How does the self-centered part of my disease affect my life and the lives of those around me?

The self-centered part of my disease... Well, i once seen my addiction as a filthy habit, yet part of my daily routine like someone having their morning coffee or casual hit of nicotine from their cigarette breaks throughout the day which in my mind effected no one other than myself due to the fact i was the one personally packing the pipe & inhaling methamphetamines not any of those "loved ones" surrounding me & my daily lifestyle choice! Yet... 6 years on, seeing rock-bottom numerous times, losing countless 'friends' .. reading hundreds of letters & texts let alone listening to the intense voicemails from family i seen calling yet ignored as i was too busy getting high... was it that i extremely slowly & shamefully repetitivey learnt over a slow, painful, lonely 12months that the self-centred part of my addiction affected the whole world around me weather i let them within my metherlated walls of life or not! Whilst going through active addiction where the heavy period was occurring I was extremely selfish, insanely cruel, cared about me, myself & i.. Had no care who i hurt, what i said or where i ended up.. as long as i was high "living the dream" i was right! ahahha ... Couldn't of been further from the truth! I tore my family apart, made them suffer in many ways, mainly stress as i never answered their calls/texts not only for days but weeks & months at a time! Those who i now know are true friends were copping the front of my addiction in attempt to help me see the disgusting person i changed into since meth controlled me.. not the other way around! This had effected my life in numerous ways i cannot change... for example several arrests, court appearances, time in lockup, charges which will now stick with me for life making my now future a hell of a lot harder with the basic necessities in life like getting/holding a job with a criminal record, getting a house to call home & even flying outta the country for a simple holiday! Asking myself now.... was the satisfaction of exhaling clouds truly worth it? Ha' i can honestly answer now... NO IT FUCKING WASN'T!! I now have many amends to make with those I've hurt, shat on & completely shamed let alone having to attempt to piece my life back together surrounding my past which in reality id go back in time & say "NO thanks" to that first pipe shoved in my face that started my addiction... yet i can't so from now on..... day in & day out ill pay for my bad decisions & change what i can & apologise to the lives my self-centred addiction had effected weather i get forgiveness or not!

I HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME FOR MY ADDICTION / BEHAVIOUR OTHER THAN MYSELF... I KNOW THAT!!!

Warning signs & symptoms.

Although different drugs have different physical effects, the symptoms of addiction are similar.

Common signs and symptoms of drug abuse

• You’re neglecting your responsibilities at school, work, or home (e.g. flunking classes, skipping work, neglecting your children) because of your drug use.

• You’re taking risks while high, such as driving while on drugs, using dirty needles, or having unprotected sex.
• Your drug use is getting you into legal trouble, such as arrests for disorderly conduct, driving under the influence, or stealing to support a drug habit.
• Your drug use is causing problems in your relationships, such as fights with your partner or family members, an unhappy boss, or the loss of old friends.

Common signs and symptoms of drug addiction

• You’ve built up a drug tolerance.You need to use more of the drug to experience the same effects.
• You take drugs to avoid or relieve withdrawal symptoms. If you go too long without drugs, you experience symptoms such as nausea, restlessness, depression, shaking, and anxiety.
• You’ve lost control over your drug use. You often do drugs even though you told yourself you wouldn’t. You may want to stop using, but feel powerless.
• Your life revolves around drug use.You spend a lot of time using and thinking about drugs and recovering from their effects.
• You’ve abandoned activities you used to enjoy, such as hobbies, sports, and socializing, because of your drug use.
• You continue to use drugs, despite the major problems it causes, such as blackouts, infections, mood swings, depression, or paranoia.

Warning signs that a friend or family member is abusing drugs

If you’re worried that a friend or family member might be abusing drugs, look for the following warning signs:

Physical warning signs of drug abuse

• Bloodshot eyes, pupils larger or smaller than usual
• Changes in appetite or sleep patterns. Sudden weight loss or weight gain.
• Deterioration of physical appearance, personal grooming habits
• Unusual smells on breath, body, or clothing
• Tremors, slurred speech, or impaired coordination

Behavioral signs of drug abuse

• Drop in attendance and performance at work or school
• Unexplained need for money or financial problems. May borrow or steal to get it.
• Engaging in secretive or suspicious behaviors
• Sudden change in friends, favorite hangouts, and hobbies
• Frequently getting into trouble (fights, accidents, illegal activities)

Psychological warning signs of drug abuse

• Unexplained change in personality or attitude
• Sudden mood swings, irritability, or angry outbursts
• Periods of unusual hyperactivity, agitation, or giddiness
• Lack of motivation; appears lethargic or “spaced out”
• Appears fearful, anxious, or paranoid, with no reason

5 Myths about drug abuse & addiction.

MYTH 1: Overcoming addiction is a simply a matter of willpower.

 Prolonged exposure to drugs alters the brain in ways that result in powerful cravings and a compulsion to use. These brain changes make it extremely difficult to quit by sheer force of will.

MYTH 2: Addiction is a disease; there’s nothing you can do about it.

The brain  changes associated with addiction can be treated and reversed through therapy, medication, exercise, and other treatments.

MYTH 3: Addicts have to hit rock bottom before they can get better.

 Recovery can begin at any point in the addiction process’and the earlier, the better. The longer drug abuse continues, the stronger the addiction becomes and the harder it is to treat.

