Behavioral Change: Drugs and Addiction

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Background
Stages
Symptoms
Relapse Prevention
Observations
Works Cited

Introduction

The term addiction which is usually referred to alcohol, narcotics and tobacco can contain wider meanings in the medical world. Addiction could be reached by regular usage of any substance on a daily basis. The reasons for such usage could vary according to the substance used and to the life rhythm of the addicted person. This paper analyzes personal observation experience resulted of discontinuing the usage of a particular substance. The case chosen concerns the drop of usage of the “Red Bull” which is a very popular energy drink. This drink contains components, which facilitate physical and emotional lift. The paper will mainly discuss the personal thoughts, symptoms, behavior and conclusions resulted from discontinuing the usage of the “Red Bull” for the period between June 26th and July 20^th.

Background

The first step before starting this task was identifying the ingredients which are contained in this drink and taken from the website of the product. The main ingredients which were distinguishing the “Red Bull” from other energy drinks are:

Taurine – a conditionally essential amino acid which is naturally occurring in the human body.
Glucuronolactone – a carbohydrate.
Caffeine – a substance known for its beneficial effects on mental and physical functions.
B vitamins – shown to support mental and physical performance.

Other ingredients include sucrose, glucose, and Acesulfame K. (Red Bull)

Stages

In analyzing the stages resulted from stopping the usage of the “Red Bull” it is necessary to explain the reasons for using this drink at first place. The main characteristics promoted for this product were increasing the performance and providing energy. Thus, the regular usage was in cases when concentration was needed or when a feel of tiredness occurred while there were no chances or possibilities for rest.

The form of discontinuing the usage of the energy drink was immediate as there was no apparent reason for gradual withdrawal due to the short period of the observation.

Symptoms

There were expected stages or symptoms for the selected period, i.e. PAW – Post Acute withdrawal. Post acute withdrawal is an adjustment the brain has to make while in the process of returning to life without chemicals. It is the time period when neurotransmitters start acting again. (Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome)

The first noticed stage was sleep disturbances as the sleep rhythm of the body was in disbalance condition. The reason for that might be explained in a case when the body gets accustomed to the condition when his natural needs for sleep were not fulfilled and could not yet return to the normal rhythm. In contrary to the previous condition the second apparent stage was the feel of tiredness and apathy which occurred when there was a need for a full concentration (e.g. reading or doing some writing job).

From thorough observations no other symptoms were recognized in the selected period. Other symptoms for Post Acute Withdrawal such as failure to think clearly, memory problems, or emotional stresses were not present. This could be explained by the low degree of addiction and the nature of the substance used. As these symptoms were not initial reasons for using the “Red Bull” at the first place, the possibility of occurring of intolerable symptoms was insignificant.

Relapse Prevention

Fortunately there was not case of relapse; although there were times that a need for freshening up was present. A relapse – a term that means “the act or an instance of backsliding, worsening, or subsiding” or “a recurrence of symptoms of a disease after a period of improvement” in case of the addiction means the return for the continuous usage of specific substance. (Merriam-Webster)

As the relapse is not an event, but rather a process it takes some effort to prevent this from happening.

It should be mentioned that although the substance mentioned is totally legal, and it cannot be said that its usage was considered a complete addiction, it needed some strategies to perform. As there was not a chance that I was going to use the drink during this period these strategies were merely to keep me from thinking or setting myself to the “wrong mood”.

The main strategy that was used is performing sport activities. Putting efforts in the gym was a natural way to avoid thinking of anything else; in addition it helped returning the body to the normal sleep condition. As I was totally aware of the relapse and the process that should occur, trying to avoid situations that could be described as “high risk” was a vital strategy too. The high risk situations in this case of study could be considered:

Staying up late doing some physical or mental work whether at home or out.
Proceeding with some work when feeling exhaustion.
Being in a company of friends who use energy drinks.
Using alternative stimulators such as coffee.

Due to the short period of the recovery there has not been a plan identified, so the only physical activity that has been conducted was going to the gym.

Observations

Giving something up usually is a hard progress which requires abandoning what you used to do on a regular basis. Definitely, the degree of someone’s addiction can vary depending on the state and the substance, but personally I think that the addiction to substances which could be categorized into low-risk groups is merely a matter of a habit.

This argument could be debatable concerning narcotics or alcohol, but at least for the initial stages of addiction it starts with a monotonous tradition of doing or using something over and over in a way that it becomes operating below the level of consciousness.

Therefore withdrawing of something can become the issue of breaking out the routine that has been established to perform during specific states of body and mind. If thinking about the continuous usage of something in the aforementioned manner it becomes easier to give something up or break this chain.

If speaking about addiction, there are limitations in which I can say that I have symptoms of it. If speaking about the addiction as a medical term that means relying on a substance for normally functioning, then I have not, since I can normally function without the “Red Bull”. However if taking this term as psychological dependence then in such context it is possible, as it could be noticed that some psychological states could be achieved without it.

It should be added that even applying this definition the change of state was easily achieved and the overall behavior did not change much. This was possibly happening because of the fact that the energy drink was not a real drug, but at the same time noticing minor difficulties it could be predicted what it will look like for people who are suffering hard forms of addiction.

It is necessary to distinguish physical dependence from the psychological. In both cases there is a need for a particular substance. When physical dependence occurs, the organism cannot more manage without narcotic. However, psychological dependence is expressed in the tendency to use a narcotic for the pleasure or feelings of satisfaction, which it delivers. Another factor that could be mentioned for drug addicted is that the use of some psychotropic substances leads to the development of some form of adaptations, the organism becomes ever more resistant to their action, and larger doses are required to achieve the same effect.

The initial idea of stopping the usage of any substances before the period of the analysis might have been connected to the willpower, but for now it is obvious that it should be taken in consideration only in the first periods of addiction. In case of long term addictions the case turns out to illness that should be healed and needs assistance in doing so. In other words, if following the previously mentioned distinction between the physical and psychological dependency, it could be said that, willpower can be effective in psychological dependency, whereas in the physical dependency it cannot be stopped without professional assistance. Furthermore it should be kept in mind that the prolonged psychological dependency can turnout into physical, and what starts as a habit or momentary weakness becomes long-term addictions.

Works Cited

Gorski, Terence T., and Merlene Miller. Counseling for Relapse Prevention. Herald Publishing House, 1982.

Ingredients. Red Bull. 2008. Web.

“Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome.”Hopelinks.Net. 2007. Web.

“relapse.” Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2008. Merriam-Webster Online. Web.

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