Each day we are forced to make decisions that have the ability to cause a lasting effect on the rest of our lives.
Young people are faced with extraordinary pressures from a thousand different sources, and are forced to weigh the pros and cons of the decisions they make. Sometimes the judgments are erroneous in that they become problematic and jeopardize future opportunities due to severe repercussions. One of these choices that can be common is to do drugs.
Our bodies are filled with hormones, specialized chemicals that flow throughout the body to perform specific tasks and maintain homeostasis within the body and neurotransmitters, which ultimately enable us to carry out our lives as they are. These hormones are highly regulated within the body.
Stimulants like cocaine, amphetamines and methamphetamines cause an increase in the Thyrotropin-releasing hormone levels. TRH leads to inhibited levels of dopamine, which is a commonly associated hormone when drugs are being discussed. Dopamine plays a crucial role in the reward-motivated behaviors in which the brain uses. These drugs heavily increase the effects of dopamine upon use.
Do not be fooled by the class of drugs that I listed above and the severity society associates with them. Much of this is very true for other chemicals that millions employ each day like the use of alcohol and nicotine.
Withdrawal is experienced across the board because of the physical changes that the abuse, and sometimes even light usage of these drugs, and ranges in severity. Common nicotine withdrawal symptoms are fatigue, irritability, apathy, boredom and restlessness, among others.
Opiates on the other hand are very severe. The sufferer often experiences terrible chills, loss of bowel control, incredible pain, shaking, the inability to consume food, increased heart rate, as well as a host of individual symptoms that can change from person to person.
Before you go out with your buddies and get pushed into a situation where you have to decide if you’re cool enough to hang with them, think about the physical consequences as well as the moral, social and financial woes that you can face.
While I am unable to speak for everyone, I know that I certainly don’t have the financial security to support a cocaine addiction.
I can almost guarantee if you ask any child what they want to be when they are older they will say something along the lines of an athlete, a doctor, lawyer or an astronaut. No one aspires to be a drug addict.
Our bodies function at such complicated, high levels within certain limits. Much like cooking an egg, once a chemical change in the make-up of the brain occurs it is permanently changed. While some abstain from the drug and battle with addiction the rest of their life, it takes a considerable amount of effort and will always be there. It is in our nature to value freedom, and to be dependent on a foreign substance only goes against this.
Dan Maloney is a sophomore studying biological science and a columnist for The Post. Email him at dm933612@ohiou.edu.
