How addiction develops Signs of Addiction in the Workplace The path to drug addiction starts with experimentation. You or a loved one may have tried drugs out of curiosity, because friends were doing it, or in an effort to erase another problem. Emotional - Aggression, anxiety, burnout, denial, depression and paranoia. The substance seems to solve the problem and make life better. As the addiction progresses, getting and using the drug becomes more and more important and your ability to stop is compromised. What begins as a voluntary choice turns into a physical and psychological need. Behavioral - Excessive talking, impaired co-ordination, inability to sit still, irritability, lack of energy, limited attention span, poor motivation, slow reaction time, and slowed or slurred speech. Physical – Chills, the smell of alcohol, sweating and weight loss. Good news: Addiction is treatable Do you have a substance abuse problem? • Do you feel like you can’t stop, even if you want to? • Do you ever feel bad or guilty about your drug use? • Do you need to use drugs to relax or feel better? • Do your friends or family members complain or worry about your drug use? • Do you hide or lie about your drug use? • Have you ever done anything illegal in order to obtain drugs? • Do you spend money on drugs that you really can’t afford? • Do you ever use more than one recreational drug at a time? If you answered “yes” to one or more of the questions, you may have a drug problem. CLARO CLINIC ADDICTION TREATMENT CENTRE A Life Path Health Clinic Syfred Douglas Street N1 City, Cape Town, 7460 Western Cape, South Africa Tel: +27 21 595 8522 Fax: +27 21 595 8531 Email: [email protected] Website: www.lifepathgroup.co.za NOTE: This information sheet is for your general information and is not a substitute for medical advice. You should contact your physician or any other healthcare provider with any questions about your health, treatment or care. Addiction Treatment Centre TIK - Methamphetamine Negative side effects: Street names: Crystal Meth, Ice, Ice cream, Glass, • The rush of energy can make a person anxious and nervy and could result in a panic attack. • Pounding heart and twitching can make a person feel out of control, and could lead to a heart attack. • Need to go to the toilet often. Tik, Tik-tik, Straws, Speed, Lolly. The forms it takes: Creamy white/sandy powder sold in wraps; tablets in different shapes, colours and sizes – sometimes stamped; clear colourless crystals, like glass, sold in bags. Large crystals (bombs) are bought individually wrapped in plastic film or cigarette papers. What is it? It is similar to amphetamine (Alphamethylphenethylamines), but is much stronger. Amphetamines are a class of powerful, synthetic stimulants with effects very similar to cocaine but which are much longer lasting. Includes Ritalin. How it is used: Smoked and/or swallowed Smoked: Most common form of use. Intense and immediate hit by inhaling the vapours given off by heating crystals. Generally smoked by way of a broken light bulb and a drinking straw. Swallowed: Least dangerous when taken this way. General effects: Effects can last for up to 24 hours. Acts like adrenalin, the blood pressure goes up, the heart thumps, and body temperature goes up - giving the user a “rush”. • Feel energetic, alert, invincible, sexually aroused and self-confident. • Everything seems urgent and speeds up – users feel capable of doing things beyond their ability. • Awake for long periods and can dance non-stop. • Very talkative. The Comedown: - as the high wears off: • After the initial effect has worn off the user feels tired, depressed and hungry. • Lack of energy, lethargic, weak, exhausted, and achy. • Slightly paranoid, depressed and worried about trivial things. • Isolated from others. • Insomnia. • The feeling of being rundown for days afterwards. • Taking more tik to counteract the comedown makes it much worse when it finally happens. Addictive: Physical and psychological addiction. With regular use users reach a stage where they can’t manage without it – in order to combat the depression and exhaustion that follows the high, more has to be taken. If this carries on for too long, users eventually collapse, becoming jittery and paranoid. Dangers: • Risk of overheating which can be very dangerous, especially when mixed with alcohol or ecstasy – the user loses water and salts too quickly and can suffer from dehydration, delirium and heat stroke, which can result in unconsciousness and even death. • Drinking too much water too quickly to compensate for the overheating can also be dangerous - leading to brain swelling which can result in unconsciousness and death (water poisoning). • Risk of overdose – even a little can be too much for the body to handle. person may suffer from body cramps and headA aches. Increase in heart rate can increase the risk of a heart attack, which could be fatal. The risk is even greater if there is already a pre-existing heart condition. High blood pressure increases the risk of a stroke, leading to paralysis or coma. The risk is even greater if a person already suffers from high blood pressure. Too much too often makes the user depressed and paranoid. It can cause mood changes that can lead to violence. Heavy regular use can lead to a mental breakdown and amphetamine psychosis – paranoia, agitation, and suspicion of others. Can trigger unpleasant hallucinations, making a person lose control of their actions and emotions. People have assaulted and even raped under the influence of methamphetamine. Mixed with alcohol: Liver and kidney failure could result if a high dose of tik is mixed with alcohol both conditions could be fatal. Also the combination can make the user more agressive and sexually aroused - this can result in fighting, assault, casual sex and the risks associated with them. Sledging: occurs when methamphetamine is mixed with other drugs – a person feels freezing cold and shivers violently, feels like s/he is going to die (a possibility), can’t speak or move, and drifts into a “dead” sleep. Mixed with Tranquillizers: you don’t know how the body will react to the cocktail and the result could have terrible consequences in either the short-term or long-term.