MYTH 4: You can’t force someone into treatment; they have to want help. 

Treatment  doesn’t have to be voluntary to be successful. People who are pressured into treatment by their family, employer, or the legal system are just as likely to benefit as those who choose to enter treatment on their own.

MYTH 5: Treatment didn’t work before, so there’s no point trying again. 

Recovery from drug addiction is a long process that often involves setbacks. Relapse doesn’t mean that treatment has failed or that you’re a lost cause.

How drug addiction develops?

People tend to continue using drugs because the substance either makes them feel good, or stops them from feeling bad. In many cases, however, there is a fine line between regular use and drug abuse and addiction. Very few addicts are able to recognize when they have crossed that line.

• Problems can sometimes sneak up on you, as your drug use gradually increases over time. Smoking a joint with friends at the weekend, or cocaine at an occasional party, for example, can change to using drugs a couple of days a week, then every day. Gradually, getting and using the drug becomes more and more important to you.

• If the drug fulfills a valuable needyou may find yourself increasingly relying on it. For example, you may take drugs to calm you if you feel anxious, energize you if you feel depressed, or to help you relieve chronic pain. Until you find alternative, healthier methods for overcoming these problems, your drug use will likely continue.

• If you use drugs to fill a void in your life, you’re more at risk of crossing the line from casual use to drug abuse and addiction. To maintain healthy balance in your life, you need to have things other than drugs that make you feel good.

• As drug abuse takes hold, your job or school performance may deteriorate, and you may neglect social or family obligations. Your ability to stop using is eventually compromised. What began as a voluntary choice has turned into a physical and psychological need.

Understanding drug use, drug abuse & addiction.

Many people experiment with drugs out of curiosity, to have a good time, because friends are doing it, or in an effort to improve athletic performance or ease another problem, such as stress, anxiety, or depression. Use doesn’t automatically lead to abuse, and there is no specific level at which drug use moves from casual to problematic. It varies by individual. No matter how often or how little you’re consuming, if your drug use is causing problems in your life—at work, school, home, or in your relationships—you likely have a drug abuse or addiction problem.

Drugs & Your Brain:

Drugs tap into the brain's communication system and disrupt the way nerve cells normally send, receive, and process information. Drugs work in the brain by:

• Imitating natural neurotransmitters (chemical messengers in the brain). Because of the similarity in chemical structure between drugs and neurotransmitters naturally produced by the brain, some drugs, such as marijuana and heroin, are able to "fool" the brain's receptors and activate nerve cells to send abnormal messages via the network.
• Overstimulating the reward system by flooding the circuit with dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter present in regions of the brain that regulate movement, emotion, motivation, and feelings of pleasure. And nearly all drugs of abuse, directly or indirectly, activate this system. Some drugs, particularly stimulants like methamphetamine and cocaine, cause nerve cells to release abnormally large amounts of natural neurotransmitters or prevent their normal recycling, which is needed to shut off the signal between neurons.

What happens to your brain if you keep taking drugs?

• The brain adapts. In response to the overwhelming surges in dopamine, the brain adjusts by decreasing the number of dopamine receptors available– thus diminishing the function of the reward circuit. Drug addicts are compelled to abuse drugs to bring their dopamine function back up to normal, requiring ever larger amounts to achieve the initial dopamine high– an effect known as tolerance.
• Changes in neurotransmitters other than dopamine. Long-term abuse causes changes in other brain chemical systems, including glutamate, a neurotransmitter that influences the reward circuit and the ability to learn. When the optimal concentration of glutamate is altered by drug abuse, the brain attempts to compensate, which can cause impairment in cognitive function.
• Drug abuse can trigger nonconscious memory systems.Conditioning is one example of this type of learning, whereby environmental cues, such as certain people or places, become associated with the drug experience and can trigger uncontrollable cravings if the individual is exposed to these cues, even without the drug itself being available
• Addiction. Brain imaging studies of drug-addicted individuals show changes in areas of the brain that are critical to judgment, decisionmaking, learning and memory, and behavior control. These changes are likely what drive an abuser to seek out and take drugs compulsively despite adverse consequences.

Why do some people become addicted, while others do not?

No single factor can predict whether or not a person will become addicted to drugs. Risk for addiction is influenced by a person's biology, social environment, and development. The more risk factors an individual has, the greater the chance that taking drugs can lead to addiction. For example:

• Biology. The genes that people are born with– in combination with environmental influences– account for about half of their addiction vulnerability. Additionally, gender, ethnicity, and the presence of mental disorders may influence risk for drug abuse and addiction.
• Environment. A person's environment includes many different influences– from family and friends to socioeconomic status and quality of life in general. Factors such as peer pressure, physical and sexual abuse, stress, and parental involvement can greatly influence the course of drug abuse and addiction in a person's life.
• Development. Genetic and environmental factors interact with critical developmental stages in a person's life to affect addiction vulnerability– with adolescents experiencing a double threat. Although taking drugs at any age can lead to addiction, the earlier drug use begins, the more likely it is to progress to more serious abuse. And because adolescents' brains are still developing in the areas that govern decisionmaking, judgment, and self-control, they are especially prone to risk-taking behaviors, including trying drugs of abuse.