What is Drug Addiction?

Prescription Drugs

Drugs play a major role in the Western medical model, meant to prevent and curb disease, relieve pain, control psychological problems, and speed recovery from illness and surgery. But they also play a devastating role in the lives of many who become dependent or addicted to them. Many prescription drugs can cause dependence or addiction.

Popular myths suggest that people become addicted because of personality problems or only young people have drug problems or only illegal drugs are addictive or dangerous. In fact, the majority of professional people with drug addiction or dependency use legal, prescription drugs.

Lawyers and judges most commonly become addicted to or dependent on prescription drugs following legitimate use on a doctor's orders. The patient often is unaware of the risks of addiction until it is too late. Pain killers and mood altering drugs such as Valium have been the most common routes to prescription drug addiction.

There are three main classes or types of drugs that cause addiction: narcotics, stimulants and depressants.

Narcotics include drugs like codeine, demerol, and percodan, all of which are used to control pain. Prolonged use under medical supervision has caused many cases of addiction, even with patients faithfully following their doctor's instructions. Greater awareness on the part of both doctors and patients has helped to reduce the frequency of this tragedy in the last few years but new occurrences continue. The fact is that most physicians receive little training in addictive disease and many doctors simply do not understand the risks of addiction, particularly during extended use.

Stimulants include Benzedrine (bennies), methamphetamine (dexedrine) and methylphenidate (ritalin), to control behaviour, often prescribed on a long term basis. Although physicians are careful in prescribing these drugs, the potential for addiction is serious.

Depressants are used to treat insomnia, minor pain, and convulsions and include Nembutal, Seconal, Butisol, Phenobarbital, and Tuinal. Tolerance can lead to greater usage and higher dosage and both physical and psychological dependence can occur. There are also the minor tranquillizers including Librium, Valium, Halcyon and Tranax. As with the stimulants, both physical and psychological dependence can occur and withdrawal can be severe.

Illegal Drugs

Cocaine and crack are highly addictive and some users are addicted after first use. Once thought to be safe and non-addictive and popular with musicians, artists, and film personalities, cocaine became the premier popular drug of choice in the 1980's, long before its dangers and ravages were understood. Today, it is recognized as the most addictive and dangerous drug in popular use.

Hallucinogens and psychedelics include LSD, psilocybin, phencyclidine(PCP) and inhalants (glue, paint, gasoline). Marijuana and hash can be classified as hallucinogens or as depressants. Some use of marijuana is associated with alcoholism or other drug addiction. It is common for cocaine addicts to use both alcohol and marijuana and other drugs in an effort to control or enhance cocaine use.

Treatment and recovery for drug addicts is problematic and repeated relapse is often the norm. With rehabilitation at a leading treatment centre (for example, Bellwood, Homewood, Edgewood in Canada; Hazelden, Betty Ford in the United States) and a good follow-up program and peer support, most drug addicted lawyers and judges can recover and maintain a clean and sober life. There must be acceptance that drug addicts may require repeated residential treatment and extended, intensive aftercare programs before reliable recovery is attained. For most addicts, recovery will require a life-long commitment to a twelve-step recovery group, peer support, and active involvement with lawyer-helping-lawyer activities.

What Is NA?

Narcotics Anonymous was started a number of years ago on the AA model of Twelve Step recovery and there are now hundreds of NA groups across North America. The programs are nearly identical and many drug addicts also join and belong to AA groups. Like AA, Narcotics Anonymous is listed in most telephone directories as well as pamphlets, books and other literature on addiction and recovery and twelve step programs.