symptoms of Abuse

  • Often use is unplanned
  • It is easy to get high
  • Users begin to “sneak” alcohol and/or consume it rapidly
  • Users are aware of a feeling of relief from tensions and pressures while they are using
  • Experimentation often occurs on weekends and during the Summer

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Stage II – Seeking Stage

The pattern of regular use begins. Behavioral changes occur.

Symptoms of Abuse

  • Change in clothes, appearance, friends, etc.
  • Dropping out of school or other activities
  • Blackouts begin, increased lying to parents and others, producing feelings of guilt and self-hate which results in increased drug use
  • Drinking longer than others
  • Increased thinking about how and when to get high
  • Irritability and mood swings
  • Drinking or smoking pot alone
  • School grades decline
  • Negative consequences begin as a result of being high or intoxicated
  • Alcohol, pot or drugs are bought and shared with others
  • Using during the day
  • Using on weeknights
  • Skipping school
  • More money is involved; often with the use of a false I.D.
  • Parents become aware of use
  • Drug-using friends aren't introduced to parents
  • Relationship with family worsens
  • More risk-taking, such as using at home

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Stage III – Harmful Dependency

Usage progresses and gains momentum. The user's world is centered around the drug. Physical appearance worsens and the user may turn to criminal activity to get high.

Symptoms of Abuse

  • Gets high during school or work
  • Unable to stop drinking once started
  • Rationalizes alcohol and drug usage
  • Behavior becomes centered around alcohol and drug usage
  • Neglects health and nutrition
  • Quits job or drops out of school
  • Has withdrawal symptoms (cough and jitteriness)
  • Gets loaded instead of getting high
  • Steals to get money for drugs
  • Lies about drug use and hides stash from friends
  • Dealing or fronting for others
  • Has court offenses
  • Tries to cut down usage to convince self there isn't a problem
  • Increase in truancy and fighting with parents

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Stage IV – Using to Feel Normal

The user has to have the drug in order to feel normal. This is the most dangerous stage of drug abuse.

Symptoms of Abuse

  • It’s difficult to face the day without drugs
  • Drugs are used as an escape
  • Memory suffers
  • Flashbacks
  • Increased thoughts of suicide
  • Increased feelings of guilt
  • Unable to control the urge to use
  • Has feeling of paranoia
  • No control over use
  • Impaired thinking
  • Medical problems occur due to substance abuse
  • More frequent illness
  • Loss of pride


Thousands of people die to drug overdose each year.

The medical statistics don’t know the true numbers.

Many people don’t want to report how their loved ones died.

Because society just don’t understand that they had a disease.

Copyright © 2006 The Foxfire Foundation. All rights reserved.