By Sarah Sloan

Addiction is everywhere, whether it’s a family member, peer or oneself. But what exactly is addiction? Addiction is a condition that occurs when someone uses a substance or is involved with an activity that they really enjoy but can be potentially harmful. When this substance or activity is used compulsively, it can interfere with everyday responsibilities.
The thing about addiction is that the users don’t usually realize the damage they are causing to themselves or people around them. Mick Rasch, the Drug Counselor at Sedro-Woolley High School, states “The worst part of addiction for the user is coming down off drugs and also the long-lasting consequences that can potentially affect the rest of the addict’s life. “the worst part for family members/friends is the fear of the user dying and also having someone they love turn into someone that they don’t know.”
After long term use of the drug or substance, the user can develop tolerance. This is when the person no longer has the same reaction to this drug. In other words, it takes an even higher dose to achieve the same level of response achieved initially.
When the body goes without this substance, it goes into withdrawal, which is the physical and mental symptoms that occur when you stop or reduce the intake of a drug.
The symptoms are different for each drug and each person. Not everyone will have exactly the same symptoms.
This causes the body to be dependent on the drug. There are two main types of dependencies; physical and physiological dependence.
Physical dependence is when the body adapts to the presence of a drug and can go into withdrawal if the body goes too long without it. In severe cases, the effect of rapid withdrawal can be life threatening because the body has become so dependent on the drug and it interferes with normal body processes. When a user goes into withdrawal, it can actually help determine the state of physical dependence that a certain individual has acquired over a period of time.
Physiological dependence is more the emotional and the mental aspect of using drugs.This kind of dependence refers to how the user can become mentally dependent on a substance. Without the narcotic, the individual will feel very disoriented but that’s not all. Part of this disorientation is the user’s ability to retain information the way they used to. The mind is a very useful tool that is constantly storing information and solving problems.
But these substances make it harder to remember simple things like what you ate for dinner the night before or when that paper for history class is due. These are called blank spots. As time goes on it becomes harder and harder to recall things from the past, which can leave a person feeling frustrated or even vulnerable.
There’s still hope for the user to become sober and stay sober, but treatment is needed.