Addiction is a disease that affects your brain and behavior. When you’re addicted to drugs, you may have a hard time resisting the urge to use them, even if the drugs are causing you harm. Although drugs are the main focal point of addiction, they are not the sole factor. In addition to heroin, cocaine, or other illegal drugs; you can also become addicted to alcohol, nicotine, sleep and anti-anxiety medications, and other legal substances. Some prescription pills prescribed by doctors such as pain medications and/or opioids can also cause addiction. In fact, because these drugs can also be obtained illegally, there has been a growing epidemic in the United States. For Blacks, in particular, a lack of proper medical care has caused them to look elsewhere for treatment. This has led to the growing number of fatal Fentanyl overdoses in the Black community. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), “Non-Hispanic Black persons had the largest annual percentage increase in rates from 2011 through 2016 (140.6% per year).” Unfortunately, Black patients are less likely to have access to Buprenorphine, which reduces Opioid cravings, making them more likely to suffer overdoses, and are also the least likely to have financial access to care.
When you use opioids for a long period of time, you may also develop tolerance and even physical dependence. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you are addicted to opioids. In fact, only a small percentage of people develop an addiction if narcotics are used under proper medical supervision.
Drug abuse is when you use legal or illegal drugs in ways that you shouldn’t. For example, taking more than your regular dose of pills or using someone else’s prescription. You may abuse drugs to feel good, ease stress, or avoid reality. However, unlike addiction, you’re usually able to change your unhealthy habits or stop using altogether.
A study conducted by the American Journal of Health found that African Americans have a lower rate of addiction (11.5%) compared to whites (12%), but a higher rate of addiction when compared to Afro-Caribbean Americans (9.6%). This difference is most pronounced among women. African American women have an addiction rate of 6.3%, while Afro-Caribbean women have a 2.8% rate of addiction.
According to reports from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in 2019, among Blacks with a substance abuse disorder:
Because every person’s body and brain is different, not everyone becomes addicted. For drugs, in particular, certain people may have different responses to them. Some people may try them and love them, while others may hate them and never want to try them again. However, addiction can happen at any age. These things may raise your risk of addiction:
If you are addicted to something, you may experience one or more of the following:
When you use drugs for a long time, it can cause changes in other brain chemical systems and circuits as well. They can hurt your:
These brain changes can cause you to seek out and take drugs in ways that are beyond your control.
The earlier you get treatment for drug addiction, the more likely you are to avoid some of the more dire consequences of the disease. If you notice your drug use getting out of control, you should contact your doctor. Getting over addiction may take some time and although there is no cure, treatment can help you stop using drugs and stay drug-free. Your treatment may include counseling, medicine, or both. Talk to your doctor to determine which plan is best for you.
To avoid pain medicine addiction you should:
Remember, developing a tolerance to pain medication and to needing higher doses to get the same level of pain relief is normal and not a sign of addiction. When you are addicted, you will likely need higher doses, but not for pain relief.
