Is it possible to not get addicted

The answer is more complicated than you might realize. Various factors can increase your likelihood of experiencing substance misuse issues, including your genetic makeup , medical history, overall mental health, environment and method of use. For example, crack cocaine can be more addictive than the powdered form of the drug.

Smoking or injecting cocaine also introduces the substance into your bloodstream faster, allowing it to take effect more rapidly and putting you at a higher risk of dependence. What do you need to know about cocaine use and addiction? Cocaine is a stimulant derived from the leaves of the coca plant.

Its effects on the brain involve a rapid dopamine release that occurs quickly after use. People under the influence of cocaine experience heightened pleasure and sexual arousal, increased talkativeness and a sense of improved focus and mental acuity. The danger of cocaine use is how rapidly users can develop a tolerance. If you're worried about a friend who has an addiction, you can use these tips to help him or her. For example, let your friend know that you are available to talk or offer your support.

If you notice a friend backsliding, talk about it openly and ask what you can do to help. If your friend is going back to drugs or drinking and won't accept your help, don't be afraid to talk to a nonthreatening, understanding adult, like your parent or school counselor.

It may seem like you're ratting your friend out, but it's the best support you can offer. Above all, offer a friend who's battling an addiction lots of encouragement and praise. It may seem corny, but hearing that you care is just the kind of motivation your friend needs.

Recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction doesn't end with a 6-week treatment program. It's a lifelong process. Many people find that joining a support group can help them stay clean.

There are support groups specifically for teens and younger people. You'll meet people who have gone through the same experiences you have, and you'll be able to participate in real-life discussions about drugs that you won't hear in your school's health class.

Many people find that helping others is also the best way to help themselves. Your understanding of how difficult the recovery process can be will help you to support others — both teens and adults — who are battling an addiction. If you do have a relapse, recognizing the problem as soon as possible is critical. Get help right away so that you don't undo all the hard work you put into your initial recovery.

And, if you do have a relapse, don't ever be afraid to ask for help! Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. Defining an addiction is tricky, and knowing how to handle one is even harder. What Are Substance Abuse and Addiction? Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call immediately.

Begin Healing, Call Now: Gender, ethnicity, and the presence of other mental disorders may also influence the risk of drug use and addiction. Although taking drugs at any age can lead to addiction, the earlier that drug use begins, the more likely it will progress to addiction. This is particularly problematic for teens. Because areas in their brains that control decision-making, judgment, and self-control are still developing, teens may be especially prone to risky behaviors, including trying drugs.

Overcoming Heroin Addiction Safely Whether you have these risk factors or not, it is even dangerous when trying heroin or any other drugs once. Ready to Rebuild Your Life? Some people might be able to use a drug many times without experiencing any ill effects, while another person might take the same drug and have a bad reaction or even overdose the first time they use it.

Likewise, you can become addicted to a drug the first time you try it, while another person might never form an addiction at all. Just as there are vast differences between the people doing drugs, there are also big differences between the types of drugs out there. For example, you may use powdered cocaine and never become addicted to it, but if you were to sample crack cocaine or heroin, you might get addicted the first time you try it.

Sometimes an addiction can sneak up on you slowly and insidiously. As you continue to use a drug, you can slowly build up a tolerance to it, which means that you no longer get the same feeling or "high" that you once got by taking a small amount. Once your tolerance begins to build, you might increase the dose or frequency of taking the drug. You are trying to get that same "high" that you felt in the beginning when your body was not used to the drug.

As you continue to build tolerance, you end up taking more of the drug. Your body becomes chemically dependent on the drug. Which means, you discover that you need to take the drug just to feel normal or leveled out. Drug addiction is considered a brain disease because drugs change the brain—they change its structure and how it works. These brain changes can be long-lasting and can lead to harmful behaviors.

Brain imaging studies of people with addiction show physical changes in areas of the brain that are critical to judgment, decision-making, learning and memory, and behavior control.

Research tells us that repeated use of a drug actually begins to make chemical changes in the brain that alters the brain's reward system. When someone continues to use a substance even when it no longer provides pleasure, it's called the pathological pursuit of rewards , or addiction. Usually, it takes some time for a drug to begin to change the brain's reward system to the point that a person forms an addiction , but some drugs can do so very quickly.

Drugs can potentially have life-threatening consequences , and individuals can have very different reactions to the same drug.