To fully understand the problem posed by the legalization of cannabis, one has to understand the underlying issue: addiction.
When a person is addicted, he or she is completely subjugated by their addiction and experiences a total loss of control and freedom. Addicted individuals cannot stop themselves from consciously perpetuating unwanted behavior that adversely affects them and the people around them.
Through the experiences and life stories recounted in our blog, we will try to understand addiction.
The Two Faces of Drug Addiction
Without my consent, I was personally and quickly propelled into the world of drug addiction. For over 15 years, I had been suffering from a panic disorder that splattered my days with anxiety attacks, making my life hellish. Nausea, vertigo, heart palpitations, abdominal pain, the feeling of dying… The symptoms resembled those of a heart attack, and I was forced to avoid any situation that could bring them on.
I took the first pills because I wanted to live, be happy and flee from my mental pain. It’s only once I was addicted that I understood that while this pill allowed me to find relief and feel better, it was destroying my life. But it was too late: the drug had become the centre of my life, and the only solution to get out of my pain.
The Rat Park Study: Gaining a Better Understanding of Addiction
Bruce K. Alexander, a Canadian psychologist, led the Rat Park Study in 1978, thereby revolutionizing how addiction was understood. Just like us, rats are a social species, and they crave being in contact and communicating with their peers. And just like rats would, people isolated in a narrow, confined space would show little hesitation in using a narcotic substance freely supplied to them to counter boredom, loneliness, or more broadly, living conditions that are contrary to their well-being.
Alexander and his team built a park big enough to house 16 to 20 male and female rats. It was set up like a play park, a mini rat paradise complete with play wheels and balls, food, and space for mating. Several theories based on the hypothesis that the environment plays a key role in addiction were tested using four groups of rats.
Are We All Equal in the Face of Addiction?
Making the bad decision to do drugs does not necessarily lead to addiction, but addiction definitely leads to making all the bad decisions.
I always thought becoming a drug addict could only happen to others. I became one myself fairly late, at about 35 year-old, having never taken any drugs or alcohol in my life. In fact, I was terrified of all drugs, of their ability to rob people of their self-control. I was a very anxious person to begin with, so taking drugs and running the risk of becoming an addict was outright unthinkable. I genuinely thought I’d be forever safe.
Portage Blog
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Could substance use be hiding an attempt to survive? Adolescence and the transition to adulthood are often synonymous with instability and challenges. For many adolescents, hormonal changes, a desire for autonomy and the will to define oneself are intertwined with mental health issues. An increasing number of youth struggle with anxiety, depression or ADHD. Self-medication… Read more »
Social Media and Illicit Drug Sales: One Click Away From Addiction (continued)
Insights from youth and counsellors In January of this year, we published an article uncovering an unsettling truth: social media has become the main gateway to substance use among youth. The problem has continued to grow since then and Portage has continued to delve further into the subject. This fall, we launched a series… Read more »
Concurrent Disorders: Better Support Through Better Understanding
Concurrent disorders are among the most challenging issues in our health care system. Individuals who have both significant mental health problems and substance use disorders are often caught up in a maze of disjointed services that can, paradoxically, make things worse rather than better. What is a concurrent disorder? A concurrent disorder is when… Read more »
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